《Game Making: Start By Healing the Player》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Ill never drink again; my head hurts too much.


    Chen Xu rubbed his head and sat up from the bed,ining.


    He rubbed his eyelids, which were still a little sticky, and was stunned when he opened his eyes.


    The environment in front of him was extremely unfamiliar.


    Wait a minute


    The next moment, before Chen Xu could figure out what was happening, countless memories flooded his mind.


    It took over an hour to sort them all out.


    It was obvious now. He, who was an ordinary game nner in his previous life, had not only travelled through time, but also to a parallel world.


    Based on these memories, its difficult to pinpoint exactly what went wrong in this world. It is very different from Chen Xus previous life.


    All aspects of life have changed tremendously due to the advancement of technology.


    But he couldnt be sure of how much it was. What really drew his attention was the gaming entertainment industry.


    The world was at peace after a great war. With the following explosion of science and technology, problems of resource scarcity werergely a thing of the past.


    The economy recovered rapidly, people were no longer worried about survival and they now had money to spend, so the entertainment industry has naturally be the main direction of development.


    And the gaming industry is a significant part of that.


    In Chen Xus past life, games were treated as a scourge and a scapegoat, both domestically and abroad.


    Why do shootings happen so often? Because games promote violence! Have stricter gunws? Nonsense! We must remove the true source of the shootings: video games!


    But in this parallel world, things are different. Excellent games can be called art, and top game designers enjoy the same social status as literary giants.


    But the gamingndscape in this world is also a little different.


    Major game publishers like Ubisoft and EA have disappeared, reced by others Chen Xu has never heard of.


    As for the famous game creators from his previous life, there are none in this world.


    Hidetaka Miyazaki, who created the Souls series, left Oracle to join FS;


    Masahiro Sakurai, who simplified hardcore tforming and created a legendary Nintendo series;


    Sid Meier, who defined 4X games; and Hironobu Sakaguchi, who created the FF series.


    The Hauser brothers, who pushed the concept of open 3D worlds to its limits,


    Hideo Kojima, who created stealth games and cinematic narrative games,


    and Shigeru Miyamoto, a video game hall of famer.


    These producers, who made a name for themselves in the game industry in their previous lives, do not exist in this world.


    The Chen Xu of this world was an ordinary art student who had just graduated less than half a year ago and wanted to enter theic industry.


    This world is a paradise!


    Chen Xu couldnt help but sigh as he recalled some memories and basic information he had gleaned from the Inte.


    Strictws and copyright protection for cultural products were simply unimaginable in his previous life.


    Chen Xu also noticed some half-finished drawing papers on the table, things he had been working on.


    Illustrations?


    It seems that before the transmigration, he wanted to make it as a cartoonist.


    It is a pity, however, that despite having been submitted several times, they have never passed the editors test.


    As for the serialization of someics on the Inte, it is a pity that the reception has been lukewarm.


    In addition to earning a bit of royalties from obscure onlineic series, he also made a living by drawing character illustrations for novelists and doing outsourcing for some gamepanies.


    He is not famous, and his artistic skills are not the best.


    Usually, the price for a piece is only about 1,200 yuan, and it has to be revised again and again as things change.


    Comics? I really didnt know what I was doing! Chen Xu ran through the memories in his mind and couldnt help but purse his lips.


    Although the memories of the original him in this world allowed Chen Xu to understand various drawing techniques, it was useless.


    After all, he had been working as a frence illustrator to supplement his living.


    As for theics in his previous life, Chen Xu had heard of them all, including One Punch Man, One Piece, Death, Naruto and Conan.


    But he has to apologise first.


    He has only seen the animated versions and has no idea how to trante them intoic form.


    Looking at it this way, I feel like I can only go back to my old game business, and the efficiency of game development in this world is a bit high! Chen Xu couldnt help but be dumbfounded after thinking about this.


    Unlike his previous life, where each gamepany developed its own game engine, although this way of doing things is still going on overseas, in China there are officially provided game engines.


    In addition, as we all know, game production involves many aspects, such as numerical values, art, plot, level design and code.


    But the most important and fundamental point is the code.


    It is directly rted to the performance of your game, the equivalent of the skeleton.


    No matter how good the gamey and graphics are, if the code is not well optimized, the game can basically be considered a failure.


    However, with the development of IT technology in this world, artificial intelligence has also been prototyped and applied to all areas of life. Among them, games are the ce that has changed the most.


    Mechanicalmands and other codes are all implemented through the game engines with help from artificial intelligence. Putting an end to themon practice of sacrificing a programmer to appease the machine gods.


    Convenience is a given, but not every game designer can handle it without issues.


    After all, using artificial intelligence to create code requires huge amounts ofputation. And each game designer has fixed amounts of monthly resources, depending on their status.


    Of course, you can also set up your own server and make your own code. All you have to do is pay the licensing fees.


    But the cost of setting up a server and maintenance is not cheap.


    So far, there are three ways to be a game designer.


    One is to take the Game Department exam that is held every summer, and if you pass, you can get the title of Game Designer.


    Another way is to join a gamepany, work there for about three years and then apply through thepanys channels and report to the gaming department to be an official game designer.


    Thest is to create an indie game that earns the recognition of the yer market. This is the route most normal game enthusiasts and hobbyists take to try breaking into the industry.


    If youre using this route, youll sessfully earn the title if one of the following conditions is met. <ul><li>Hitting 150,000 units sold </li><li>Hitting 5000 cumtive ratings </li><li>Or getting a review score of over 8.5 out of 10.</li></ul>


    As for boosting sales and buying good reviews, there is basically no such thing, because it is illegal and there are actual consequences for getting caught in this world.


    It looks very formal, but at least it shouldnt be difficult for me to get the title of game designer. Looking at the information he learned, Chen Xu rubbed his chin and said to himself.


    After all, he is not alone. Thousands of seniors in the game industry from his past life are standing behind him.


    Chen Xu has never thought thatrge-scale games arecking in capabilities, resources, and funds at this stage.


    But when ites to small indie games, Chen Xu is quite confident in what he can bring to the table. After all, he knows all about the various excellent indie games in his previous life.


    Chen Xus own ability is quite sufficient to reproduce the relevant materials in this world after some learning.


    Wait, what is this?


    Chen Xu, who was thinking about the next step, suddenly noticed something.


    It was a translucent blue ball-shaped mark on the back of his hand, like a birthmark.


    Chen Xu rubbed it with his thumb, and suddenly a transparent UI pop-up window appeared in his vision.


    System?


    In an instant, the word popped into his mind.


    When you think about it, it doesnt seem too much to have a system after travelling through parallel worlds, does it?


    Only, is that the name of this system?


    <strong>Emotion Collection System</strong>


    Looking at the golden interface that looked like a cheap, app game in his previous life, Chen Xu fell into silence for a while.


    Its a bit gaudy and doesnt feel like a serious system.


    Next


    Index

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Chen Xu looked at the floating screen in front of him. The content disyed on it was clear and concise.


    Theres an exnation button, an inventory, and something like a Gachapon machine with a list of rewards :<ul><li>[Common Skillbook]</li><li>[Rare Skillbook]</li><li>[Items]</li></ul>


    There is also a row of numbers at the bottom: <strong>473451</strong>.


    First, he clicked on the exnation, and soon Chen Xu got the information he wanted.


    Apparently, this system is his own golden finger.


    Its a very simple lottery system using points.


    When people consume and immerse themselves in his works, the emotions they experience will be used by the system to generate points.


    The points can then be used in the lottery, and now there are more than 400,000 emo points.


    It was umted by Chen Xu in his previous life.


    Seeing this, he felt a bit regretful.


    If I had known this, I would have gone into level and plot design instead of working on scenarios.


    It is different from his previous world where yers directly me the game designers when they are unhappy.


    nning in his previous world meant taking the me.


    A favourite character gets less screen time? Your fault.


    A favourite character dies? Your fault.


    Server crashed? Your fault.


    Whether its the nners fault or not, it is what it is.


    100,000 per draw? No discounts or extra rewards for ten consecutive draws? What kind of piglike system is this! Originally, Chen Xu thought he had quite a lot of points, but when he saw the numbers in the lottery, he fell silent.


    With more than 400,000 points, he could only draw four times.


    Chen Xu didnt stop, though, and started moving his hands.


    He pulled the lever four times and waited. The Gachapon machine whirred and shook loudly, spitting out four capsules.


    Then a golden light burst out of the capsules.


    Originally, Chen Xu didnt expect to receive anything good. After all, he only had four chances and he knew how Gachas worked.


    And this Gachapon only has three options in total.


    But now?


    Wow! Golden Legend!


    Chen Xu dubbed a voice in his heart, his face filled with anticipation.


    Then <figure>RewardsQuantityCommon Skill Book2Rare Skill Book1Memory Bank1</figure>


    Looking the items in front of him, Chen Xu waspletely speechless.


    This golden light is just for drawing the lottery No, it should be the special effect of opening the capsule?


    System, its really extra!


    Chen Xuined in his heart, but he still focused his mind on themon skill book in his hand.


    Then Chen Xu saw the skill book turn into a puff of cosmic dust and seep into his body, a new announcement appeared in his UI.


    <strong>Plot Design +1</strong>


    As the purple light poured in, Chen Xu felt that his mind was extremely clear, and at the same time a random thought came to mind, the concept and arrangement of story beats seemed toe easier.


    This feeling is quite strange, just like when he was stuck at a particrly difficult math question.


    But got enlightened when seeing a rted form.


    Then Chen Xu clicked on the other two books.


    <strong>Music +1 </strong>


    <strong>Drawing +5</strong>


    Music was marked as amon skill book, while drawing was marked as rare.


    The level of increase is different. He didnt know if it was the skill type or level of increase that was rted to rarity.


    After all, there were no points of reference.


    Finally, Chen Xu looked at thest item avable to him.


    Memory Bank: It can retrieve deep memories for 1 hour.


    Looking at the memory bank, Chen Xu showed a surprised expression.


    Not bad!


    This is the equivalent of having photographic memory with a time limit.


    As a person familiar with the games industry in his previous life, Chen Xu had not just yed, but researched a great number of games.


    Take the famous game The Last of Us, for instance. The average consumer would y it and take away experiences like Wow, that was amazing or That part was very scary. That sort of thing.


    But for people in the games industry like Chen Xu, it was a thought-provoking treasure trove of research material.


    For example, why is the story told in this way, was the distribution of monsters reasonable, why were the map and its bunkers ced as they are, and how are clues intuitively given to yers to guide them towards the more hidden portions.


    So, with the memory bank, Chen Xu is able to rey games in his head to the greatest extent possible.


    Valuable as it was, he had no use for it yet, so it was returned to his inventory for safekeeping.


    Before developing his first game, there are still preparations to be made.


    For example, he had to familiarize himself with the use of official game engines, do some market surveys on trending games, as well as surveys on avable gaming tforms.


    These are important parts of the process.


    Well, let me have a look! Chen Xu dismissed the system and booted up theputer to start learning more.


    First, he took a look at the engines.


    Because he used to help gamepanies looking to outsource the production of art assets.


    Chen Xu also has the official game engine software on his ownputer with a registered ount.


    In this parallel world, the development of integrated engine tforms is rtively mature.


    Allowing users to find anything they might need, including original assets, models, music, and even voice actors.


    Well, its quick and convenient, but the resources avable to a newbie are very limited.


    Chen Xu used the fast-forward mode to watch the introductory videos, while simultaneously searching for rted text guides.


    With a basic understanding of the game engine, it is not difficult to get started.


    Next is the tform. The development of the entertainment industry has also led to a crackdown on piracy. Games developed using game engines also technically eliminate piracy.


    Piracy is now a non-factor, but thepetition in the industry is cutthroat.


    As for tforms, there are domestic and foreign ones avable.


    However, unlike his previous world, where Steam was the one true god of tforms across the world, in this parallel world, each country seems to be supporting its own domestic tforms.


    This is mainly because, unlike the domestic games where you were either an Xbox or a ystation fan, in this parallel world, real-name authentication ispletely universal and there is a corresponding rating system for everything that passes for a cultural product, including video games.


    Games like The Witcher 3 and GTA have basically a 0% chance of passing the review in the previous life, but in this parallel world they can pass the reviewpletely, but will definitely be rated 18R.


    Next


    Back


    Index

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Sitting in front of theputer, Chen Xu had a rough understanding of the current situation.


    The gaming industry, this is the direction he will strive towards.


    But even if you decide to make a game, its not that easy.


    With the aid of the highly advanced tech in this world, creating the underlying code is no longer necessary when developing games.


    But the art, music, modelling and so on; none of them are expenses that can be spared.


    Besides, Chen Xu himself is quite embarrassed at the moment.


    He has yet to obtain the title of Game Designer, so the resources avable to him in the tforms are very limited.


    Although Chen Xu estimates that, like some hit indie ssics of his previous life, these resources will be sufficient.


    But theres another important point: hes damn near broke.


    After all, he had just graduated and was living in the suburbs of the Capital City.


    The cost of living is quite high and he has only 10,000 yuan or so in the bank.


    Leaving the system and all that aside for now. After all, this heartless thing requires your own work to collect points, without even giving you the option to exchange points for cash!


    I need to find a way to make money. Chen Xu rubbed his chin and thought.


    He started going through the folders on hisputer, looking for anything useful, then his eyes lit up.


    There were more than a dozen colouredics packed away in a document.


    The content depicts a story about some cool youngdies ying water volleyball.


    The tone of the story is positive and uplifting, fully demonstrating vitality and youth.


    ording to his recollection, theseics were not drawn by him, but given to him for colouring by a senior from the same university.


    The illustrations had a peculiar charm to them, and so Chen Xu made a decision.


    This was his first job as a frencer in this world, and with it came his first game idea.


    Mirror, a domestic erotic Gal game with match-3 elements that was deeply loved by yers in his previous life.


    It was selected as the second most reviewed game in 2018, and topped the global daily bestseller list on the Steam tform.


    It has umted 71,000 reviews, of which nearly 69,000 are positive, and most of the other 2,000 are bad reviews given for the memes.


    The reasons for choosing this game are also very simple.


    There is basically no modelling work to be done for this type of game, and the contents can be easily written and produced by Chen Xu himself.


    Furthermore, due to the characteristics of this game, without having funds for promotion, it can be said that the game Mirror has unique advantagespared to other games.


    In terms of quickly recouping capital costs, it can be said that Mirror is the best choice.


    Of course, some of the content that is over the line still needs to be changed, he doesnt want to be too entangled with erotic content forter works, after all.


    But if you go at it alone, it will take forever. I need to find a helper. After making the decision, Chen Xu thought about it and came up with a n.


    But first, lets solve this hungry stomach.


    Chen Xu stood up, picked up the keys and mobile phone on the table, and went downstairs to look for food.


    Never underestimate the meat cutter at a Lanzhou ramen restaurant. What incredible skill he has with a knife!


    Chen Xu picked up a slice of beef as thin as a cicadas wing with his chopsticks and sighed.


    When dipped into the ramen broth, it made Chen Xu doubt his eyes, as they almost looked translucent.


    Six slices of beef were ced on the ramen noodles, with chopped spring onions and coriander on the side.


    Whether its a past life or a parallel world, this beef can be summed up in one word: thin.


    Although the amount of meat is not really enough to pick your teeth, the noodles are still quite tasty.


    It is very chewy, and the noodle soup made from beef bones is also delicious.


    After eating and drinking, Chen Xu paid the bill, left the noodle shop and dialled a phone number on his way home.


    After about three rings, the phone was connected.


    Senior Sister, the drawings you gave me earlier have beenpleted. I will send them to you soon.


    Also, Senior, do you have time tomorrow? I have some things I would like to discuss with you.


    No problem, Ill meet you at Ind Coffee, the one at the intersection of the Garden Community. Tomorrow afternoon, one oclock.


    Chen Xu hung up the phone and stretched.


    His pot of gold will depend on the performance of Mirror.


    But if he has to do all the work alone.


    Chen Xu estimated that it would take him about two months toplete Mirror.


    And this is if he worked till his liver explodes.


    So, if possible, it would be best to find a helper.


    Whether it will all work in the end, only heaven knows.


    One oclock in the afternoon.


    Chen Xu came to the cafe at the agreed time.


    In the lobby on the first floor, a girl in her twenties was sitting by the window.


    She wore sses and a casual, white suit. She was bobbing her head to something on her headphones.


    Senior Ruan, nice to see you. Chen Xu walked over and greeted the other party.


    No problem, my house happens to be nearby. Ruan Ningxue took off her headphones and smiled slightly, shaking her head.


    Before Chen Xu could continue, Ruan Ningxue smiled happily and said, So, Chen Xu, what do you want to talk to me about? Have you finally decided to join my studio? I even told you that I am obsessed withics. How unbing of me.


    You can definitely hone your skills with fanart first, and then change career paths. Many famous artists in the industry used to draw fanart!


    And I saw the illustrations you filled in, Chen Xu, you are very talented!


    Ruan Ningxue said to Chen Xu very seriously.


    Ahem Well, Senior Sister, I appreciate your kindness, but thats not why I came to see you today. Chen Xu coughed twice in embarrassment.


    She is a senior student from Chen Xus department.


    Just like Chen Xu before, Ruan Ningxue also aspired to be a cartoonist.


    Its just that the other partys path is a little different, that is,pared to Chen Xus repeated failures in submissions, Ruan Ningxue started drawing fanart.


    At least she can make a lot of money from this job, and in her words, bing a bestselling fan artist, bing famous, and then changing careers to be an official cartoonist is also a viable path!


    And what kind of fanart?


    Of course, it is fanart that tells beautiful love stories, but of course sometimes it is filled with lust instead of beauty.


    As a senior student, Ruan Ningxue thought highly of Chen Xus skills and always wanted to recruit him to form a team.


    Sensing that the topic had gotten a little out of hand and that there was a good chance that it would happen again, Chen Xu went straight to the point.


    Eh switching to gaming?


    Hearing Chen Xus words, Ruan Ningxues eyes widened as if she had heard something incredible.


    My original idea was just to present the story to others. Comics and games are actually just a medium. Chen Xu told Ruan Ningxue his reasoning.


    And there are many examples in the industry of cartoonists or novelists who have be directors and game designers. Chen Xu said with a smile.


    After all, unlike before, the development of technology has lowered the basic threshold for all walks of life.


    As a result, theres no small number of border crossing examples in the worlds entertainment industry.


    Of course, whether you can will be sessful after crossing industries, that is another matter entirely.


    Thats not the answer, okay! Ruan Ningxue rolled her eyes: If you dont count food and shelter, youll still be in arrears on your illustration payment! So, Chen Xu, are you going to sell me off for nothing?


    If the person sitting across from her was not her junior, and if she wasnt still nning on recruiting Chen Xu.


    Ruan Ningxue would have definitely left immediately because this felt like some sort of scam.


    This evil capitalist wants to use yourbour for free!


    No, capitalists dont do that!

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Hearing Ruan Ningxues words, Chen Xu couldnt help but blush.


    But after a moment, heposed himself. Coughing slightly to dispel the awkward atmosphere, he began to think of excuses.


    Well, theres actually a lot of reasons why Im trying to do this


    Ruan Ningxue, who was sitting across the table, couldnt help but curl her lips. Obviously thinking that men cant be trusted.


    She looked at Chen Xu with a smile and said, I can ept all the conditions youve mentioned, but only if you ept my condition as well!


    Upon hearing this, Chen Xu was stunned for a moment.


    He was still thinking about how to convince her.


    Truth be told,ing here, meeting her and trying to convince her, it was all a shot in the dark. He just wanted to give it a try without expectations.


    After all, he knows the situation all too well. What money does he have?


    Its definitely not something he can produce now. If he does, theres no need to think about making games anymore.


    After all, there are still some much-needed resources to be paid for.


    What about relying on the rtionship between junior and senior?


    The other party is not one of yours and has no obligation to help you.


    Besides, it looks like you are trying to promise some unrealistic fantasy.


    But now, theres a chance?


    What do you want, elder sister? Chen Xu asked Ruan Ningxue.


    One month, if your game sales sells poorly within one month ofunching, you muste and work for me!


    Sign at least two contracts! Of course, in terms of payment, I will definitely not be like you, my lovely junior, who wants to use mybour for free.


    Ruan Ningxue said with a smile.


    Hearing Ruan Ningxues words, Chen Xu was stunned for a moment beforeing to his senses.


    Chen Xu didnt have any reservations about erotic art. After all, there were quite a few female artists specializing in erotic artwork in his previous life.


    For example, Yuzuki N and  5milli Nishizawa


    Ahem In fact, Chen Xu doesnt know any of these artists or their works, let alone seen them. He has only heard about them from his friends


    Then what kind of sales volume is considered poor? Chen Xu asked.


    If the other party is talking about sales of several million copies, then Chen Xu really doesnt have much confidence.


    After all, this is a parallel world that is very different from the gaming environment in the previous life.


    Although the piracy factor is gone, the market itself is different.


    Without capital for promotion, it is difficult to rely solely on yer rmendations.


    This includes independent games that were well received in previous generations and sold millions or even tens of millions of copies.


    But if you look closely, you will find that many of these games only became popr after six months or a year.


    They were all unknown at the beginning.


    Even fantastic works like The Binding of Isaac were basically unknown in the early days.


    After all, fragrant wine does not fear deep alleys, a good product will speak for itself, but it can take time.


    So, if Ruan Ningxue talks about selling a million copies, Chen Xu thinks its better to go at it alone.


    After all, if he agrees, based on the game he is currently nning to produce, there is a high probability that he will soon specialise in erotic fanart.


    Ruan Ningxue took out her mobile phone and seemed to be sending a message.


    After about a minute, Ruan Ningxue raised her head and said a number.


    Uh 100,000, um, 50,000 is enough!


    If the sales volume does not exceed 50,000 within 1 month after the release, you will lose!


    Hearing Ruan Ningxues words, Chen Xu couldnt help but smile confidently.


    50,000 sales per month?


    Even though the game environment is a bit different from the previous life, and there is not a lot of start-up capital.


    But Chen Xu can only say that this number ispletely free.


    No problem. Chen Xu directly agreed.


    Then, Elder Sister, lets officially start tomorrow! Ill go back and make preparations first. See you tomorrow morning!


    Having said that, he waved goodbye, turned around and left the caf in a rush, not giving her time to react.


    Only Ruan Ningxue, who was still a bit dazed, remained.


    Did I lowball it?


    Thinking about it, Ruan Ningxue quickly dialled a number.


    After two seconds, the other party connected.


    Sister Xin, did you just lie to me? Is 50,000 sales per month really a high sales volume? Ruan Ningxue was a little confused when she thought about Chen Xus confident look just now.


    A clear female voice came from the mobile phone: Its not high, but its rtive. Didnt you ask if a neer with no funding makes a game for the first time, how many sales would be considered high?


    No funding, very first video game, and with none of the high-quality resources avable to experienced game designers? That is a hell of a hard start. 50,000 sales would be considered S-level difficulty, in fact, having 1000 copies sold in the first month would be an aplishment.


    Really? Ruan Ningxue was doubtful.


    Yes, really! Take my word for it as a professional game designer!


    By the way, Xiaoxue, are you nning to make a game? Have you thought about it? I just need you to help me with the character concepts and the design portraits. We will definitely be able to make it big!


    Yang Xin on the other end of the phone was very excited.


    Sister Xin, Sister Xin? What did you say? The signal here is not good. Lets talkter!


    Hearing the excited voice on the other end of the phone, Ruan Ningxues expression changed slightly, she moved the phone further away, hung up after saying a few words, and then let out a sigh of relief.


    Then, thinking about what Yang Xin said on the phone, Ruan Ningxue couldnt help but smile.


    First time making a game, no funding, a hellishly difficult challenge, and Chen Xu had already signed his name on the dotted line.


    So, my issue of finding an assistant is as good as gone!


    The only downside is that it will take two months for this assistant to officially take up his post.


    ..


    After saying goodbye to Ruan Ningxue, Chen Xu returned to his apartment.


    He tidied up the room and sat down at hisputer.


    As a tool for game design, theputers specs are eptable, at least its enough for the Mirror project.


    Of course, anything bigger is out of the question.


    Because there is basically no funding, and the resource permissions of the official engine are not sufficient.


    There are two ways to improve the permission situation.


    The first is for game designers to get official certification and have their professional titles promoted.


    How to aplish that?


    Game sales and awards received are all factors that can be included in the evaluation.


    The second is much simpler and more direct. Buy it. The amounts of resources you can use depends on how strong your finances are.


    However, these things arepletely irrelevant to Chen Xu at the moment.


    And games like Mirror wont use much.


    At least for now, Chen Xu was in the clear.


    Sitting in front of theputer, he wrote the first draft of Mirror, the games design document.


    There is only one developer, Chen Xu. Ruan Ningxue will only be responsible for illustrations. But this does not mean that a design document is not needed.


    Just like writing an outline, it can greatly improve efficiency.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Mirror can be considered a fairly unique mini-game.


    Itbines RPG and Gal game elements with character interactions and multiple endings.


    Making the experience rather immersive.


    As for the match-3bat gamey, it is simply a variation of connect-the-dots, which is a popr and familiar concept even in this world, so Chen Xu wasnt worried about it being implemented.


    Besides, the selling point of Mirror is definitely not the match-3 portion.


    The rest is the story and CG illustrations.


    But Chen Xu didnt worry about this, because if his memories were to be trusted, Ruan Ningxue was the real deal. Besides, he wasnt <em>too</em> shabby himself. He could help out here.


    Chen Xu quickly started work on another segment of the design document.


    Match-3 gamey


    Different upgrade routes


    Afterpleting it, Chen Xu began to work on the storylines.


    In the first story, the female character was a Dark Elf thief who went to steal a lords vault to help the poor, but didnt realise that the lords hidden identity was a devil, and then fell into his hands


    The follow-up, then, is a choice of two directions for the yer, the pleasure or pain routes.


    The second story is about a female shogun who travelled from ancient times to modern times and encountered a geek in the modern world. At the same time, losing the authority and responsibility she was used to carrying.


    As the story unfolds, there are two different endings, the pleasure route naturally grants a happy ending, and the other one is a bit dark but touching nheless.


    In the modern world, the protagonist does something and both end up traveling back to ancient times, after a period of time together, the war is about to be lost, and the yer is able to return to the modern world and bring her with him, but choses to face death by her side.


    Afterwards, there are storylines about the reincarnation of zombies and dragon knights.


    Chen Xu ns to produce these four stories as the first phase of development, because he simply doesnt have enough money.


    After all, the implementation of the match-3 gamey, the hiring of voice actors, and BGM copyrights will also require a tidy sum.


    As for where the money came from, it wasnt a big problem.


    The 10,000 yuan in his ount obviously cannot be relied on for much, but at least it can be used to apply for loans, instalments and credit cards.


    The next morning, inside Chen Xus t.


    Ruan Ningxue, who brought her own CNC board andptop, sat next to Chen Xu and stared at the pieces of paper spread out on the table, with an odd look on her face. They contained the hand written plots and subplots of Mirror.


    I wasnt expecting <em>this</em> kind of game from you, Chen Xu.


    But how interesting this is, surely, being a cartoonist and game designer isnt your true calling, why dont we just drop this and start making a doujin together?


    With ourbined talents, I think we can definitely put it together, then we continue as doujin artists, umte fans and eventually move towards bing famous cartoonists, many famous teachers have followed this path of development.


    Ruan Ningxue looked at the materials that Chen Xu had prepared overnight and began to introduce her strategic detour n again.


    Its a waste!


    How can such talent go into a game?


    She knows her own biggest w was story telling.


    Thats why she decided to support herself with fanart, while also trying to slowly hone her skills.


    But now, take a look at these few short stories written by Chen Xu, they were simply fantastic.


    Pleasure, pain, reincarnation and all other sorts of interesting story elements.


    Listening to Ruan Ningxues exmation, the corners of Chen Xus mouth twitched.


    Thank you for thepliments, but my heart is set. Chen Xu said politely.


    Well, following up with this, you can start by making the illustrations ording to the storylines, but not inic style, theyre used to set the scenes so I need them highly detailed and coloured.


    Of course, not everything in the plot needs to be shown through the illustrations; in fact, much of it will be told through dialogue, so keep that in mind.


    Got it, detailed artwork, focus on the charm of the female characters. Dont worry, I know exactly what Im doing, Ill make each of them as eye-catching as the cover of a doujin! Ruan Ningxue said in high spirits.


    Well, its no problem to understand it this way. Chen Xu nodded, then took a deep breath, If there are no issues, lets get to work!


    Hearing Chen Xus words, Ruan Ningxue gave him a thumbs up before booting up herptop.


    The development of Mirror started off much smoother than he feared.


    Some of the non-critical art resources were outsourced to save time.


    The four headlining characters would be the Dark Elf Thief, the Ice Dragon Maid, the Female Shogun, and the Chinese Zombie Disciple.


    As for the soundtrack, it is not impossible for Chen Xu to do it himself.


    But it is time-consuming and exhausting, and the licensing fees didnt cost that much, so Chen Xu decided to just purchase it directly.


    Next came the dubbing.


    You can scrimp and save on background music.


    But as for illustration and dubbing, it was better not to be stingy with these.


    After all, these two were the essentially the core points of Mirror.


    Hmm, perfect! But something still feels off


    Looking at Ruan Ningxues illustration that had just been coloured, Chen Xu could not help but be amazed.


    In his previous life, he wasnt exactly a nobody in the gaming industry.


    He had met and exchanged ideas with some of the industrys bigwigs at some summits and conventions.


    Naturally, he has picked up a thing or two when ites to appreciating concept art, having been impressed by some of the great artists of his former life.


    Such as the fantastic Yang Qi, who worked on ck Myth Wukong,


    Shigenori Soejima, known for the Persona series,


    And Tetsuya Nomura, of the acimed Final Fantasy 7


    These well-known people in the industry, Chen Xu has studied ande to understand the philosophy behind their designs.


    But as for the character concept presented before him, Ruan Ningxue really gave Chen Xu a shock, her skills could not be understated.


    Of course, it is not without some shorings, after all, the concept art used in the gaming industry is inherently different from those used by cartoonists oric artists.


    Even the illustrations used by a Gal game is not the same as those used by manga.


    Thats right! Its indeed not quite the same as drawing a doujin. Listening to Chen Xus words, Ruan Ningxue thought for a moment.


    Well, even if its a visual novel game, the illustrations used arepletely different from aic. Chen Xu gently nodded towards Ruan Ningxue.


    Inside the rental house, they continued to discuss the key features of the game.


    Currently, the game as a whole was basically finished.


    The only thing left was the voice acting.


    For this kind of game featuring beautiful girls, having voice acting would y a significant role.


    Regarding the allocated funds for this part, it was one of the most expensive parts of the whole game.


    Of course, due to budget concerns, Chen Xu was not going to dub the entire game, just the pivotal parts, which would be more than enough to serve its purpose.


    As for the male protagonist in each story?


    No way hes wasting money on that.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    The days went by.


    Thest CG illustration waspleted, and the corresponding audio and subtitle editing was finished.


    Chen Xu looked at the game source files generated on theputer and showed an excited expression, Great job!


    So, shall we look for a publisher now? Next to him, Ruan Ningxue was also a bit excited.


    After all, this was a project that she had worked hard on for a month.


    Even if she didnt get a single cent of sry from Chen Xu.


    No. Upon hearing Ruan Ningxues words, Chen Xu gently shook his head.


    Huh? Ruan Ningxue was a little surprised.


    Although she didnt know much about games, she was also aware that Chen Xu should be considered an independent game producer by now.


    Shouldnt you be looking for publishers and distributors, just like you do forics and films?


    Games arent quite the same, and games dont have to go through domestic tforms, there are also official overseas game tforms.


    Its also possible to have direct selling in China.


    No, it cant be done, just like selling erotic books, its easier to use overseas tforms. Mirror is absolutely an 18R game, so its also a bit embarrassing to get evaluated here. Chen Xu exined to Ruan Ningxue.


    Then Chen Xu, why did you choose this genre?


    Ruan Ning Xue was a bit confused, ording to his statement, it felt like saying the game was going to be dead in the water.


    In fact, it could also mean that she was one step closer to getting Chen Xu as her assistant.


    But to be honest, her thoughts had begun to shift, after working together for a month.


    Her evaluation of his character had changed, as well as her initial impressions of the gaming industry.


    It was all very interesting to her now.


    Plus, since she had given her all into this project, she wanted to see it seed.


    Lets not bite off more than we can chew, Im making preparations for the follow-up to Mirror, senior sister, when the timees, just wait for the good news, I will give you a big bonus! Chen Xu smiled faintly.


    Alright, fine. Ruan Ningxue looked at the confident Chen Xu, although she was confused in her heart, she nodded.


    In a certain district in the Capital City. Ruan Ningxues house.


    A woman in an oversized T-shirt and skinny jeans leaned forward as she spoke.


    Little Xue, are you really not consideringing to help me? With your artbined with my game design skills, we can definitely make it big in the gaming industry!


    Looking at the excited Yang Xin in front of her, Ruan Ning Xue seemed to feel that she could understand Chen Xus feelings at that moment. She put her drink down on the coffee table and spoke,


    Sister Xin, I dont mean to be snide, but youve made three games and they all seem to be losing money, dont they? Ruan Ningxue rolled her eyes and said.


    She didnt know much about games before, but after working with Chen Xu for a month, she had gained some insight, even if she was basically doing the same thing as before, illustrating.


    So, with her newfound understanding, she realised that this girl who kept bragging to her about being a professional game designer had nevere close to making a profit.


    My next one will be a big seller! As long as you, Xiao Xue,e and help me! Yang Xin said confidently.


    Come now, I recall your father telling you that he wouldnt invest any more capital if it ran out again, so what are you going to do? Looking at Yang Xin who was full of confidence, Ruan Ningxue expressed her doubts.


    Ahem, by the way, Xiao Xue, how about that game your ssmate made? Have you found a publisher? Do you want me to help publish it? Yang Xin coughed softly and changed the subject.


    Thats not necessary, Chen Xu said he will post it directly on the official tforms without looking for a publisher. Thinking about her talk with Chen Xu earlier, Ruan Ningxue shook her head and said.


    Not looking for a publisher? This is a big loss ah, there are no third-party tform resources for promotion, youll have to apply for the official tforms new game rmendation system, so unless theres an explosive burst of poprity, its difficult to get ahead. Yang Xin said with the bitter look of a person who has been there and done that.


    Hmm, Chen Xu said that the game wont be part of the rmendations system either, and it was uploaded to the overseas version of the tform. Ruan Ningxue told her what she could recall from her conversation with Chen Xu.


    Not applying for rmendations? Overseas tform? An 18R content game! Im looking for you with such sincerity, Xiao Xue, but this schoolmate of yours is taking things for granted, ah, its hard for a simple erotic game to get popr. Yang Xin, who still knew a lot about the gaming industry, heard Ruan Ning Xues words and immediately understood the situation.


    Even if it was a bloody, violent game, as long as it didnt cross the line, it could still be part of the official tforms new game rmendations.


    But if it wasnt submitted on the domestic tforms, and instead was submitted on the overseas tform, it would not be covered by the rmendation systems.


    The ones that got this treatment were basically 18R games.


    So thats how it is, huh? Chen Xu must have his own ns, right? And Mirror wasnt just any old 18R game, it had a rich andpelling storyline. Ruan Ningxue said with some uncertainty.


    I dont get it! I heard you mention that your schoolmates artistic level is no worse than yours, right? The reason I found you is because I want to use art as a selling point, but a game cant rely on art alone to be sessful! And content, what content could an 18R game possibly have?


    Trust my judgement as a professional game producer! Without the rmendation system, without third-party publishers, unless he advertises it himself on arge scale, its likely not to make any sort of ssh on the scene. Yang Xin gave her bold judgement.


    So, Sister Xin, do you think this game will be able to sell more than 50,000 copies? Ruan Ningxue looked at the confident Yang Xin and asked.


    Impossible!


    Even though she hadntid eyes on the game Ruan Ningxue was involved in yet.


    But Yang Xin was still very confident in issuing this death sentence.


    After all, ording to conventional wisdom, it was a low-cost indie game with no publisher and adult content.


    Only two people were responsible for its creation, and the other party seemed to be just an illustrator who only did outsourcing for some games.


    But 18R games always had a lot of potential yers.


    After all, everyone was an LSP sometimes.


    (LSP =  = Lechers)


    But there is also a lot ofpetition, even in this genre.


    So how could such abination make a sessful game?


    Seeing that she had developed three failed games, she knew that making it in the gaming industry was not easy.


    Although 50,000 is impossible, but 18R games are generally cheaper, and with your level of skill, it will definitely draw attention. If the quality is not bad, you can probably expect 10,000 sales, at least you will not lose money.


    From a risk perspective, 18R games are actually pretty safe. Yang Xin looked at Ruan Ningxue, who was also slightly reassured.


    This is the verdict of a professional! After thinking about it, Yang Xin added another sentence.


    I see. Ruan Ningxue, who currently knew little about the inner workings of the gaming industry, still had some worries.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Inside Chen Xus rented house, he made do with a pack of instant noodles cooked with an egg.


    He had no choice but to eat like this recently, as he was really running low on cash.


    Hes practically swimming in debt with all the credit cards and loans hes taken out.


    On top of that, he had to borrow 1,000 yuan from Ruan Ningxue, and he hasnt even paid her yet. But theres no way around it, hes invested most of what he has into making the game.


    There isnt much left for food.


    Of course, the main reason for this is the 20,000 yuan he set aside. He cant touch these funds, because he needs it to buy Mirror some wings.


    As for the quality of the game, Chen Xu is confident.


    For research purposes, he had obtained an in-depth understanding of the Gal games and Otome games in this world. Including visual novels, dating sims and erotic games.


    For these, Chen Xu can only say: they are simply too crude.


    Are Gal games not games too?


    The standard is outrageously low!


    But again, he recalls his mantra, fragrant wine does not fear deep alleys. Quality will speak for itself.


    And an 18R game of this quality, will absolutely make an impact once it takes off on the gaming tforms.


    But lets not get ahead of ourselves.


    Even for masterpieces like Minecraft and The Binding of Isaac, they might not have made a ssh if not for some luck in their early days.


    So, for a game, publicity is a must.


    Even if its an 18R game!


    Of course, this might require some <em>special</em> methods.


    In the dormitory of a certain university.


    Yawning, Jiang Ping climbed down thedder from the top bunk and opened theptop on the table.


    There arent any exciting new things to readtely.


    Muttering, Jiang Ping opened one of the more popr overseas forums.


    Of course, he was talking aboutics, not just normal ones, but erotic ones too.


    For example, some of them had suffocating plots that filled people with frustration; for example, killing off a popr female side character, or the female lead in a stallionic died and became driving force for the male lead.


    Honestly it felt like eating shit, but the artwork is usually really good, and that makes it more annoying somehow.


    Thats where the erotic versions and doujinse in, so of course its not umon to scientifically explore these fascinating specimens from time to time.


    But they were generally few and far between, stifled by strict copyrightws.


    Of course, there were also original pieces. But they tend to go into more, indescribable territory, not fit for normal humans with normal tastes.


    Jiang Ping now entered one of the more famous overseas forums to see if there were any new doujins.


    After all, many of the artists who drew these did so out of interest and passion.


    Its normal for doujin artists to work in fits and starts, so youd be considered lucky if one gets consistently updated for a week straight, let alone be apleted piece.


    Even when one strikes gold and gets popr, its usually never serialized sessfully.


    It was only today that Jiang Ping found something unusual when he entered the forum.


    It was the posts on the front page, which were somehow a little eye-catching.<ul><li>[Its so fuckingte, but my housemates bed keeps shaking, what kind of degenerate am I dealing with?]</li></ul><ul><li>[This is the best match-3 game Ive ever yed!]</li></ul><ul><li>[It seems like a very simple game, but the story behind it is heartwarming.]</li></ul><ul><li>[What kind of game is this? I bought a simple match-3 game for my little brother, but hes all shriveled up now!]</li></ul><ul><li>[Such courage, fight on! Uohhhhhh ]</li></ul>


    The hells going on here?


    Looking at the series of posts, Jiang Ping was intrigued.


    After clicking on one of the posts, Jiang Ping spent half a day reading before he awoke from his daze.


    The story behind it is heartwarming, my housemates bed keeps shaking


    So, these perverted apes going full tilt were actually talking about a Gal game. But a Gal game is a Gal game, what the hell are these reactions?<ul><li>[My thoughts after half an hour of ytime. My friends, we have peered into the looking ss.


    Before us lies the pain and suffering of reality, and as we witness the beautiful things in life, we are filled with hope for the future; whenever life leaves you battered and bruised, take some time to rx, and remember those pure and simple moments.]</li></ul><ul><li>[I have borne witness to the darkness of humanity. Redemption, depravity, and the torment of morality seeps deep into my bones.


    I am shaken, and my thoughts remain in the game long after closing it. 10/10 would rmend.]</li></ul><ul><li>[A game with actual depth, giving yers a glimpse into the wastnds of despair, a lost soul wandering in empty ruins, but it carries more meaning than temple scriptures.


    It is a game in which the different stories shine like glittering stars, dragging us into their miniature worlds.


    Of course, its not a perfect game, it has its ws, but the storytelling is first ss: simple, powerful, heart-stopping. Chefs kiss.]</li></ul><ul><li>[ying Mirror, I was vaguely reminded of the novel: Dream of the Red Chamber.


    Through this magic mirror, the destinies of these women unfolded before me. Their stories y out in different eras and settings, and they are subjected to all kinds of forces like desire, love and fear


    As for my feelings as a spectator to all of this, I can only describe it as a sigh of relief after turning off the game.


    Or perhaps the urge to ramble at someone for hours.]</li></ul><ul><li>[A great man once said: There will always be people who change their colors when they shouldnt, but there will also be people who explore philosophy when they should;


    explore the meaning of life and morality, and obviously Mirror is one such example. It presents itself in a licentious form, but reveals profound meaning in the end.]</li></ul><ul><li>[When a Gal game makes me feel, it doesnt matter if I jack off or not, its a good game.]</li></ul><ul><li>[I clicked in, and the game got me right in the kokoro, 10 minutes t.


    Its hard for me to describe this game in words, Its like a lighthouse on a dark, stormy sea. This game is gonna change the Gal game genre, bet.]</li></ul>


    What the hell!?


    What on earth are you people on about?


    Reading through the whole thing, Jiang Ping felt like his entire being was cringing, and at the same time, what was born was a strong curiosity.


    Looking at these postments within the forum, he discovered that the name of the game was Mirror.


    Jiang Ping opened the official game tform and entered to search for it.


    It had a very conspicuous sprite on the cover of the game, and thebel was marked as 18R.


    <em>Hmmmmmm~!</em>


    This is a Gal game without the slightest doubt.


    But are you guys really not reviewing the wrong game?


    Jiang Ping, who already liked Gal games, was even more interested now.


    What exactly was this game like?


    With a retail price of 10 yuan, it was pretty cheap.


    The price of a single breakfast.


    There was no need to overthink it, Jiang Ping added the game to his cart and checked out.


    Now, he would finally get to see what all the fuss was about.


    Next


    back


    index

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Hmm, this UI seems quite nice!


    Upon entering the game for the first time, Jiang Ping couldnt help but light up when he saw the games user interface.


    As a less mature member of the LSP gang, Jiang Ping had not yed many Gal games.


    However, he still had a rough idea of what to expect.


    Even though they were all games made with the official game engine, most of the ones he had yed were a mess, even when it came to basic UI elements.


    I can only choose one character?


    After clicking into the game, Jiang Ping looked at a diamond shape in the middle.


    There were several different characters inside, but he could only select the Dark Elf for now.


    The rest were all locked.


    So many characters to choose from? It seems like  quite a bit of content!


    A surprised expression appeared on Jiang Pings face, and his heart fluttered.


    Subconsciously, Jiang Ping looked at the dormitory door.


    It was still closed and his roommates had to go out tonight.


    Going to the door, Jiang Ping looked around outside, then closed and locked it.


    As he sat back down in front of theputer and looked at the game screen, he couldnt help but take a deep breath and his expression grew solemn. Like a holy man about to study sacred texts.


    Of course, his inner thoughts were far less restrained.


    Will I be able to woo a character like the Dark Elf?


    This is also too exciting!


    Trembling with excitement, Jiang Ping followed the instructions and clicked on a battle-like icon.


    In the dark of night, the lonely ckwater Castle unexpectedly weed an uninvited guest.


    Something was on the move, like a shadow in the night, blink and youll miss it.


    Several options appeared in-game, causing Jiang Ping to freeze.


    Wasnt this a Gal game? Why does it have so many words? Is there a plot?


    Jiang Ping scratched his head, but didnt think too much about it and casually clicked a few times.


    Looking at the content of the game in the battle, Jiang Ping froze a second time.


    It really had match-3 gamey?


    Earlier, when he had read on the forums that someone had said that this was the most fun match-3 game, Jiang Ping had thought that it was a joke.


    But now, does the gamey really have match-3?


    Well, the orange balls give a buff, the sword symbol is physical damage, the stars are magic damage, and the potion heals.


    Connect four to enhance the effects, and connect five to get an ultimate that does a lot of damage.


    You can also collect equipment for special abilities and bonuses, but currently theres only one that can increase your hit points.


    Following the in-game tutorials, Jiang Ping quickly figured out how thebat worked and he was shocked.


    Was he ying a Gal game or an actual match-3 game?


    Why are there so many mechanics?


    Jiang Ping was astonished, knowing that the Gal games he had yed in the past did not have so many mechanics.


    Most of them were basically just point and click, and then the artwork would pop out.


    Many were shallow, with poor quality art and basically no content.


    But this Mirror game was really something else.


    Theres a bit of richness to this battle system.


    Well,pared to other Gal games.


    Plus, there was an actual, honest to God, plot!


    As for the LSP elements theres a bit of that. Scratch that, theres a ton of it!


    Pursing his lips and squinting his eyes, Jiang Pings body bent slightly, temporarily switching off the small speakers on his desk.


    From the drawer, he took out a headset, plugged it into theputer and ced the headset on one of his ears.


    When heunched an attack after a sessful match, this Dark Elf surprisingly had a sound effect of being attacked.


    As her HP decreased, her clothes started to fall off and be more lewd.


    Ah! Thats right!


    ording to the setting, this is supposed to be the Middle Ages, right?


    No wonder the quality of the clothes is so poor!


    Peoples lives were really hard back then, just look at how tattered these clothes have be, my goodness, the skin tone


    Jiang Ping managed to get a match fivebo, triggering an ultimate with fancy visual and sound effects. Thats a lot of damage!


    Wait, there is a turn limit! There are only 13 turns, how can this elf still have so much HP?


    After a short trial, Jiang Pings attention soon shifted from the elfs clothes to the game.


    He had to say, this game seems to be quite fun!


    The quality of this game is just insane!


    After two consecutive battles, the game shifted into <em>PLAY</em> mode (   )


    Jiang Ping felt as if all the Gal games he had yed before had been for nothing.


    What was a Gal game?


    This, this is what a Gal game should be!


    What were they in the past?


    There was only Gal content, but no game.


    Of course, having no game content is eptable, considering the reason people used them in the first ce.


    But there are so many shoddy ones, do they think a perverts money isnt money?


    Look at this game, not to mention the practicality of being fap material, the gamey is so rich, this is the quality a Gal game should have! This is the content a Gal game should have!


    And there are even elements of a dating sim?


    It has multiple endings?


    Jiang Ping went down the Pleasure route for his first ythrough, seriously calcting the different party options and finishing the segment.


    And when he got back to the main menu, he noticed a 50% progress bar next to the portrait of the Dark Elf Thief, as well as a new character being unlocked. This made him even more excited.


    How fortunate, he never found the doujins he was looking for, but instead found this godsend of a game.


    Well, lets not y the new character yet, I want to see the other storyline.


    ording to normal game logic, this second ending would be the ending where the Dark Elf turns evil, right?


    With curiosity and a touch of excitement and nervousness, Jiang Ping clicked in again.


    Ten minutester


    Why is it like this?


    Jiang Ping, sitting in front of theputer, was touched and excited.


    She was born a noble, but her heart was with the poormoners, even stealing to help them.


    And yet those she helped were ugly, shameless, and repaid her kindness with resentment.


    Facing her, who fell into the devils clutches, these paupers had only evil thoughts in their heads.


    While the games illustrations were strong as ever, the voice acting in this game is simply explosivepared to other Gal games.


    But Jiang Ping still felt torn.


    Especiallyter on, when a low ranking guardsman showed kindness and pity towards the Dark Elf.


    But in the end, he still crossed the line of morality and extended a sinful hand towards her.


    This was like thest straw that broke the camels back.


    Combined with the final image of the devilughing darkly outside the wall, it was even more impactful for Jiang Ping.


    Perhaps he could understand why those shitposters on the forums had such a different attitude towards this game.


    This was not just a simple Gal game.


    There was also the questioning of human nature, the exploration of good and evil. Making Jiang Ping question the meaning of life for a long time after reaching the ending.


    Is human nature as good as Mencius said, or as evil as Xunzi said?


    Why did these humans, faced with the elf who helped them, repay kindness with hatred?


    Why, in the end, when the survivors are clearly good, do they allow evil to gain the upper hand?


    Jiang Ping, who had fallen into a philosophical state of mind, thought seriously.


    But this was only the beginning.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    The next storyline


    A young lord from the Warring States era.


    Her mission and duty was to protect her n from destruction.


    One day, she found a magical bronze mirror that allowed her to travel to an incredible ce.


    Here, there was no war and everyone was living freely and happily. Fascinated by the prosperity, she unknowingly meets him: an otaku who wasnt too far gone.


    Their first meeting was very unpleasant and they even fought.


    She lost, and ording to the customs of her world, she recognizes him as her husband.


    When she was hungry, he took her out to eat.


    A simple meal of pork chops and rice was enough to shock her: Thats a lot of meat, it costs a lot of money, doesnt it?


    Because in her world,moners couldnt afford to eat meat.


    Here, she also tasted an alcohol called beer for the first time.


    What is this, its so delicious. Drunkenly, she hugged the bottle and said happily.


    This was probably the most rxed she had ever been.


    After her hangover she woke up and picked up the bronze mirror that brought her to this world.


    She brought the otaku back to her world with her.


    It didnt bring much change though.


    In her world, everything was as it was before.


    The Ketsuno family is still the same, nearly broken, with dangerous enemies looming over the horizon.


    Perhaps the only thing that had changed was this husband, who didnt seem very impressive.


    He became the leader of her personal guard, but that was all.


    Even with his arrival, the destruction of the Ketsuno could not be prevented in the end.


    Two monthster, she sat on the city wall, covered in bloodstains, the blood from the long war turning thend red.


    The corpses outside the city were piled like mountains, and the sound of the battering ram at the gates shook the skies.


    They wouldntst much longer.


    Staring at the scene, she knew she had failed, she was powerless to protect her n in this chaotic world.


    It seems that Ketsunos three hundred years of glory are about to be wiped off.


    The otaku struggled to convince her to flee, but she just shook her head gently.


    Beloved, I am different from you, since the day my lord father put the war robe on me, I swore to spend my life protecting the glory of the Ketsuno family.


    The otaku brought up a lot of examples and arguments, trying to convince her that the power of the world was constantly divided and united, and that hers was not the first n to be wiped out, nor would it be thest. There was no point to this sacrifice.


    Beloved, you dont understand, here lies the dreams and blood of generations of Ketsuno, take this bronze mirror and save yourself.


    She told him everything.


    When he heard this, he begged her to go with him.


    But she had her convictions, so how could she agree?


    If she was willing to leave those convictions behind, why would she bothering back to this hell after tasting paradise?


    Closing her eyes, she felt that his voice seemed to have disappeared from around her, only the sound of the enemy breaching the gates was imminent.


    Beloved, are you gone? Really gone actually, I really want to go with you.


    I want to drink beer with you again, ah that beer was really good really good


    Her tears flowed uncontrobly.


    Memories of the past resurfaced, and a risque figure holding up a ss of beer appeared in the center of the screen.


    Husband, this beer is so good! How about two more cups? Look, Ive drunk it all, you should have a drink too,e on, cheers!


    And in this trance, she seemed to vaguely hear his voice.


    DIE  I am the captain of Ketsuno Anas personal guards, those who stand in my way, will be killed without mercy ! !


    Looking at the game that had returned to the main menu, Jiang Ping couldnt help but sniffle a little before closing his somewhat sore eyes.


    It took him a long time to open them.


    Fuck!


    This fucking game! A Gal game, whats with the illustrations being so good, the voice acting being so good, the match-3 battle system being so good, doesnt it cost money!?


    I just wanted fap material, why are you making me feel!


    While he wasining with his mouth, Jiang Ping didnt have the slightest hesitation with his hand.


    Of course, it wasnt to use the lotion, but rather shutting down the game, then decisively entering the shop and putting in a positive review.


    The tform allows refunds for a limited time, but not if you leave a review.


    That didnt matter though, there was no need to judge any further.


    With what he had just experienced, Jiang Ping felt that it was already worth it.


    He even thought that the manufacturer was really a fool to sell it for just 10 yuan.


    It wasnt just Jiang Ping, through many unknown overseas forums, many LSP yers had purchased and tried the game out of curiosity.


    And when they got out, they were all overwhelmed with emotion.


    For some it was the story.


    The story of elves and demons made them think about the good and evil of humanity.


    Humans were sabotaging themselves, but instead an outsider elf helped them, only for her kindness to be repaid with spite.


    The story of the Otaku and the Female Shogun moved them.


    He drifted through life like a waste of space, but in the end, when he had the chance to leave, he exhibited courage andmitment that was unimaginable to the average person.


    The story of the Dragon Maid and the Knight is a long and wonderful adventure.


    Who can bepared to us when our achievements extend back to Yao and Shun in the past?


    ( = basically a boast of how great they are)


    Because of us, evil behemoths dare not threaten thend; because of us, greedy rulers dare not oppress the people.


    The story of the Zombie girl Caiyun and Mingyue has brought tears to the eyes of many LSPs.


    Even if you are the reincarnation of the Bright Moon, the clear wind is the clear wind. Some things are simply unchangeable and inevitable, no matter your efforts.


    Two hundred years of waiting, two hundred years of reincarnation, the story of Ming Yue and Cai Yun should have ended two hundred years ago.


    Obviously, its the type of game that LSPs love.


    Why do they always feel so heavy and sad after ying it?


    These yers finally understood what the content of the previous posts really meant.


    You could say their hearts grew three sizes that day. This is empathy?


    Of course, there were also a lot of anxious gentlemen who were turned away right away because they werent good at ying match-3 games.


    Little Disciple Sister Caiyun, please dont suck my blood, open the door for me! Im your Bright Moon Senior Brother ah, let me look at you ah!


    These unfortunate yers studied the games match-3bat system over and over again, constantly gathering points and money to upgrade and buy better gear.


    Eventually, their brains expanded.


    They no longer had interest in the games Gal content, but are instead addicted to the games match-3 battle system.


    Simple and clear, but still very fun.


    For a Gal game, it was incredible.


    Its just that the girl next to it is really a bit annoying, because shes preventing me from ying match-3.


    Woman, let go of me and just stand in a corner or something! This time with my wisdom, I can definitely break the previous record!

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Phew, that was unexpected!


    Inside the rental house, Chen Xu looked at a sales statistic in the background of his official tform with some surprise.


    This was because the increase in numbers was really a bit beyond his expectations.


    On the first day, the sales volume was 162 copies, which was eptable but not great.


    On the second day, the sales jumped almost fourfold, reaching 610 sold.


    The main reason for this was publicity.


    With a budget of 20,000 yuan, normal methods of advertising are definitely out of the question.


    On the one hand, it wasnt enough for much at all, and on the other hand, the game had some <em>special</em> features that werent exactly advertiser friendly.


    So Chen Xus eyes were drawn overseas, to forums frequented by men of culture. What he needed was exposure to the right audience.


    As for the method, it was the more primitive tactic of using older ounts with higher standings.


    Chen Xu did not bother using the modern inte water army tactic because he was worried it would backfire.


    So he took the quality over quantity approach.


    Buying older or abandoned forum ounts, then using them to make more visible posts. Then having other ounts upvoting ormenting on the post to generate activity.


    Of course, the most critical part of all this was that the game had to actually be good.


    Otherwise, he would have wasted 20,000 yuan for nothing.


    The most important point of this method is to have yers who are active on the forums try the game, and then be converted into believers of the game. They will then proceed to spread the word and generate more yers and believers.


    In his previous life, as a professional game nner and honest gamer, Chen Xu naturally understood one thing.


    What are yers interested in?


    A very simple theory is that most yers like to do one thing.


    That is to do something colorful within a normal game; to do something normal within a colorful game.


    You could say that this sense of contrast makes these yers want to keep going.


    Just like a flirtatious joke among online gamers: the two main hobbies of men are dragging people into the water and persuading the wind and dust to change from good to evil.


    There will always be yers who want to just mess around.


    Of course, this is not enough to make a game a sess, as the quality of the game is what ultimately counts.


    But at least that kind of feature was enough to attract yers.


    Now, from the point of view of Mirrors sales, the effect of such a promotional strategy can be considered a sess.


    After all, choosing Mirror was something that Chen Xu had put thought into, not a spur of the moment.


    How arepeting products of the same type on the market performing?


    Are the preferences of gentlemen different from previous generations?


    The tform used and the feasibility of promotion, these aspects had all been investigated in advance.


    They were all considered by Chen Xu.


    In this case, the sess of Mirror was all but guaranteed and within Chen Xus grasp.


    The only thing that was unexpected was the level of enthusiasm disyed by these men of culture.


    With 610 copies sold on the second day, Chen Xu believed that this increase was just the beginning.


    As time went on, the word of mouth would definitely give the sales another boost.


    Well, if we follow this pattern, well be able to pay off the software money by next week.


    Fortunately, the settlement method of the official overseas tform is real-time, as long as the yer has passed the refund period, they will be able to credit the payment directly.


    But just like in the previous world, this is a third party tform, so the downside is a little hard steep.


    At this thought, Chen Xu couldnt help but smack his lips.


    The official game tformsmission was 30%, mainly for the maintenance of the tform, as well as updating the game engine and researching and developing thetest technology.


    As for the rest of the third-party game tforms, its going to be a lot worse.


    Especially when ites to mobile channels, with the lowest starting at 50%.


    Some are basically extortions, going with a 7-3 split. Of course, that means 3 to the developers and 7 to the tform. Crazy stuff.


    Just like in his previous life with Tencent, dealing with other major app stores is also a struggle.


    However, there are still advantages, the user volume of these third-party tforms is really not small, coupled with more rxed standards and a less scientific algorithm.


    So for many of these tforms, although the cut taken is higher, the game studios andpanies are still able to earn a living.


    They can only drink the soup, while all the meat is eaten by the tform.


    But for the current Chen Xu, the concerns regarding these tforms are just a minor detail, not worth mentioning.


    Its not the worst thing in the world.


    In fact, if he really tries it, he would definitely be able to get an initial profit very quickly.


    The main reason is that the game Mirror is a bit <em>special</em>, so even if it is on the tform, it will not be rmended.


    Of course, this is talking about the domestic tform, overseas tforms will have less restrictions.


    But If there is an official tform, there is no need to go to third-party channels.


    Because overseas tforms do not have much influence over domestic tforms. Their main focus will be domestic as well.


    From morning till night, Chen Xu would keep an eye on the game sales data.


    And this period was also the prime time for sales growth.


    By refreshing the data in the background every hour, he could see that Mirrors sales were increasing.


    The previous hourly additions of over 100 had risen to over 200 during this prime time period.


    Apparently, the name Mirror was slowly reaching the ears of various men of culture through a variety of channels.


    These growing sales show the support of these kind men of culture for the game.


    And with the unlocking of yer ratings, Mirrors rating was sessfully disyed.


    9.7 points


    A score that could be described as explosive.


    But Chen Xu didnt get too excited, because this is an 18R game .


    It can be said that yers are incredibly forgiving and tolerant of this type of game, and that tolerance has been amplified many times over.


    Compared to traditional games, this score is not much of a benchmark.


    Just like while in the forums frequented by perverts, where abuse and praise is exchanged daily.


    The users interactions can be described as pleasant. Either they are posting well thought out messages, or they are exchanging their own experiences in books or films and their love for certain teachers.


    The only thing that the score of Mirror can prove is that in the eyes of the yers, this game is definitely worth getting and rmending.


    After all, who can resist a match-3 game with pretty girls?

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    In a certain district in Capital City.


    Yang Xin sat on the sofa with both legs resting on the coffee table in front of her. She turned to Ruan Ningxue, who was sitting next to her, coloring her manuscript, and asked,


    Xiaoxue, will you really not consider making a game with me?


    Ruan Ningxue put down her brush and rolled her eyes.


    Sister Xin, your little ship has holes and leaks and is about to be flooded.


    Yang Xin replied immediately.


    Ahem, its just a rough patch, and I still have three employees on my side! And look at your studio, Xiaoxue. Can you even call it a studio? What kind of studio has just one person?


    At least I make a profit! And Sister Xin, three months ago, didnt you have 8 employees?


    People have their own desires, the employees under me are also pursuing their dreams, I cant <em>not</em> let them go, right? By the way, Xiaoxue, how is your ssmates game doing?


    Yang Xin was slightly embarrassed and asked Ruan Ningxue to change the subject.


    I havent been paying attention, maybe the results arent too good. Hearing Yang Xins words, Ruan Ning Xue gently shook her head.


    Then this studio of yours will soon have extra hands? Yang Xin thought of something and asked, obviously also knowing the agreement between the two people.


    Most likely, but I guess Chen Xu is in a bad mood right now. Ruan Ningxue sighed and said.


    During this time, she hadnt even taken the initiative to contact Chen Xu.


    After all, she also consulted Yang Xin after the end production, and the other party was not at all optimistic.


    Although this sister of hers has created three games in a row, these funds are all gone.


    But at least she can be considered an industry professional.


    Plus, the three failed games are stillpleted products, so she must have gained some experience from this, right?


    During the month of game development with Chen Xu, Ruan Ningxue could clearly feel Chen Xus passion.


    And she could also feel, especially when she was able to control the flow and drive the content, the unique enjoyment of ying video games.


    The feeling was great, and at that time, she came to understand why Chen Xu wanted to develop a game.


    Therefore, during this period, she did not ask about the results of the game, especially when the other party had previously said that she would be paid for her work as soon as the game sessfully raised funds.


    Even though she didnt care about it herself, it was impossible for her to tell Chen Xu to forget about it.


    After all, it wasnt about the money and it wasnt really her business.


    Besides, she was getting busy with her doujin schedule, so she didnt pay too much attention to the game.


    She was also willing to let Chen Xu use this time to calm down and adjust his mood. Shed chat him up when the time was right.


    For the sake of this ssmate, she was worrying herself silly!


    Yang Xinmented in her heart.


    Theres no way around it, many neers think that 18R games are easy, but it can only be said that the risk is rtively low. In reality, when is game development ever easy? By the way, Xiao Xue, whats the name of your ssmates game? Let me search it up right now.


    Yang Xin said with emotion and in the tone of an old veteran.


    This reminded her of her three previous failures.


    Even though she hadnt met Ruan Ningxues ssmate in person, Yang Xin inexplicably had a strange feeling.


    She felt like she could empathize with him at this moment.


    Especially when Ruan Ningxue told her that the other party broke the boat and went all in on this project.


    (Broke the boat = to cut off your own path of retreat, all or nothing! Lets gooooo.)


    This made her even more certain that the other party was definitely someone who loved video games, just like herself.


    Remembering the frustration she felt when she made her first game that died atunch, Yang Xin still had some sympathy for Chen Xu at this moment.


    If she wasnt losing so much money right now, she would have asked Ruan Ningxue to introduce him to herpany.


    Such a talent who loves games is the kind of employee she wants!


    Dont worry, Xue, when the timees, Ill be the bad example for your schoolmate, and you can use me tofort him. Yang Xin patted Ruan Ningxues shoulder.


    In the end were all just people, the pain of this failure, she could understand.


    Thank you Sister Xin, by the way, the name of the game is called Mirror, but the tform its on seems to be the overseas version. Ruan Ningxue said to Yang Xin.


    The game hadunched even though she hadnt asked Chen Xu, she did take a quick look, but at the time, the ratings and whatnot hadnt been unlocked yet, so she wasnt sure how well it was doing.


    Mirror, why does that sound familiar?


    It feels like Ive heard it from somewhere before?


    Wait  this game!


    After hearing the name of the game from Ruan Ningxues side, Yang Xin started mumbling and opened the official game tform.


    For some reason, she kept feeling that the name rang a bell.


    She moved to the overseas version of the tform, typed in, and then searched.


    Then Yang Xin fell silent and turned her head to stare at Ruan Ningxue dead in the face.


    Damn it, this is the one who you said couldnt get good results? This is the ssmate you said was making a game for the first time? The one who didnt know anything?


    Are you kidding me?


    She said, realizing why it sounded so familiar!


    When she was browsing the game forums earlier, she saw a ton of posts mentioning this game.


    Then she looked at the games storepage.


    USER RATING 9.6


    REVIEWS 1724


    Yang Xin was no longer calm.


    Sympathy, empathy?


    What is that? Is it tasty?


    Who the hell could empathize with this kind of person?


    Who the hell would sympathize with this kind of person?


    A 9.6 rating, and so many reviews!


    Its only been <em>how</em> many days, and there are already over 1700?


    This kind of feeling, she had yet to experience it!


    How vexing!


    So Chen Xus game was actually a sess? Ruan Ningxue asked innocently.


    More than a sess, its a huge sess! For Gods sake, this is an 18R game! And its only been a few days, with such high ratings and so many reviews, I think its going to sell more than the peak of my three games!


    Yang Xin said enviously.


    As she watched the growing performance of Mirror on the storefront, she began to feel queasy and ufortable.


    Especially when she thought about what she just said to Ningxue, offering herself up as a bad example for thefort of others.


    Good Lord, she had be the bad example for real!


    However, Yang Xin quickly threw off this embarrassing feeling when she stood up and grabbed Ningxues arm.


    Xiao Xue, please! Please introduce me to this great god!


    Let me learn his ways!


    As the saying goes, the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first.


    Well, maybe thats not quite right, but its close enough.


    After all, if you cant turn into a big shot, but you find someone who might, why not cling onto those rock-solid thighs?


    (pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first = to benefit from intimacy with an influential person)

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    While the conversation between Ruan Ningxue and Yang Xin was happening, Chen Xu was spending his time observing the performance of Mirror on the tform dashboard.


    In fact, there were already quite a few people who took notice of the game.


    Even though it was on an overseas tform, and even though it was a more <em>special</em> kind of game.


    The sales volumes were confidential, but people who were involved or savvy to the gaming industry could stillpile various statistics to specte.


    There is some margin for error, but they werent far off the mark.


    Although Mirror was having any promotions or events, it dominated the rating boards with overwhelmingly positive reviews.


    An 18R game was suddenly at the top of the list.


    Needless to say, this took many game designers by surprise.


    A lot of people wanted to see just how magical this game really was, and what made them even more curious was thements section.


    It was <em>weird</em>. Entirely different from the normal nonsense found in other 18R games.


    <ul><li>[The best match-3 game around!]</li></ul><ul><li>[Out of the way, woman! Dont get in the way of my match-3 game!]</li></ul><ul><li>[I cant really tell if this was a match-3 game or a Gal game, but Im satisfied, <em>If you know what I mean</em>.]</li></ul><ul><li>[I went in thinking it was just another Gal game, imagine my surprise. Just another Gal game? This, my friends, is a genuinely good indie game.]</li></ul><ul><li>[As a professional troll, I can only say one thing. Youre a Gal game, why are you making me feel things, whats with this quality?]</li></ul><ul><li>[Thats weird, Ive been ying for over ten minutes, Ive entered post nut rity, why am I still ying this game? Match-3 is pretty fun]</li></ul><ul><li>[In this game I have witnessed the good, the bad, the beauty, and the repulsiveness of human nature. A game that distinguishes itself.]</li></ul><ul><li>[When a Gal game moves me, to fap or not to fap, what does it matter?]</li></ul><ul><li>[I started the game with excitement, but left it with a heavy heart.]</li></ul>


    These reviews made people wonder, could it be that they had purchased the wrong game?


    Of course, alongside the many positive reviews, there were also those who became obsessed and tried to drag everyone they could into the fandom.


    It was so different from the beginning, when he had to use his precious 20,000 yuan to make posts on forums.


    Now the game had taken off, and was able to thrive on word of mouth, courtesy of these fine men of culture.


    So after a month of hard work, Chen Xu could finally rx, all he had to do was wait for the money to arrive.


    He sat on his bed and started to n things out.


    Now that our finances are safe, the next step is to find a suitable workspace, then register apany.


    I need to make ns for future projects, and try to earn more points along the way.


    Speaking of points, Chen Xu checked on his system.


    The points had increased, but not by much. Just enough for 2 more draws in the system lottery.


    Then his phone rang, breaking his concentration. He picked it up and took a peek, it was Ruan Ningxue.


    Hello, senior sister Ruan, whats the matter? Chen Xu asked.


    Nothing, just wanted to say hi. Listen, before this, I thought Ruan Ningxue hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed.


    However, Chen Xu could guess what Ruan Ning Xue wanted to say, at that moment, he smiled, Its alright senior sister, Im surprised about Mirror too. Couldnt believe what I was seeing, at first.


    This was a half-truth, the sess of Mirror waspletely within Chen Xus expectations.


    Whether it was the quality of the game itself, or the subsequent publicity n, or even the decision to use Mirror in the first ce, all of this was researched and nned by Chen Xu in advance.


    Only, the situation seemed to be snowballing a little quicker than hed hoped.


    Despite the online tform being the official overseas version, it was just semantics. The majority of its users were still domestic.


    But the sales kept going up and up with every refresh. Performing far better than anticipated.


    If anything, this taught Chen Xu one thing: the market prospects of the gaming industry in this world was much higher than his previous world.


    Right, Chen Xu, do you have time tonight? Well treat this as a celebration banquet for you, and I also have a friend who would really love to meet you.


    No problems. In fact, I was already nning on inviting you to dinner as well. After all, development would have never gone so smoothly without your help. Chen Xu replied sincerely.


    The two of them chatted for a while longer before hanging up.


    Putting the phone aside, Chen Xu took another look at the sales data.


    6 days sinceunch, and 58,121 copies had been sold.


    He chuckled and shook his head, in awe of the sheer momentum brought by men of culture.


    And as for the potential of Mirror, this was just the beginning.


    The game had just been listed into several other third-party tforms.


    While Chen Xu was happily basking in the fruits of his efforts


    The indie gamemunity was not sitting silently.


    The gaming media outlets that noticed this trend also started gathering information.


    After all, it was an 18R title that somehow crossed boundaries and made it to the top of the charts. It was newsworthy.


    At the same time, the chatter around Mirror quickly began to ferment.


    Sales figures are a difficult topic for the average yer to grasp.


    Initially, the media and some insiders who had been paying attention gave Mirror an estimated peak of 10,000 to 20,000 copies sold over the course of its lifetime.


    But with the announcement of third-party statistic trackers, there was a burst of disbelief among those who had been following along.


    Because the data extracted showed that sales had hit an absolutely shocking 50,000.


    Compared to the actual numbers, it was actually 8,000 less, but it still stunned a lot of game designers.


    In particr, some of the designers who also made Gal games felt that their world view had been turned upside down.


    A Gal game that could sell so many copies? Dont y games with my heart!


    Is this number high?


    No, the top domestic masterpieces could sell millions of copies on the very day of theirunch, and some overseas world-famous masterpieces could even sell ten million copies on the day of theirunch.


    Of course, Mirror cant bepared to those games.


    But as an 18R game, without official certification, made by a single indie game designer. No, made by someone who wasnt even a game designer yet.


    This number is simply explosive!


    It can be considered a record breaker and setter in the Gal game genre.


    While it was not the first of its kind, it is without a doubt that no erotic game had evere close to the performance of Mirror.


    And this was just the beginning.


    Many game designers who focused on erotic games had a premonition that they were about to witness history in the making!


    Whether this story ends up big or small, whether Mirror is an erotic game or not, it will still be a part of history.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    A restaurant in the Capital City.


    Chen Xu was having a hot pot with Ruan Ningxue and Yang Xin.


    Beef, tripe, beef louver, beef buns


    If your hot pot doesnt have beef, can it still be called hot pot?


    Great God, youre incredible! The industry is having a meltdown, and the yers are absolutely in love! Yang Xin, who was introduced to Chen Xu, wasted no time in trying to cozy up to him.


    She was excitedly checking her phone for news about the game.


    Please Sister Xin, you are too kind. I cant be considered that great right now, just call me by name. Chen Xu waved his hand with a smile.


    While she spoke highly of the game, Chen Xu thought it was a bit exaggerated. He remained down-to-earth, understanding that the sess of Mirror was mostly centered around small, close-knitmunities of perverted gamers.


    As for the rest of the industry?


    At most, it has made a ssh in the indie scene, the kind of ssh that doesnt make many waves.


    Chen Xu is very clear on this point.


    I feel like I shouldnt have said 50,000. Next to her, Ruan Ningxue spoke up, but with a smile on her face.


    Hearing this, Chen Xu put down his chopsticks and smiled, This cant be helped, you cant take it back now.


    Ugh I thought I would be able to invite you to mypany. But now, it seems like it just isnt meant to be. Yang Xin let out a disappointed sigh.


    Save it, dont drag my schoolmate down with you, those three games of yours got worse with each release! Ruan Ningxue casually sank a knife into her friends back.


    Now hold on just a second there. While those games failed, there were legitimate reasons, ok? I was only responsible for the plot structure and storylines, everything else was out of my hands.


    The plot was always one of the few things my reviewers liked! Yang Xin said, trying to salvage what was left of her pride.


    By the way, Chen Xu. I was hoping to ask you. What do you think about mypanys past games, what do you think went wrong?


    Chen Xu took a moment to look up her games and watch some videos of their gamey. He understood almost immediately, Two problems, genre and system bloat.


    Hmm ? Yang Xin was a bit confused.


    Sister Xin, yourpany keeps trying to cram every genre into a single game, but you are also making a low-cost indie game.


    So while it has everything, its also bad at everything, because none of the systems have much depth, they can only be side dishes, but never the main course.


    Hearing Chen Xus words, Yang Xin nodded hesitantly, not quite understanding. She was confused, but too embarrassed to ask any further so as not to change the cheerful atmosphere.


    Thanks for the insight, so what are your ns?


    I guess Im going to start my own little gamingpany. Chen Xu smiled, not keeping it a secret.


    Start your ownpany? Yang Xin was a bit surprised.


    Chen Xu nodded as he poured more tea for everyone.


    After a moment of silence, Yang Xin made up her mind and said, Chen Xu, what do you think of me? Can I join?


    Her heart still burned passionately for making games, but the string of failures was discouraging.


    But now she understood.


    Is it a problem that you cant be a game designer and make a sessful game on your own?


    No, not really!


    Its just that she hasnt found a way to seed yet. Finding a solid thigh to cling onto, thats a recipe for sess too, right?


    Before meeting Chen Xu, she took the time to study Mirror.


    She came to the conclusion that this game was not a fluke.


    And after she heard what Chen Xu had to say about her three games, she gained some understanding, but not a lot, not enough to satisfy her.


    But there was one thing she could be sure of, and that was that this first-time game designer, her best friends schoolmate, was something special. He had the potential to be someone great!


    In the past, there have been game designers who had a moment of brilliant inspiration, created a game of excellent quality, and then faded into obscurity after failing to repeat the sess.


    But there also exist game designers who have a clear vision of what they want to create, and what they want to achieve.


    Yang Xu felt certain that Chen Xu was such a person.


    After her past failures, she understood her own limits as well. She needed help to get past them.


    Listening to Yang Xins words, Chen Xu fell into thought.


    He did some more searching, looking up more information about these three games.


    And what she said was true, even the negative reviews highlighted the plot of these games as a bright spot, tarnished by poor gamey decisions and directions.


    He had big ns for the future, and he knew he couldnt rely on himself for everything. Sure, he could control the direction of the plot and the major beats of the story.


    But what about the minute details? The assembling and connecting of smaller side stories and threads? It would not be realistic to do it alone, even with the help of the system.


    In his previous world, Red Dead Redemption 2 was considered a masterpiece, and he obviously hopes to make games of that caliber in the future.


    But the final script for RDR2 was around 2000 pages long, and if you add in the script for side content and additional dialogue, you could pile it all up and it would be 8 feet tall.


    For a small game like Mirror, he could do it all by himself. But if he wanted to go big, he would need the help of talented people. And this Yang Xin girl might be one of those people.


    Of course there is no problem, Sister Xin, if you are serious about this, we can talk about it after I finish setting up thepany.


    No problem, then I will wait for the good news, Chen Xu! Yang Xin said.


    Alright, alright, if you dont eat, Ill finish all the beef. Next to him, Ruan Ningxue spoke up.


    Ningxue, why not join up too? With ourbined skills, we can definitely make it big! This time for real! Yang Xi looked at Ningxue with expectant eyes.


    Ruan Ningxue sipped absentmindedly from a small carton of milk without answering.


    By the way, how long do you expect Mirror to trend? Do you think it can hit a million sales by the end of the month? Yang Xin turned to her future boss and started to specte.


    Half of that, maybe. But its not likely to surpass that number. Chen Xu said with a smile.


    He understands that the limitations of an 18R game are simply too great.


    The three of them ate and drank inside the shop, and around nine oclock Chen Xu sent the twodies back to their respective neighborhoods before taking a taxi home.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    There was no doubt that Mirror was on fire.


    Of course, it was impossible for it to reach the heights of those high-budget, triple A games.


    However, with how it was trending, It would likely cause a shift in the genre, and influence the way future developers would approach this type of game. This happened with Mirror in his previous life as well.


    For a period of time, a wave of erotic games were released using the Match 3 + Gal game form.


    Of course, as with all trend chasers, some were of decent quality, while others were just trashy clones.


    Everyone, including yers and developers, felt that the quality of 18R games was always going to be low.


    Apart from the <em>main content</em>, there wasnt much to write home about.


    But Mirror is different.


    Match-3 gamey was nothing new, but with a bit of innovation, Mirrors interesting gamey loop was born.


    Theresbat, theres resources to earn, there are upgrades and gear to collect.


    But there was more. High-quality illustrations, touching voice acting, and even thought-provoking storylines. All this in an 18-rated game, it was unthinkable!


    As the games sales increased, so did its scores fluctuate. After a while, however, it stabilized at an impressive 9.2 out of 10.


    This was a testament to the poprity of the game.


    This version of Mirror doesnt have a long running story, and it only has a few characterspared to the version in Chen Xus past life.


    So it is still possible for curious window shoppers to simply download the game, y for a while and then apply for a refund within the avable period.


    But Mirror yers rarely get refunds.


    It could have something to do with the game costing only 10 yuan, though


    But regardless, Mirror is picking up steam.


    Although its <em>unique</em> nature made it impossible for the mainstream media to cover, it was undoubtedly the brightest star in the realm of cultured gamers.


    In the nichemunity of erotic game designers, Mirror was causing many to view their line of work in a new light.


    So an erotic game could actually be made in this way? So the sales of an erotic game can actually reach these heights? Such thoughts ran through many minds.


    The appearance of Mirror shone at them like a beam of knowledge from the vast darkness of the universe. Like an oasis appearing in a dreadful desert.


    Day by day, sales were increasing. And the purchasing power of erotic gamers was on full disy. Finally, such a neglected market had something worth buying.


    It sold 70,000 copies in its first week and 160,000 in its second.


    Two weeks afterunch, Mirror had generated an estimated 230,000 units sold, ording to third party trackers.


    An incredible achievement in the world of erotic games.


    Even within the scope of excellent indie games, these numbers were impressive.


    It also drew the attention and curiosity of many indie developers and designers.


    It was just too amazing, even after the sales trend slowly changed from rising to falling.


    But this was the way of the market.


    Ultimately, its nature as an erotic game limited its ability to be shared and spread to a wider audience.


    Regarding the industrys surprise at Mirrors performance.


    Chen Xu himself was also busy analyzing the reasons for Mirrors sess.


    As a game designer, Chen Xu would not allow himself to take things for granted. A game that was sessful in his previous life was not guaranteed to have sess in this world.


    In fact, many games from his past life would have limitations in their ability to be popr here.


    For example, if he replicated and released The Legend of Mir 2 with no changes, Chen Xu felt that it would only meet one end.


    That is, it would simply die without hope.


    It had no advantages in artstyle or graphics, its gamey brought nothing new, and the plot and setting had even less to offer.


    The characteristics of the era were clearly greater than the quality of the game.


    In the case of Mirror, Chen Xu believes that the main reason for its sess is the way it stands out from its peers.


    First, it brought match-3 and Gal game elements together. Plus it also had high quality 18R elements with emotional storytelling, creating a unique blend.


    There were the two most outstanding factors.


    Just as yers enjoy trying to find naughty content within normal games, they also enjoy finding normal content in naughty games.


    But for the time being, Chen Xu had no interest in making more of these erotic games. He had decided to do it this time in order to make a quick profit and gain some notoriety along the way.


    Well, mainly the profit.


    With a selling price of 10 yuan, and with about 230,000 copies sold, minus taxes and the payment to the tform. Chen Xu was left with an ie of about 1.5 million yuan within the first month of release.


    Chen Xu rubbed his chin and nodded thoughtfully.


    His startup funds were secure, and he had received an official call for registration from the gaming department in the Capital City.


    He would be an officially recognized game designer once hepleted the process.


    The only thing that bugged him was his emo points.


    So far, he had only gained about 700,000 points, enough for just 7 draws. Which is absolutely nothing if youve ever yed a gacha game.


    But if you think about the specific genre of Mirror, it wouldnt surprise him if a yers <em>true</em> emotional peak would onlyst for a minute or two.


    Maybe the ones with an iron will (and rod) couldst for around 5 minutes.


    In that case forget it, he could understand.


    Chen Xu sat back and stared idly at the dashboard statistics, his mind wandering. It was time to start picking a direction for the immediate future.


    And in his ns, he would still be focusing on single yer games.


    On one hand, it was a good avenue to build up the brand of his person and studio. And on the other hand, it was a good way to sharpen his skills.


    As for why he did not choose a more profitable decision like a free-to-y game with microtransactions, the reason is simple.


    Its not that he was afraid of tarnishing his reputation. In fact, if he really wanted to, there were many microtransaction heavy mobile games which were well received in his previous life.


    But after careful consideration, Chen Xu decided not to.


    The gaming environment of this world was still pure and unsuitable for these tactics.


    In his previous life, mobile gaming grew massively widespread and free-to-y games with in-game purchases became the norm.


    But here, buy-to-y and pay-to-y was still the vast majority.


    This world wasnt ready for the horrors of mobile gacha gaming.


    Besides, mobile microtransaction games had some ring limitations as well.


    For example, card games using this system had to go through several sweeping iterations before finding a working form.


    First came I am MT, Big Boss and Million Arthur, kicking off the mobile card game genre. Then came Soul Hunters, revolutionizing the genre and bringing the world into the era of action card games.


    Then The King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match Online managed to bring SNK back from the brink of death, and even managed to turn a profitrge enough to increase their financial statements by 6 times, triggering a wave of other IP-based card games.


    At the same time, this is also the stage where mobile card games truly diversified.


    Shao San (TL: couldnt find anything about this game), which followed the traditional solitaire route, the high-quality Onmyoji, and the IP-based Fate/Grand Order, etc. were all good examples.


    As far as this world was concerned, Chen Xu had also carefully studied the current mobile card games.


    At present, the trend is between high-quality products and IP-based products.


    A stable industrial scale chain has been established.


    So for hispany, which he has named Neb Games, entering this field would not be as good as creating new standalone titles.


    There are still two reasons: ack of money and channels.


    The game can be developed, but if there is not enough money to promote it, it is difficult for it to be an instant hit afterunch. In the worst case, it might even be used for the benefit of other game designers.


    After all, card games are very different from other games.


    Their gamey and numerical simtions are easy to replicate.


    If the concept of mobile card games in this world is not mature at all, then Chen Xu would be able to take advantage of it.


    But now? There are too many uncertainties.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    10 oclock the next morning, in amercial building in the Capital City.


    Matters concerning the lease were settled, and Chen Xu was sitting down for a chat with Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue.


    So how much is the rent here? Is it expensive? Yang Xin asked while her eyes darted around the office.


    Not bad, but its a three month contract so we might not be here for long. The real kicker was the tech and the office equipment, those cost a pretty penny.


    5 yuan per square meter daily. There were 2 rooms with a total of 160 square meters, so it added up to 24,000 yuan per month.


    There were also property fees of 20 yuan per square meter monthly.


    Of course, if you were willing to move to a smaller town or city, the costs might only reach a tenth of those numbers.


    But that would also stifle the future growth of hispany. After all, talented people tend to favorrge cities.


    No problem. Mypany happens to be shutting down anyway. We have all kinds of development prototypes and machines just sitting there wasting away.


    When the timees, we can just grab whatever we need, Ill send you a list. Yang Xin waved her small hand magnanimously.


    But I have to ask, are we the only two main developers in thispany? She added with some slight worry.


    Currently, there were a total of four employees in thepany, including himself.


    Yang Xin would be working with him directly, while the other two were former employees of herpany who decided to tag along.


    One would be in charge of finance and administration, and the other would handle operations.


    After a short interview and a few minor tests, Chen Xu agreed to hire them.


    Right now? Yes. Itll just be the two of us. Which reminds me, our core team still has room for an artist. Chen Xu turned to look at Ruan Ningxue, who was struggling with a rapidly melting ice cream.


    While he could produce art if needed, having someone on the team with an above average level of artistic talent would y a pivotal role in his ns.


    And his target is Ruan Ningxue.


    He looked at her thoughtfully, idly counting the number of drops of ice cream that had escaped her grasp and fallen onto the sofa. Someone would have to clean that upter.


    As for having only three people in the core team? Chen Xu wasnt worried.


    After all, the industry and technology in this world is different. A small, agile and talented team would suffice.


    The number crunching, level design, and core concepts can be handled by Chen Xu himself.


    Non-technical minutia could be outsourced, as they would eat up too much time.


    Sure, it would cost more money than the time invested, but Chen Xu valued time over money.


    All that remained was to see if they could somehow trick Ruan Ningxue into joining the party.


    In fact, Chen Xu had his sights on her ever since he witnessed her in action during the development of Mirror.


    Thats right Ningxue, why not join us! Yang Xin excitedly hovered around her friend. But paused with a sudden thought, By the way, whats the name of thispany?


    Neb Games, Chen Xu replied helplessly, he would have to step in.


    Senior sister, Chen Xu leaned forward in his seat and fixed her eyes with an earnest gaze. In my opinion, there isnt much difference betweenics and games. Both can be used to tellpelling stories to readers and yers alike.


    And my ambitions arent small, sister. I do not intend to remain as just Neb Games, but instead, Neb Entertainment. Where we will be able to expand into other forms of media around our IP.


    We can have aic division, releasingics to apany our games. When the timees, and if you still remain interested, you can be in charge of this content.


    What Chen Xu is saying is not unrealistic. Having a game expand on the story of aic, or having aic adapted into a game, these are logical steps.


    Unlike his previous world, whereic book games were essentially produced as money-making machines, this parallel world had undergone a different process.


    In this world where the design concepts of most gamesgged behind those of his previous life,ic book games reigned at the top.


    Chen Xu held back a grin as he saw his words hit home. Ruan Ningxues eyes lit up and her face revealed an excited smile. She gave a big nod and said, Then I will call you Mr Chen, my lovely junior!


    Those are just titles, senior sister, you may call me whatever you like. he said as he shook her hand.


    Next to them, Yang Xin had her cheeks puffed in a mighty pout.


    Oi, why did you agree so easily? I offered you pretty much the same thing, too!


    She was happy that Ningxue had joined the team, but she was also a bit annoyed that after spending so much effort trying to persuade Ruan Ningxue to join herpany, how could she watch such a simple negotiation? Wait, there wasnt even much negotiating going on!


    Sister Xin, <em>your</em> promises were way over the top. I wouldnt have joined you even if you had made a sessful game. Yang Xin was left speechless.


    Chen Xu here at least has Mirror as a guarantee, and he has shown us a very clear direction of where he ns to take thepany. And besides, yourpany somehow got smaller with every game you release.


    Perhaps sensing that Yang Xin might burst into tears at any moment, Chen Xu decided to interrupt.


    Alright, in celebration of my senior sisters joining, lets get down to business and talk about our next project. he said as he looked at both people.


    Hearing his words, both Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue settled down with serious and expectant looks, even though they had just joined thepany and had not even received any office equipment.


    After all, they were here to get results, not let the days pass them by.


    For our next step, we will be developing a new type of game. A meta-game, if you will.


    The twodies were confused and expressed their doubts.


    Meta-game meta-game? Yang Xin chewed on the word, finding it unfamiliar.


    Were we not going to keep making 18R games? We have a foothold in this genre, why not build up the fanbase? Ruan Ningxue spoke her mind.


    No, that was never going to happen. The 18R game was made to generate our capital. Chen Xu shook his head.


    He had no ns on founding a pornographicpany in a parallel world.


    TL: (   )


    But Mr Chen, what <em>is</em> a metagame?


    Yang Xin had spent a considerable amount of time in the games industry, including the process of acquiring the official game designer title and releasing her 3 games.


    But she had never heard of this so-called <em>meta-game</em>.


    No need to mention Ruan Ningxue, who was even more clueless.


    Its a new term well be using for this game, specifically because its going to be very unconventional.


    Lets describe it as having the in-game content breaking out of the confines of the game, and interacting with the yer directly.


    Have you read Don Quixote? In the novel, the author breaks the fourth wall from time to time, being cheeky and giving the reader clues about the plot, Chen Xu exined.


    Breaking the fourth wall? Yang Xin was digesting the possibilities, and Ruan Ningxue had some realizations.


    Correct, well be trying that, but in video game form.


    Regarding the concept of meta-games, Chen Xu paid attention and found that while a very small number of game designers in this world had dipped their toes and experimented, there were no sessful or prolific examples.


    Not just games, but novels,ics, and other forms of media have just barely scratched the surface, the genre hadnt even coined.


    And therein lies his opportunity.


    The name of the game will be Undertale, I will provide more details as the work begins.


    In addition, we cant leave our current fans with nothing to look forward to. So we will also be developing a DLC pack for Mirror. This way we can squeeze out a bit more sales while the game is still trending.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    In a conference room, Chen Xu was going over the schedules and checklists of uing projects with Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue.


    Handling Mirror would be easy. All they had to do was follow their previous working temtes, create the appropriate illustrations, get the dialogue and dubbing in.


    What they were really looking forward to was the development of Undertale.


    In his previous life, Undertale was the work of an independent game developer, one Toby Fox.


    It touched the hearts of countless yers across the globe and became an instant ssic. A good example of a meta-game.


    But unlike other meta-games like Pony Ind, ICEY and The Stanley Parable, Undertale was exceptional in how itbined meta elements with RPG elements, subverting the traditional ideas and understandings of what it meant to be an RPG.


    The core ideas of the game are rtively clear.


    The heart and soul of Undertale is the storybined with the meta features. While the gamey was there to add vor to the story.


    Of course, it was not a perfect game, and there were features Chen Xu was looking forward to making improvements on.


    The graphics, for instance, were the first thing that needed some improvements.


    Undertale, in his previous life, made use of very simple pixel graphics and hand-drawn lines. Not because it was a great option, but because the creator simply didnt have the resources. It was an indie solo game, after all.


    Thankfully it all worked out well.


    Some experts and journalists infer that the game was sessful due to its unique art style. But Chen Xu does not agree.


    While it is true that pixel art games are not necessarily cheap, Chen Xu has witnessed the wonders of pixel art when it is pushed to the limit. Such as the beautiful Octopath Traveler or the smooth motions of arcade fighting games.


    As a meta-game with its core focus on story, Chen Xu reckons that having improved graphics will only add to the game, not detract from it.


    Minecraft, for example, chooses a pixel style because the block-building gamey lends itself well to the shape of pixels.


    But Undertales art style is obviously not a product ofpromise for the sake of gamey.


    Of course, aside from the visuals, the plot and music of the game can be considered ssics.


    After all, Sanss Megalovania and Undines Battle against a true Hero cannot be denied.


    After giving Yang Xi and Ruan Ningxue a brief overview of the core content of Undertale, Chen Xu also showed them the rough character designs.


    The warm looking mother goat, the mellow king who strikes a majestic figure with his trident in battle, two skeleton brothers, one short and one tall, with their goofy expressions


    The main character concepts were sketched by Chen Xu himself. While the many ordinary monsters and NPCs could be outsourced. Once they meet the requirements, they could be epted.


    Or Ningxue could work on them if they ended up ahead of schedule, which would be preferable.


    As for the plot, there was the Neutral route, True Pacifist route, Genocide route, and a Hypocrite route which Chen Xu added himself.


    If there was ever a good game to spend the system memory bank on, it was this one. Chen Xu used it to refresh his understanding of the game and spent the following day going through each of the routes in detail.


    After that, it was up to Yang Xin to fill in the rest.


    With the division ofbor and responsibilities out of the way, Chen Xu returned to his station and booted up the official engine. It was time to set the framework for Undertale.


    Ningxue, was it like this when you guys made Mirror?


    Yang Xins eyes trembled as she went through the extremely detailed flowcharts and manuscripts in her hands.


    Ruan Ningxue, who was already busy, looked up from her work. Yea, pretty much, why do you ask? Are we doing something wrong?


    Of course theres something wrong! Its going too smoothly! Everything isid out too clearly! Yang Xin silently screamed.


    At a nce, Undertale was a small game.


    But even so, the nning was airtight, the instructions too clear, she felt as if she had been given a cheat sheet, like Chen Xu was going to drag her lifeless body across the finish line even if she was deadweight.


    Thinking back to the stress and chaos of developing games in her ownpany, she felt as if her previous employees were toying with her on purpose.


    Letting out a sigh, Yang Xin shook her head to clear her mind. It was a new beginning now, and she would take it seriously. She began reviewing her list of tasks and got to work.


    On Chen Xus side, his mind was serene.


    He was currently experimenting with the official engine.


    The avable resources had increased by a factor of 20pared to when he started work on Mirror.


    It waspletely sufficient for his current ns, but many options were still locked, and having more was always wee.


    Unfortunately, he had to either upgrade the ranking of his professional game designer title, or purchase them directly.


    To upgrade his rank, he could choose to persevere slowly, umting experience over the years.


    Or he could do so by winning valuable awards, or bringing about some positive changes to the gaming industry as a whole.


    To a certain extent, Mirror could be viewed as a force of innovation to the stagnant erotic games genre. So maybe he would be nominated for something in the future.


    But he digressed, his full focus should be on Undertale.


    On the software side, this indie game would not be too difficult for Chen Xu, it did not present any huge technical challenges, especially with the more advanced technology of this world.


    The true challenge was to nail the feeling of the plot, the dialogue, the atmosphere, and the music.


    The music in Undertale was brilliant.


    This is a key point shared in many excellent indie games that leftsting impressions.


    Story, music, and creative gamey mechanics have always been the three pirs by which an indie game distinguishes itself.


    Some timeter


    Sister Xin, look at this! Who is this person? Why is he attacking us!?


    Yang Xin took a look and immediately understood.


    This person is an opportunistic dog, hes probably jealous of Mirrors sales, and if I remember correctly, hispany is about to release a new game, so hes trying to start drama around Mirror to promote his own game. Hes done this sort of thing before.


    Noticing the agitation of Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, Chen Xu came over to see what the fuss was about, a hot cup of coffee in his hand.


    Whats up?


    Seeing him approach, Yang Xin held the phone above her head, This guy, hes trying to stir shit up.


    It was a video released by a channel called Game Space Media.


    He took the phone and tapped the screen. In the video was a middle aged man sitting behind a microphone and a desk, the setup reminded him of podcasts ormentary channels.


    Beside him was an image of a character from Mirror


    (fully clothed, but thats not saying much (   ))


    It seemed like the man was reviewing the game.


    Game designers these days will do anything to get yers attention!


    This is vulgar, extremely vulgar!


    Ladies and gentlemen, you know me, you know my stance on games. I believe games are a form of art. And to call this thing a game, would be an insult to the gaming industry as a whole.


    Can we allow such game designers to bring their influence into the industry?


    Of course we cant!


    If content like this were to be included in Blooming, the uing game developed by mypany, I would be too ashamed to have my name on it. I wouldnt even show my face!


    So, for the sake of our industry, I sincerely hope that game designers will stop trying to use cheap gimmicks, and instead do more research on how to make good games. Stop using vulgar content to draw attention.


    It was a two minute video filled with righteous indignation.


    However, Chen Xu noticed something interesting in thements section.


    While some people were actually apuding the video, there was also arge number of sarcasticments. <ul><li>[Lmao, this guys running his mouth again]</li></ul><ul><li>[Other peoples games = vulgar. My games = art]</li></ul><ul><li>[Alright, alright, just tell us about your new game already]</li></ul><ul><li>[Didnt you watch the video? Its called Blooming]</li></ul>


    Chen Xu watched the whole video, skimmed thements, and confirmed his thoughts with Yang Xin. He came to an understanding.


    This persons name is Zhong Mei, a game designer under apany called Hepai Style. He also owns thepany.


    ( = River Faction Writing Style = Hepai Style)


    His reputation in the gaming world is a bit mixed.


    In terms of positives, Zhong Mei has released some well-received games in the past. And while none of his games have been hugely popr in recent years, the quality has never been bad.


    On the negative side, he has been known to look for games that have gained some poprity and then try to tear them down and use them to promote his own games.


    Chen Xu is definitely not the first game designer to receive this treatment from Zhong Mei.


    Ah, this arc brings back memories I watched so many ythroughs of Undertale Good times, good times

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Its so annoying! Why are there people like that? Ruan Ningxue was very upset.


    She yed a huge role in the release of Mirror, so she was very attached to it.


    People like these are just out for attention, whether good attention or bad attention, it doesnt matter to them. Yang Xin turned tofort Ruan Ningxue.


    True, these types of people are not umon. You can find them in all walks of life. Chen Xu said with a smile.


    So what should we do? Should we just ignore it? Ruan Ningxue replied indignantly.


    If you dont show your ws, people will think youre a pushover!


    But if you do, youll just bring them more attention! What a headache!


    Of course not. Since hes looking for drama, why not let him have his fill? Chen Xu chuckled as he returned to his station, opening up his official social media ount.


    [ For some people who call themselves old-timers, games are art, but are they not alsomodities? Just like movies, there are artistic films andmercial films.


    Mirror has never imed to be art.


    Of course, some old-timers like to im that their own works are art, but they must have felt attacked by some youngsters with no regard for art. After all, how could something not considered art surpass them? ]


    After posting his message, Chen Xu also posted an update introducing the uing DLC for Mirror.


    There werent many people following his social media ounts, maybe just over a thousand.


    After all, while Mirror sold well, most erotic gamers dont bother following game producers and designers.


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were stunned when they saw Chen Xus official post.


    Chen Xu, arent we ying into his hands if we do this? They were confused.


    They wanted to take advantage of us, so why not do the same with them? Chen Xu smiled as he rubbed his hands together.


    Yang Xins eyes lit up, The workload of Undertale isnt toorge. And if we all pull some overtime, we can finalize ahead of schedule!


    Chen Xu nodded, And here I was, losing sleep over how our new game should be marketed, but now We shouldnt let all this attention go to waste.


    He looked at the twodies, who were agitated and brimming with energy, Were going to have to work hard to make it happen.


    In the world of business there is a saying, when the eldest child fights the second child, it is the third child that dies.


    Its not too different in the gaming industry.


    What games fear the most is not being viewed negatively, but being ignored.


    But Chen Xu wasnt worried about this, because he is confident in the quality of Undertale.


    While the three at Neb Games immersed themselves in a frenzy of overtime madness.


    The official post made by Chen Xu was also creating a buzz, even without arge following.


    During this period, Mirror was still retaining arge yer base, so when they logged in, they saw the posts and spread the word, sharing it on whatever social media tforms they frequented.


    In addition, the people who kept up with gaming news and reviews were aware of the scathing video made by Zhong Mei about Mirror, and they were looking forward to Chen Xus reaction.


    Unexpectedly, they actually caught the p back in action.


    Initially, Zhong Meis video was treated as a bit of a joke in the gamingmunities.


    After all, they had seen it happen before and knew what was up.


    But Chen Xus official reply followed close behind, and its nature waspletely different. Everyone knew it was alluding to Zhong Mei.


    It takes two to tango, and drama only gets real when both sides start spilling tea, so Chen Xus reaction immediately drew a lot more hype to the situation.


    Various gaming media outlets jumped on the opportunity, and melon eaters across themunities added their two cents as well.


    It turned into a controversial discussion. <ul><li>[ What is happening? What is going on?? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Their fighting! Mom, theyre fighting!]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Turns out the producer of Mirror is a guy named Chen Xu ]


    </li></ul><ul><li>[ Who is he? Does he have history? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Not that I know of ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ So whats the big deal? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Haha, Chen Xus words are so sharp ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Hes not wrong, Zhong Mei has made 2 good games, but I wouldnt call them art ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Im voting for Chen Xu, whats wrong with erotic games? Release sequel and DLC plz ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I think Zhong Mei wont have any problems this time. After all, an erotic game cant make the news ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Bah! He asked for this, talk shit get hit! ]</li></ul>


    The media storm brewed, reaching out and attracting the attention of people who had no knowledge of the situation.


    There were many who supported Chen Xu, tired of Zhong Meis repeated farming tactics and bad reputation.


    But there were also those who couldnt stand Chen Xu and took Zhong Meis side. It was understandable, as Mirror was a controversial game.


    One thing was certain, the spat between Chen Xu and Zhong Mei has be a focal point for recent gaming news.


    While it would be an exaggeration to say that the entire gaming industry was paying attention, with coverage from many major news outlets and channels, most gamers who pay even the slightest attention to gaming news would at least be aware of this issue.


    Chen Xus official social media ount also gained more than 100,000 followers overnight.


    At the same time, at the Hepai Style office, Zhong Mei also heard the news, after being informed by his assistant.


    But instead of being angry, he was excited.


    Alright! As expected, we should find young game designers who are just starting out and have a bit of fame. These are young people! They are full of energy! How can they be called young people if they are not full of energy? Zhong Medias face lit up with joy.


    What was the reason for making that video?


    Wasnt it to stir up some hype?


    See, it worked didnt it?


    How long has it been since anyone came forward to actively cooperate?


    Having cooperation and being ignored, those are two very different scenarios!


    For the sake of causing a stir, he even paid some media outlets to cover his videos, but they never amounted to much.


    But look at it now! What a fantastic amount of buzz.


    With such a reaction, traffic wille without him needing to take further actions. But maybe he should add fuel to the fire and make it even hotter!


    With a smile, Zhong Mei opened his official blog and posted a new message,


    [ Some game designers are good at taking quotes out of context.


    I never said my games are art. I just hope to make a game that can be called art.


    But judging by the games some designers make, they may never understand how to make a real game for the rest of their lives, instead they must rely on being cheeky.]


    After the post was made on the official blog, Zhong Mei singled out Chen Xu.


    But to his surprise, the other party reacted very quickly, hitting him with a reply in less than 5 minutes.


    [ What a coincidence, then how about we have a friendly littlepetition.


    My new game Undertale will be officiallyunching on the 15th of July.


    Maybe some game designers cane take a look, and tell me if it ends up being a real game or if it ends up bing art ]


    Zhong Meis smile froze.


    This tactic looks so familiar!

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    After Chen Xu announced the existence of Undertale.


    The average, ordinary gamers did not notice anything out of ce, they simply felt that the situation has escted.


    This was no longer an argument, but an all out war!


    But to the well-informed gaming media, it felt like the barking of a chihuahua.


    They originally thought it was the angry outburst of a hotheaded young man.


    Now it felt like Zhong Mei and Chen Xu were manufacturing hype!


    Regardless, it was still something that drew eyes and traffic, so they wouldnt miss out on it.


    So as the gaming news outlets updated their coverage, the poprity of both Blooming and Undertale started to skyrocket.


    Back in Hepai Style, Zhong Mei was upset.


    Because instead of Blooming taking center stage, the two games would be linked.


    He took the time to start a fight with Chen Xu to raise its poprity, and spent a lot of money on its promotion.


    But now? He had basically given a free ride to Undertale as well.


    On the 15th of July, Undertale was officiallyunched on the official gaming tforms. A full 3 days earlier than Zhong Meis Blooming.


    You could say it struck the first blow.


    Many game designers and gamers are paying attention to the performance of Undertale.


    After all, this is not an erotic game like its predecessor, Mirror.


    Although the performance of Mirror was very impressive, it was still an 18R game.


    Everyone wanted to know how good the quality of Chen Xus first real game would be.


    In the editorial office of a gaming media website called Spacetime.


    Wu Tian, who had been hired as a reviewer not long ago, sat in front of theputer preparing to experience Undertale.


    Wu Tian was depressed, because this was a sunday and he was supposed to be off-duty. But there was nothing he could do, the recent poprity of Undertale meant every website would be scrambling to release their reviews as soon as possible.


    So he had no choice but to work overtime.


    All for a stupid little indie game


    Forget it, lets just bear with it, at least theyre paying me for this. Looking at the time, Wu Tian sighed for the nth time since he clocked in.


    He remembered the apologetic tone of the editor-in-chief, Our overtime pay is rtively high, and it was difficult to get people on such short notice, I hope you understand.


    After making sure all the settings on theputer were right, and the recording software was functional, Wu Tian booted up the game.


    It started with thepany logo. A ck, starry sky with Neb Games written in hanzi above and english below.


    After a moment of darkness, an old, yellowed portrait appeared on the screen. It showed a small child with long hair, whose face could not be seen.


    Next to the child, standing on two feet, was an animal also without a face. It looked like a rabbit. Or was it a dog? A sheep?


    Like an oldic book, the yellowed page was turned.


    Is it because theyck the money for CG animations? But thisic book way of telling the opening story doesnt look bad at all..


    With that opening alone, Undertale already left a good impression on Wu Tian.


    At least theres a good chance that todays journey into overtime wont be torture.


    The background music began to y, a simple but interesting tune.


    [ Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS ]


    [ One day, war broke out between the two races ]


    [ After a long battle, the humans were victorious ]


    [ They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell ]


    [ Many yearster ]


    [ Mount EBOTT  201X ]


    [ Legends say that those who climb the mountain never return ]


    A very simple introduction, Wu Tian found nothing outstanding yet.


    After naming his character, he saw him waking up on a patch of yellow flowers.


    Receiving no prompts, Wu Tian pushed a few buttons and found that he could move. After exploring the room, he moved forward.


    He arrived at what appeared to be the gates of an ancient castle, and after passing through them, a small sunflower appeared.


    [ Howdy! ]


    [ Im Flowey ]


    [ Flowey the flower ]


    [ Hmmm ]


    [ Youre new to the Underground. Arent you? ]


    [ Golly, you must be so confused ]


    [ Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! ]


    [ I guess little old me will have to do ]


    [ Ready? Here we go! ]


    What an odd character, Wu Tian was still not sure what to think of the game, You can grow stronger by gaining LV, so shouldnt it be level? Why is it called love?


    Wu Tian was confused by Floweys lines. Is it making fun of him?


    And what are these friendliness pellets?


    The music actually sounds slightly unsettling, and Wu Tian feels like something is wrong with this little flower.


    The next scenes confirmed his thoughts.


    Flowey, who seemed friendly at first, showed a malicious face after telling him to touch the friendliness pellets.


    His health was reduced to 1 point, the music stopped, and the shaking text only added more to the atmosphere.


    [ You idiot ]


    [ In this world, its kill or be killed ]


    [ Why would anyone pass up an opportunity like this? ]


    [ Die ]


    Distortedughter filled the air, but Wu Tians mood showed no fluctuations. ording to standard game logic, someone shoulde to the rescue.


    Looking at the heart-shaped icon being surrounded by white particles, Wu Tian jotted down some notes for his review.


    Thebat seems to have some sort of bullet hell element, and maybe some rhythm game elements.


    But so far the story felt a bit dated, isnt this just a traditional RPG?


    Sure enough, just as the pellets were about to touch him, his health, which was at 1 point, suddenly filled up. At the same time, the pellets disappeared.


    The little flower also showed a puzzled expression, and was then sent flying by a ball of mes.


    A woman with goat horns on her head appeared to save the day.


    [ What a terrible creature. Torturing such a poor, innocent youth ]


    [ Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins ]


    [ I pass through this ce everyday to see if anyone has fallen down ]


    [ You are the first human toe down here in a long time ]


    [ Come! I will guide you through the catbs ]


    [ This way ]


    After a brief conversation, the NPC named Toriel led Wu Tian onwards.


    Teaching him how to solve puzzles and avoid traps.


    At the same time, telling him that he does not always have to fight when he encounters enemies. He can actually trymunicating with them.


    The puzzles were extremely simple, just pushing stones and crossing bridges.


    At this point, Wu Tian was starting to feel some frustration, Its not exactly torture, but its just so boring, not even as interesting as Mirror so far.


    He sighed and looked at the monster he encountered, but did not choose to talk to it or give it a friendly hug.


    Instead, he went straight forbat.


    So far, there are only a few things he finds noteworthy.


    This includes thebat, and the encounter with the flower.


    He noted with some enthusiasm that although this could be ssified as a bullet hell game, different monsters seem to have different fighting styles and animations.


    For example, the frog monsters have an attack where a small frog appears and tries to jump at the heart. Or an attack where little flies appear near the heart.


    Overall, the attacks fit the image of the monster very well.


    I just hope this game wont be too long and boring, so I can get home and rx soon. Wu Tian sighed again and shook his head.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Although Wu Tian has not been a games journalist for very long, he has in fact yed an absolute ton of games.


    So with his experience, Wu Tian was able to get a general feel for the characteristics of Undertale after ying it for a bit. And he started topile his thoughts for the review.


    First came the quality of the game. Not the quality of the content, but the external qualities like graphics and user interface.


    So far, Undertale can only be considered eptable, from his point of view. It wasnt much different from most indie games out there.


    As for the actual content of the game, Wu Tian can only say that it does not feel good.


    The puzzles were boring, even as an introductory lesson. Pushing rocks and pulling levers.


    As for thebat, the game offers some strange dialogue options, such as mercy.


    yers do not need to kill monsters.


    From Wu Tians gaming experience, this is probably nothing more than an honor system. Maybe affecting the endings in some minor way, like a good ending for high honor and a bad ending for low honor.


    The game so far has no other special qualities, and the plot feels like some sort of dungeon crawler temte.


    After killing off a few mobs that were in his way, Wu Tian had a nce at the post-battle rewards and continued on his way without much thought.


    As a game journalist, his reviewing method is to first experience a level normally, then go through it again doing something different.


    Even though the encounters could have been resolved peacefully, Wu Tian still chose the easier way out, which was to fight.


    After all, isnt it normal in an RPG to kill monsters and level up?


    As he continued on, the games goat mother would often appear or call to chat, asking the protagonist what he liked to eat and what he was allergic to.


    Wu Tian grew more and more sour, he shook his head and sighed again.


    Maybe Mirror was an ident. Maybe this is Chen Xus real skill level.


    Undertale so far was too easy. It was yable, yes, but unimpressive so far. Did he miss some information? Was this supposed to be marketed to children?


    There are no hidden ces to explore in the ruined castle, no exciting mechanisms to decipher, and nothing exciting happening with the plot.


    He found the gateway leading to the rest of the Underground.


    After triggering this plot point, the goat mother tells the protagonist that the outside is dangerous. If you insist on leaving, you must prove that you can protect yourself.


    Having agreed, the battle begins.


    In the battle with Toriel, which felt like a boss fight, the option to be merciful is avable as well.


    Unlike the rest of the monsters he met, Wu Tian felt more attached to this goat mother.


    So he didnt attack, but he soon discovered that the mercy option was useless.


    Even after several tries, the goat mother continued to attack.


    So I have no choice but to fight back?


    Or will there be some kind of secret that triggers when you empty her health bar?


    Wu Tian made a few guesses as he began to attack.


    Stab, about a tenth of her health went down.


    Stab, another tenth.


    At the third strike, something shocking happened.


    The goat mothers health bar was emptied in an instant.


    Even while dying, Toriel was still worrying about the protagonist, begging him to find his way home quickly.


    Then she turned into dust and scattered.


    What happened Why did she die? Was this predetermined? Or did I have to use the mercy option more?


    Although there were no further prompts in the game, Wu Tian quickly thought of possible settings and oues.


    To test things out, Wu Tian reloaded the save file.


    He yed it out until the battle happened again.


    This time, Wu Tian did not take the initiative to attack, but kept selecting Mercy.


    As the battle raged, Toriels attacks grew fiercer and fiercer, it became more difficult to remain unharmed.


    His health was low, but the next scenes confirmed his thoughts.


    Toriels attacks began to actively avoid the little red heart that represented the protagonist.


    Even when Wu Tian tried to run into the attacks, they would avoid him.


    So its like this! The yer has to wait for a certain number of rounds, and the goat mother will not kill the yer.


    This gives a somewhat ironic feeling,pared to the previous choice of killing the goat mother. Especially with her trying to avoid hurting the yer. This reminds me a bit of Mirror, exploring themes of morality.


    As a reviewer, Wu Tian is familiar with games trying to explore deeper meanings.


    After avoiding the goat mothers attacks and clicking Mercy 14 times in a row, he noticed the background music turning upbeat.


    Toriel hugged the protagonist, who still insisted on leaving. This time, she did not stop him, but gently hugged him and sent him off out of the ruins.


    Still, Wu Tian shook his head, This is still the work of an inexperienced game designer. The way to trigger the plot is too rough, having to click Mercy so many times in a row. I understand it is to make it difficult for yers to discover it, but still


    Thinking about the setting of the Sheep Mother battle session, Wu Tian also criticized this aspect.


    Its so strange, you try to hide this from yers, yet the design of making her attacks avoid the yer exposes this. So obviously telling the yer about something that should be hidden, its like taking your pants off before farting.


    In his opinion, if the developers had only chosen one of those tactics, it would have been decent, but using both is counterproductive.


    But the next scene froze him in his seat and sent a shiver up his spine.


    Flowey, who he had temporarily forgotten, appeared once more.


    But what shocked Wu Tian was not the character, but the wordsing out of its mouth.


    [ Clever. Verrrryyy clever ]


    [ You think youre really smart, dont you? ]


    [ In this world, its kill or be killed ]


    [ So you were able to y by your own rules ]


    [ You spared the life of a single person ]


    [ Hee hee hee ]


    [ But dont act so cocky ]


    [ I know what you did ]


    [ You murdered her ]


    [ And then you went back, because you regretted it ]


    [ Ha ha ha ha You naive idiot. Do you think you are the only one with that power? ]


    [ The power to reshape the world ]


    [ Purely by your own determination ]


    [ The ability to y God! ]


    [ The ability to SAVE ]


    [ I thought I was the only one with that power. But ]


    [ I cant SAVE anymore ]


    [ Apparently YOUR desires for this world override MINE ]


    [ Well well ]


    [ Enjoy that power while you can ]


    [ Ill be watching ]

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    What is this?


    Does it know that I loaded a save file?


    Is it talking to me? Not the character Im ying?


    Has it taken everything Ive done into ount?


    Wu Tian suddenly felt creeped out, and even subconsciously looked back at the empty office.


    Obviously, the little flower in the game is not talking to the protagonist in the game.


    It is speaking to the yer sitting in front of theputer.


    It knows what happened, and it even knows when a save file is loaded.


    Even if he knew very well that this was merely a setting in the game, it still shook him.


    And what does that mean for this Flowey character?


    Does it also have this ability?


    And what is this determination?


    While exploring the ruins, he came across some save points or interactables that shone like stars.


    They often give some exposition or dialogue that tends to end with: It fills you with DETERMINATION.


    For a moment, he felt countless doubts in his mind.


    But also a strange anticipation.


    In the beginning, it was just an average, uninspiring RPG game.


    But with the appearance of Flowey, it was as if the fourth wall had been broken.


    What kind of content willeter?


    He was in an excitable mood now, and was eager to push forward.


    Charming and unique characters kept appearing one after another.


    Sans, who shook hands with him and got him with a whoopee cushion, he looked veryid back and loved to tease his brother Papyrus by constantly telling skeleton puns.


    Papyrus, who loved using puzzles and traps to block the way, but would actually get impatient and tell you what to do if you take too long or choose too many wrong answers.


    There was a merfolk named Undyne, who at first appeared nasty, and chased him for a long time. But when he reached theva zone, she copsed due tock of water.


    There happened to be a drinking fountain next to her, and the yer could choose if they wanted to save her.


    In ab, was Dr Alphys, who looked a little dull and shy, reminding him of a couch potato.


    Later, when he was trapped in a quiz battle with the robot she created, Alphys would try her best to help the yer get the correct answers.


    And from the robotsst question, the yer was given a hint that the Dr likes Undyne, the merfolk who chased him.


    And the dance battle with the robots true form was absolutely jaw-dropping.


    But what left a deep impression on Wu Tian, was the conversation he had with Sans in the magnificent corridor before facing the final boss of the game.


    In the beginning, Wu Tian simply took for granted that the setting of Undertale was simr to that of other RPG games.


    However, the appearance of Flowey made him look at the game in a new light, and he felt somewhat amazed.


    But after that, he continued ying the game in the same way as other RPGs.


    Isnt it normal to y monsters and level up?


    Muffet the spider, and some of the more pleasant monsters he encountered were spared by him, but he still killed off most of the more ugly and troublesome ones.


    But now, it seems he has misunderstood.


    EXP is not the so-called experience points. But the abbreviation for execution points.


    Simrly, LV or LOVE, is not the so-called level. But an abbreviation for Level of Violence.


    Every time he kills a monster in the game, his execution points and level of violence will increase.


    At this moment, his LV was at 11.


    At this moment, Wu Tian thought back to what Toriel said in the beginning, about making friends with monsters. There seemed to be several clues alluding to this.


    In the final battle, the King did not seem evil. He was very friendly and warm. Before the battle, he kept asking the protagonist if he was ready.


    And if he answered no, then the king would step back and say that he wasnt ready either.


    But when he pushed forward, everything changed.


    An exciting yet mncholic BGM yed.


    A strange light fills the room


    Twilight is shining through the barrier


    It seems your journey is finally over


    Youre filled with DETERMINATION


    As the text faded, the king opened his eyes,


    Human It was nice to meet you. Goodbye


    As if a god of war had descended into the mortal realm, a sh of scarlet revealed his massive trident, and with it, he smashed the button with Mercy written on it.


    This encounter would be to the death.


    The difficulty of this battle was very high. Although Wu Tian has yed some bullet hell games before, it still gave him some trouble.


    After defeating the king, the option to kill or spare him appeared.


    Wu Tian remembered the words of Toriel and Sans, and chose to forgive.


    Seeing the forgiveness of the protagonist, the king was also very surprised. He agreed to take care of the child with the help of Toriel. Together, they would form a new family in the Underground, it gave Wu Tian a warm feeling in his heart.


    But there was a sudden sh of a de, and with the kings shocked face, Flowey made its appearance once more.


    It killed the king.


    You IDIOT


    You havent learned a thing


    In this world


    Its KILL or BE killed


    With Floweys wild and evilughter, the game seemed to ck out.


    Whats the situation? Is it a BUG? Why has the game gone?


    But before Wu Tian was confused for long, the game automatically restarted the next moment.


    The opening animation of the game has also be strange.


    When he looked at the save data, what was even stranger was that this data wasnt his.


    It says: Flowey, lv: 9999.


    This is the save file of the little flower.


    Choosing to continue, the protagonist appeared in the game with a dark background.


    There was the little sparkling star of a save point, and when interacted with, his own save information could be seen.


    But then the screen shook, and bloody cracks spread from the text box of the save file.


    Eventually, the words [ SAVE DELETED ] appeared.


    As the save file was destroyed, Flowey reappeared on the screen.


    It had consumed the souls of six children, and now imed to be a god.


    But its figure had transformed into a strange and grotesque monster. So this was the true final boss of the game.


    The battle was even more difficult than the previous one with the king.


    After a death, a game over sign would appear, along with some disturbing text.


    This is all just a bad dream And youre NEVER waking up!


    In addition to the text, there was also Floweys terrifyingughter. The game screen was filled with the words HAHAHAHAHA, and then the game crashed again and closed automatically.


    After reopening the game, Flowey would continue to mock the protagonist with taunting words.


    Did you really think I was gonna be satisfied killing you only ONE time?


    Dont you get it? Theres no such thing as happy endings. This is all thats left


    The only way to win is to persevere until the 6 souls awaken and turn against it. Causing Flowey to lose its powers and allowing the terrifying boss to be defeated.


    After that, he saw the option to kill or spare the flower, but whatever he chose, the oue would be the same.


    The only difference is that if you spare Flowey, it will give you a hint towards the True Pacifist route.


    When the final texts came and went, the game was officially over.


    But Wu Tian sat motionless in front of hisputer, not fully recovered. His pen and notebook were left forgotten.


    It was amazing.


    The fourth wall breaking, the deleting of his save files, the game shutting itself down, the setup of Floweys lines.


    He was so immersed, that for a brief moment, Wu Tian felt that there really was such an underground world, and that the characters truly existed. There was a longing in his soul to fling himself into this world and not look back.


    And after he calmed down, his curiosity grew stronger.


    In the magnificent corridor, Sans revealed everything.


    LOVE is Level of Violence, EXP is execution points.


    So what are the other two endings like?

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    The next day, Chen Xu arrived at thepany at 7:30 in the morning, but surprisingly, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were already there.


    When they saw Chen Xu pushing open the door, they rushed to him like excited puppies.


    Its a hit! Its a massive hit! Were going to earn ourselves a reputation with this one! Yang Xin could barely sit still to show him the screen, her whole body was shaking like she just downed 2 coffees mixed in an energy drink.


    The ratings from the store page were proudly disyed.


    USER SCORE 9.9


    An unbelievably high score.


    But that wasnt all, Yang Xin quickly opened up a few new tabs, showing 2 major media outlets who had already published their reviews.


    The real shocker was that both reviews gave the game full marks. 10 out of 10!


    One of the sites, called Spacetime, wrote their review in a hriously cryptic fashion.


    In it, the reviewer did not spoil the content whatsoever, but instead, thoroughly described his feelings and experiences. It had a lot of exaggerated quotes.


    [ Afterpleting Undertale, the reviewer went silent for a long time, even as his colleagues went to nudge him ]


    [ This is a game that breaks the constraints of traditional RPGs, It undermines a yers understanding of how a game should work ]


    [ I never thought ying a game could shock me this much. Even though its a low-cost indie game, the experience it provides is deeper than many, many 3A masterpieces ]


    The sentiment was shared in thements and user reviews of Undertales store page.


    There were a lot of confusingments.<ul><li>[ An incredible RPG, at some point I started having chills till the end ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ You wont be needing mercy in this fight ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ This fills me with DETERMINATION!!! ]</li></ul>


    Hmm Yes, the sales arent bad, but let it simmer for the time being. Chen Xu smiled after going through the reviews and statistics.


    After all, 2749 copies sold is not very high, even with the hype built around Zhong Mei.


    But really, its main benefit was to spread the name of the game, Undertale.


    For many yers, Neb Games and Chen Xu are both still unknown, with only a single erotic game in their portfolio.


    The price of Undertale was set at 36 yuan, just like in his previous life.


    Considering the prosperous socioeconomic standards of this parallel world, one could describe this game as being dirt cheap.


    7pm to 11pm, the golden hours of video gaming.


    With the positive boost influenced by Spacetimes review, word spread in the gamingmunities. At the same time, yers across the time zone were gettingfortable and starting to look for games to y.


    Just before 7pm, Undertales sales increased by about 500 per hour.


    But after 7pm, the number shot up to over 1200. Causing the total sales to quickly shoot pass 14,000 units.


    And the reviews of the game have been gradually increasing.


    One and a half days sinceunch.


    In a private room of the same hot pot restaurant.


    Yang Xin fidgeted around with her phone every so often, unable to stop ncing at the ever increasing sales volume.


    While she admired the sales of Mirror, Yang Xin was nothing more than a passerby during that time. Just watching from the sidelines.


    But now, she was involved. Undertale was born of her hard work and sleepless nights.


    Even if she still felt like Chen Xu handed her a cheat sheet, she was still responsible for putting everything together and had a hand in assembling the plot.


    She partook in the production of this game, and it gave her a sense of pride and aplishment.


    (TL: <em>wink wink, nudge nudge  </em>)


    What do you think the final sales will be? Ruan Ningxue said excitedly while sipping on a slightly more fancy brand of milk.


    Feels like itll break a million!. Yang Xin eximed, eyes still glued to her phone.


    Chen Xu nodded calmly and leaned back in his chair, Yes, its only a matter of time.


    ..


    Unlike the confident Chen Xu, yers and some game designers who had been keeping an eye on the development of Undertale felt like they were going mad.


    Whats going on here?!


    In the Hepai Style, Zhong Meis eyes were wide open and he had no intention of clocking out.


    Is Neb Games made of money? How much did it cost to do this?


    Hes done this before, buying good ratings and reviews from media outlets, but this Undertale is too much! How much would they have to pay to get perfect scores?


    That was his first thought, and it was the first thought of many who saw the results of Undertale.


    Nobody believed that the true quality of Undertale would warrant such reviews. Nobody wanted to believe.


    This was, after all, a low-cost indie title.


    With scores like that, you could call it a ssic, a masterpiece, an all-time great. Could something like this really be made with a small budget?


    But at the same time, it has made many yers curious, to find out just what kind of game is this Undertale?


    And after they satisfy their curiosity, they join the cult and add their voices, singing its praises and adding fuel to the fire.


    The most direct manifestation of this is the sales statistics, of which the team at Neb Games are eagerly observing.


    Every hour, stats are updated in real time. And every hour, there is a significant increase.


    But more importantly, were the yer reviews and ratings.


    It received near unanimous praise, and the overall score of the game remained at 9.9, not declining even with the increased volume of sales.


    In most cases, the rating of a game tends to drop as the number of yers increases. So if a game stabilizes at 8.5 points, it has reached the bottom line for excellence.


    At 9 points, its acknowledged as a high-quality game. And if it hits 9.5? Its basically a masterpiece.


    But despite the skyrocketing sales of Undertale, its yer rating has remained very stable.


    Undoubtedly, as the yer count reaches a critical mass, the score might eventually drop, but this was still utterly terrifying.


    Scrolling down the store page, yers left theirments and reviews on the game.<ul><li>[ I went in thinking it was just a normal RPG, but I have to say, the appearance of a certain flower shook me ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I was skeptical of Neb Games and Chen Xu because of Mirror, but Undertale made me understand what a game really is! ] </li></ul><ul><li>[ My understanding of RPGs have been undermined ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ One word: Incredible ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Dont hurt my precious babies!! Im warning you!! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ The wind is howling, the heroine appears ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Im feeling it, this game is gonna be big ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, kids like you should be burning in hell ]


    </li></ul><ul><li>[ This game fills you with DETERMINATION ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ An iparably novel game, a shocking show of game design ]</li></ul>


    As waves of yers came and went, leaving theirments and scores, some bad reviews were left as well.


    In the end, the store page score was lowered by 0.1, butpared to the flood of positive reviews, it was just a drop in the ocean.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    As more and more yers came into contact with Undertale, the statistics for the game grew rapidly in many aspects.


    And on many third-party gaming tforms, Undertale was popping up at the top of their rmendation lists.


    Chen Xu still wasnt quite used to seeing so many different tforms coexisting with each other,, but he still felt it beneficial to allow Undertale to be listed on some of these tforms. After all, there was money to be made.


    Even if one was determined to make a change in the gaming industry, one thing cannot be avoided.


    Needing capital.


    Therefore, Chen Xu selected a few of these third-party tforms based on size and their willingness topromise.


    Even though he was a neer to this industry, he was still very different from ordinary newbies.


    He had Mirror as a guarantee for performance, and now with the help of Zhong Mei, Undertale is generating massive amounts of traction as well.


    Making it so that some third-party tforms with more savvy or amicable management teams would be willing to make concessions regarding theirmission rates.


    Which sessfully enticed Chen Xu into partnering up.


    So far, the results of Undertale on these tforms are very satisfying for both parties.


    While the team at Neb Games was busy with postunch activities and business deals.


    Many game designers, particrly in the indie game sphere, were having an Undertale induced existential crisis in their private chat groups.<ul><li>[ Holy shit! What the fuck is this?? At first I thought Zhong Mei was right, what kind of good game can this Chen Xu guy make? But now I have nothing to say ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Whats going on? Surely, this is overblown. Didnt people say they bought those ratings? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ What are you saying? How do you buy ratings like these? Lets not mention third-parties, just try buying ratings for the official tform and see what happens to you ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Thats right, dont be stupid. You wanna swipe your card? You wanna try swiping the official tform? You wanna get cklisted? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I actually suggest all of you guys try the game out if you havent already. It really surprised me ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ To be honest, my new game was supposed to be released next week. But now it looks like Im gonna have to dy it. Itll get buried ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Are you guys being serious right now? Is the stuff Im hearing about this game real? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ How do I describe it? At the surface level, its just another RPG. But there are so many nuances, and the endings. In my first ythrough, it shook me. In my second, I got the True ending and it melted my heart. I tried going for the bad ending and it made me so fucking miserable. Honestly, I loved every moment of it ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Iughed it off when people were saying Mirror changed the world of erotic games. But now I think this Undertale might start a new trend for RPGs, or at least fourth wall breaking ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ My god, have you guys seen the forums? Its like a god damned cult in there ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Is it? Link it to me so I can avoid it ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Ok, I wouldnt call it a cult, yet, but I can definitely see this game being brought up a lot in the future. I think Undertale is going to be one of those names you cant avoid bringing up when discussing this style of game ]</li></ul>


    The discussion was interrupted when someone linked to an official blog post.<ul><li>[ Everyone shut up! Read this! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Lmao, this guy. Is he even human? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ What are these numbers my dude ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Over 100,000 sales in just 3 days. I give up, its fucking over man, its over ]</li></ul>


    Everyone clicked in for a peek, only to see that it was Chen Xus official post.


    It contained a very simple message of thanks, made in the aesthetic style of Undertale, with images of the main cast posing happily.


    [[ A big thanks to all our wonderful yers for your support, Undertale has exceeded 100,000 copies sold.


    But the belief that this is not the end, fills us all with DETERMINATION!


    Have a good day, signed, Chen Xu, Neb Games ]]


    Chen Xu did not hide this data, after all, it wasnt something that he could hide. Third-party research agencies would be able to dig this up in a few days anyway.


    Theyre uracy might be off due to dys, but it wouldnt be too far off.


    He was also doing this for publicity. With the game having such a high reputation, making such an announcement would ignite the tribal pride of existing fans and tempt those who were still hesitating to try it out.


    The announcement sparked conversation across the gaming sphere.


    As Chen Xu exposed the sales volume, it wasnt just game designers who were interested, but gaming media outlets too.


    It came out of nowhere, blew up, was made by a game designer who previously developed an erotic game, and was mentioned in a verbal dispute with a more well-known game designer.


    This smelled like drama, this smelled like news.


    Before this, some of the major outlets felt that Undertale was not going to be worth mentioning. But now, it felt like they turned around and got pped.


    As for the masses who have yed the game, they had only one reaction.


    These results, these ratings. Undertale deserves it.


    The characters were impressive and memorable, the experience of reaching the endings were different and impactful.


    Before ying this game, no one could have imagined that a game could do this.


    Many yers felt like they were witnessing history being written, they had no doubts that Undertale would leave its dazzling mark on the gaming industry.


    Meanwhile, several gaming news outlets were pumping out articles and videos regarding the game.


    [ 100k in 3 days! 9.9 score! What do the experts have to say? ]


    [ An indie masterpiece, A must-y title ]


    [ A masterss in subverting expectations ]


    [ I was yed by this game ]


    [ An incredible new indie darling! ]


    The first time brings shock, the second brings warmth, the third brings pain, the fourth brings philosophy


    There was no more doubt, Undertale was a hit.


    First, it was well received by media outlets and yers, then its influence spread across circles of game designers.


    Because it was a very different game, it stood out not just in terms of plot, but how the plot was expressed and implemented too.


    Flowey, as an example, seems to be talking directly to the yer through the screen.


    This method of design seemed to open new ways of thinking for many game designers.


    Strictly speaking, Undertale in Chen Xus past life was not the absolute peak when it came to meta-elements.


    Because except for the beginning and the end, the wall breaks mid-game were actually more focused around the various characters such as Sans, Papyrus and Undyne.


    But it is also why Undertale ended up being more immersive than other meta-games.


    The secret behind the ending is usually what gets people when they y meta-games. Its one of the biggest features.


    In terms of meta-elements alone, Undertale is actuallyckingpared to other titles such as The Stanley Parable and Pony Ind.


    But in this parallel world, the concept of meta-games is still basically non-existent.


    So, with the meta-elements of Undertale working together with its plot, the impact it had on its yers was much, much strongerpared to the previous world.


    Especially with the live-streaming tforms, and video tforms, showing some of the hidden content from Undertale to yers, it haspletely made this fire burn even brighter.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Meta-elements aside, the plot of Undertale is actually quite good.


    And the game is full of interesting and charismatic characters.


    (TL: At this point the author basically repeats character descriptions from previous chapters, so I made the decision to skip that part. Apologies. )


    Killing monsters and upgrading, this is a given in basically every RPG.


    But with the change of LV to Level of Violence, and EXP to Execution points, Undertale turns the setting on its head.


    For most yers getting into the game for the first time, they will y through it normally and get the Neutral ending. Getting into contact with Flowey and experiencing the shock.


    However, if at the end of the Neutral ending, the yer chooses not to kill Flowey, it will point them towards the Pacifist ending, more fondly referred to as the True ending.


    In the Pacifist ending, the yer does not kill, but instead befriends all the monsters they encounter, by talking and interacting with them in silly but endearing ways.


    And during this route, many of the characters reveal a cute and lovable side.


    For example, Undyne


    [ Listen up, human. Were not just going to be friends ]


    [ Were going to be BESTIES ]


    [ Ill make you like me so much You wont be able to think of anyone else!!! ]


    [ Fuhuhuhu! Its the PERFECT REVENGE!! ]


    Under the provocation of Papyrus, the legendary captain of the Royal Guard came to ept the protagonist as a friend.


    They had a cooking ss together, burning her house down in the process.


    This is something that is seen in all the main cast.


    Especially near the end, where the yers face the final boss, Asriel, the child of Toriel and Asgore. Which made countless yers tear up.


    During this battle, when you die, the game does not show that you have failed.


    Instead, the text reads: But it refused.


    Finally with the determined help of countless friends, the yer is able to defeat Asriel.


    At the same time, the yer would finally learn the background of the game from the little goat.


    A long, long time ago there was a human child who fell to the Underground, and happened to be saved by the little goat, and then was taken in by the king and queen.


    They became best friends, but then for some reason he lost that friend.


    So the little goat absorbed the soul of the child and turned into an immensely powerful being with the power to pass through the barrier.


    The little goat left the underground and came to the surface in order to fulfill his friendsst wish.


    But it was attacked by humans who mistook it for having killed the child. Eventually the bruised and battered goat hobbled home, then fell to the ground in a heap, turning into a cloud of dust that drifted throughout the garden.


    Its resolve was infused into a golden flower, and this is where the little flower came from.


    In this final battle, the little goat finally gets relief and release, letting go of the pain it has been clinging onto.


    With the Neutral and Pacifist endings obtained, the yers should be satisfied, correct?


    But it is human nature to be curious, and with the knowledge of LV and EXP, yers were tempted to explore another ending.


    And its within this ending that the yer truly feels an unspeakable shock, and perhaps feels the need for spiritual reflection.


    Sitting in front of theputer, Jiang Pings expression was very serious.


    [ 3 left ]


    This is what appeared when he interacted with the save point. It reced the normal silly dialogue.


    In the underground, nearly all the monsters have been ughtered, and there are only 3 left in this area.


    The map was empty, the previously bustling tavern waspletely silent.


    Jiang Ping didnt know how to describe the feeling, it was something close to bitterness.


    Ever since the release of Mirror, he had been curious about the future works of Chen Xu.


    He had first experienced contempt when he started the game, and then was shocked at discovering how much depth it had.


    He reached the Neutral and Pacifist endings, so he grew curious about the other 2 endings.


    But now, perhaps he had been too hasty. Hes feeling some measure of regret.


    Monsters who were once his friends died by his hands. Simply to fulfill the plot of the game.


    Including Papyrus, that little angel, bless his heart. Even as he was dying, he still believed that the protagonist could change his ways.


    The games narration became full of irony.


    But he didnt stop, he had to finish what he started and see the endings.


    At this point, every monster is killed in a single strike.


    Until he met Undyne once more.


    Near a waterfall, she appeared to save a small monster child from being killed by the protagonist.


    As captain of the Royal Guard, she is supposed to protect the monsters of the Underground, but now she feels that she has failed.


    But just as she was about to die, an exciting BGM sounded.


    The wind howled, and there was a sh of bright light.


    [ The heroine appears ]


    Listening to the exciting BGM titled Battle Against a True Hero, Jiang Ping felt a great sense of irony.


    A monster in the game has be a hero.


    And the protagonist he is controlling is behaving like a real monster.


    This was the hardest fight he had experienced in the game so far.


    After working hard to beat Undyne, he moved on and reached a familiar ce.


    The corridor was magnificent as ever, and inside stood Sans, waiting for him.


    In the previous ythroughs, Sans would be here to judge the yers actions.


    But now?


    [ Its a beautiful day outside ]


    [ birds are singing, flowers are blooming ]


    [ on days like these, kids like you ]


    [ should be burning in hell ]


    As soon as he finished speaking, a massive wave of attacks swept over him, instantly killing the unprepared Jiang Ping.


    He scribbled a correction in his notebook. This was now the hardest fight in the game so far.


    Hourster, with continuous efforts and continuous attempts.


    With every attempt he got better and better, Sans was growing visibly exhausted.


    He even tried to not move during his own turn to trap the protagonist.


    Unfortunately, that still wasnt enough.


    While Sans was resting, he quietly moved the UI to the attack position, and killed Sans in a sneak attack.


    Then Flowey appears, and unlike in the normal routes, it is full of fear towards the protagonist, begging him to spare his life.


    The protagonists answer was eight consecutive shes, ripping Flowey apart.


    Everything seemed to be over, but at that moment, a new character appeared and surprised Jiang Ping.


    Chara, the first human to fall into the Underground, was awakened from death.


    Two choices appeared before him: to destroy the world or not to destroy it.


    Looking at the dreadful darkness and the ominous looking Chara, Jiang Ping felt extremely depressed.


    He only wanted to know the plot of the other endings. He regretted it halfway, but did not stop.


    Now, that feeling of regret is amplified. So he chose no.


    But the next moment, Charas smile somehow became even more unsettling.


    [ Hmm ]


    [ How curious ]


    [ You must have misunderstood ]


    [ Since when were you the one in control? ]


    The world shook as Chara approached with a now ghoulish face.


    There was the sh of a de, and blood red damage numbers of 999999 filled the screen.


    Then the game shut itself down.


    Is this the ending of the Genocide route?


    Jiang Ping, took a deep breath, and pursed his lips.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    A few dayster, Jiang Ping had yet to recover from his Genocide run. The events in the game lingered in his mind, and he found himself losing focus whenever he was handling mundane tasks.


    He still has only a partial understanding of the games plot.


    But that is not important. What is important is that he is now somewhat depressed and listless. That ending made him really ufortable, he had never experienced anything like this before. And for a video game no less.


    Yes, he regretted it.


    Just reminded him of his experience with Mirror. In the beginning, he was very into it, but after a deep dive he got bored and began to regret how much time he spent on it.


    But for Undertale, the nature of this regret was different.


    He missed the happy moments he spent with those wonderful characters. Watching Undyne burn her house down, watching Papyrus telling bad jokes, eating butterscotch pie


    Lets make a new save and get that perfect ending again.


    With all the memories swirling in his head, Jiang Ping took a deep breath and reopened the game.


    With his previous experience, Jiang Ping was very skilled this time.


    He still remembers the details of many monsters, so he can just choose the right options to deal with them peacefully.


    When he finally defeated Asriel and watched the sunset with the cast, Jiang Ping had a faint smile on his face.


    With this, everythings over. I can move on now.


    The next moment, however, the image in the game left him stunned.


    In the dark night, the protagonist is sleeping in the bedroom.


    At that moment, the door was slowly pushed open, and Toriel came in with a te of pie. With a motherly smile, she ced it gently on the floor and quietly got out.


    It was a heartwarming scene. But soon after the door closed, the protagonist, who was supposed to be asleep, suddenly sat up on the bed.


    It was Charas face recing the protagonists own. Sporting a strange and ominous smile.


    A distorted, maliciousugh echoed in the game, and the screen transitioned to a ck and white photograph. It was a photo of the protagonist and his friends in the Underground.


    But in the photo, everyone except the protagonist had their faces crossed out with bloody marks.


    [ The End ] was written in blood too.


    Then the screen turned dark.


    Sitting in front of theputer, Jiang Pings eyes widened. He couldnt believe what he was seeing.


    He was an active forum user, and got into many discussions with guide writers on how the endings were unlocked.


    But now he finally understood what the authors of those posts meant when they told him it was better not to unlock the Genocide ending, or else he would regret it.


    He now fully understood why everyone was so moody when discussing this part of the game.


    [ Since when were you the one in control? ]


    Charas previous words wereing back to haunt him, he stared nkly at the main menu of the game.


    He felt that he had just gained a deeper understanding of this game, would it be appropriate to call it malicious?


    In most games, when you make a mistake, you load your save file or start a new ythrough, pretending nothing just happened and moving on. But here


    Haha, are you joking? Stop dreaming!


    Just like a piece of ss, once you break it, no matter how well you glue the pieces back together, you will still notice the cracks.


    Since you decided to harm those monsters, how can you fall in love with them again?


    In the dead of night, thatst bad save you deletedes back to haunt you, tearing to pieces the peace and beauty you thought you had achieved.


    That weirdugh at the end, that ck and white photo.


    Although he didnt say a word, Jiang Ping felt the great irony. Complex emotions brewed inside him, he felt like he was having some kind of mental stomachache.


    It was as if some force behind the game was pointing at him, mocking him, telling him he was a greedy hypocrite.


    Is there nothing he could do to change things?


    Jiang Ping looked at the closed game and pursed his lips.


    He logged into the Undertalemunity forums.


    As he expected, in addition to some posts discussing the gamey, there are also posts about the characters and plot.


    And a lot of people were asking about the same problem he was currently facing.<ul><li>[ Guys please, does anyone know how to get back to the True ending? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ SAME DUDE!!! Ill pay a thousand shmeckles! I regret the Genocide run! I wanna go baaaaaaaack! Take me baaaaaaaaack!! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Feels like my just lying to myself, but I want to go back too ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Ive tried deleting the save, reinstalling the game, making a new ount to buy the game again, nothing works!!! ]</li></ul>


    Looking at the many, many postsining about this issue, Jiang Ping felt some measure of peace. After all, misery lovespany.


    So it wasnt just him feeling this pain.


    Finally, after a few more days, a solution was found and posted. It was pinned to the top of the forum by grateful moderators and showered in des by the wretched souls seeking salvation in the forums.


    Post title : True reset, have some mental stability


    [ The game will overwrite cloud saves and system files, you need a two-pronged approach. Uninstall the game, reinstall yourputer systems, use another ount to purchase Undertale again. This will be a brand new game, use this to hit the True ending.


    Warning: do not log into your old ount before reaching the True ending, if you do, it will be detected and the save file will be changed to Genocide. ]


    So thats how it was!


    For Jiang Ping, who was still tormented by the game, this was a no brainer.


    He couldnt reinstall theputer system, he was still a student, and there were too many learning and assignment rted materials stored inside.


    So he decided to just buy the game again, on anotherputer with another ount.


    Meanwhile, at Neb Games, Yang Xin had dark circles under her eyes. She had been too excited and kept scouring the inte for reactions and statistics regarding the game, even forgoing her sleep schedule.


    Weve broken 500,000 copies sold, and it hasnt even been half a month!


    In front of her were three monitors, each disying statistics and dashboards from different gaming tforms.


    After exploding in poprity, Undertale was now appearing on the homepage rmendation lists in all major third-party gaming tforms.


    As for the official, national tforms, it would take a while longer due to its use of big data being rtively inefficient.


    Over 70% of the 500,000 sales originate from the third-party tforms.


    But look at this, a huge amount of ounts are buying this as their very first game, and their ytime is rather short despite reaching the end. Yang Xin narrowed in on this data and erged it.


    Ah, yes. I see whats happening. Chen Xus smile was somewhere between wry and a smirk.


    Yang Xin matched his smile, I guess a lot of yers tried the Genocide route out of curiousity, then went to purchase a second copy to make themselves feel better.


    I-Is this legal? Are we technically scamming people? Ruan Ningxue asked timidly.


    Nonsense, how can we call this a scam? This is simply an expression of love, our yers love the game so much that they are willing to buy a second copy! Chen Xu answered with conviction.


    Now, Ningxue, lets make another announcement of our sales volume, make some new graphics for the official post, you have free reign, send it to me when youre done, Ill start writing up what to say.


    Doing so would stir up the fanbase even more, give media outlets something to report, and give the game another boost in poprity.


    Chen Xu logged into his official blog.


    He has over 300,000 followers now, thanks to the hype and subsequent poprity of Undertale.


    It was far beneath those multimillion-dor game publishers, but it was still enough to make him a minor celebrity.


    More importantly, he could now add a little introductory segment to the blog.


    [ Game producer, representative works: Undertale ]


    He decided to skip putting Mirror in there, for reasons

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    [[ Hello again from Neb Games, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our beloved yers and fans. With your support, Undertale has just passed 500,000 copies sold.


    He knowledge of our work being recognized fills us with DETERMINATION ]]


    After the official post was published.


    Many media outlets and indie game designers were once again hit by a wave of shock.


    Why? Because they saw his previous post not too long ago.


    3 days afterunch, the game sold 100,000 copies. Now only a week has passed and the sales were already passing 500,000 copies?


    Isnt that a bit insane?


    More and more articles covering the rise of Undertale were being produced.


    [ Sales exceeded 500,000 by the 10th! The rating remains over 9.7! ]


    [ Whats the deal with Undertale? ]


    [ Studying the subversion of RPG conventions: Undertale ]


    [ What does it mean to tell a story? ]


    In the beginning, most indie game designers werent all that interested in the spat between Zhong Mei and Chen Xu, or in Undertale. But now, almost every one of them was doing some level of research into the game.


    While good reviews on media outlets were not worth that much, the sales figures were definitely convincing, and it showed them all that there was a previously untapped market for this kind of game.


    As for the media outlets, theyve published simr articles recently, so they mostly just updated or reused some of that content.


    Praise flowed in as more people got their hands on the game, its quality was impable. Even if you wanted to purposely find faults in it, it was difficult to find an angle of attack.


    Under heavy media coverage, Undertales poprity began to truly soar.


    The game has sold over 500,000 copies so far. But with such feverish poprity and reputation, it is obvious to everyone that it has yet to teau.


    At the same time, this surge has attracted many melon-eaters and drama fans, drawn in by the initial face off between game designers. They swarmed and flocked around Zhong Meis official blog, trying to scrape up the slightest hints of a reaction.


    Its a shame that the posts that started it all were deleted.


    Thements section was also closed off.


    One could say that he has be somewhat of aughing stock these days. His name took a hit after failing to meet Chen Xus challenge.


    And with Undertale being such a huge hit right now, many yers simply couldnt let this chance go to waste. Especially the yers who previously enjoyed Mirror, this group was the most vicious in their assault.


    Unable to directly post their messages on Zhong Meis blog, they flooded outwards, posting on social media and forums, even going into Chen Xus official blog to tag Zhong Mei in theirments. <ul><li>[ @ Teacher Zhong, hurry up and criticize Undertale, games are art! How can this kind of shitty game be allowed to rise so high!? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ @ Teacher Zhong, pleasee out and say a few words! Blooming will definitely show Undertale how to be a good game right? Why does it only have 50,000 sales? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ @ Teacher Zhongs games are art, these primitive yers must not know how to appreciate art. Its not that the games not good, its the yers that arent good ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ @ Mr Zhong, go ahead and keep talking, your words are very inspiring ] </li></ul>


    Underneath Chen Xus few blog posts, many messages tagging @ Zhong Mei were posted. While many were outright insulting, the ones that got thousands of likes were the funny ones.


    As for Hepai Style and Zhong Mei?


    Two words: y dead.


    He didnt actually want to stay quiet, but he really couldnte up with a decent counter.


    His usual way of doing things was to use the enemys strengths to attack their weaknesses.


    If their sales were higher than his, he would talk about word-of-mouth.


    If their reputation was better than his, he would talk about art.


    If they were more artistic than him, he would talk about sales.


    If these things werent possible, he would be more thick-skinned and use less sensical metrics such as game length.


    In any case, he would always try topare using points where he was better.


    But he couldnt do that right now.


    It was all blown up.


    And it didnt help that his Blooming was priced at 40 yuan, 4 yuan more than Undertale.


    So, he would justy low, ignore the messages, and bide his time. He doesnt believe Chen Xu can replicate something like this in his next game!


    With increased attention, came increases in statistics. Undertale continued to rise, enjoying a stable, rising growth trend.


    On the 15th of August, it was officially one month since the release of Undertale.


    The total sales count finally went past 1 million, a feat that Mirror could not achieve.


    And when the news broke, countless indie game designers began to question their lives.


    At a price of 36 yuan, even considering the fees of many third-party tforms, Chen Xu woulde out of this with at least 10 million yuan guaranteed.


    Not to mention the fact that the DLC for Mirror was also released during this time and sold very well.


    But leaving Mirror aside, it can be said that the sales of Undertale are carried entirely by its excellent storyline and design choices. Leading many game designers to analyze the characteristics and features of the game, hoping to gleam further insight.


    For Neb Games, which was still in its infancy, the sess of Undertale has brought both fame and fortune. Hitting over a million copies sold in the domestic market alone.


    Chen Xu was conducting his own research as well.


    Just like in his previous life, the console market in this parallel world is rtively niche, while PC and mobile gaming is more prevalent. The gaming market, however, is muchrger here. The China he was in now, for example, had a market eclipsing even his previous lifes massive 700 million domestic yer count.


    And that was just domestic, if he counted the overseas market too, how frightening and exciting that would be. So the market is there, the challenge was simply to captivate them, which Undertale has sessfully done, so far.


    The second thing is thatpared to his previous life, Chen Xu has optimized the intensity of the graphics.


    After all, the previous version of Undertale wasrgely the work of a single game developer, with the help of crowdfunding.


    Manpower and resources were very limited.


    Besides, for an already good game, having improved visuals would be a plus instead of a minus. People onlyin if the graphics are too bad, nobodyins that the graphics are too good.


    Chen Xu is very satisfied with the current trajectory of Undertale. As for the overseas market, there are different policies to adhere to, so he hasnt thought about it in the short term.


    Mirror did not pass the official review in China at all. So it was released on the overseas version of the tform.


    But Undertale was apletely different story, it passed the review with no issues and wasunched on the official domestic tform.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Following the sess of Undertale, game designers from all around had their attention drawn towards the concept of meta-elements.


    If judged on plot alone, Undertale is excellent, but it would definitely be unable to achieve such a high level of praise and sess.


    But with the addition of the meta-elements, the impact was amplified, leaving deep and longsting impressions.


    In fact, it wasnt just indie game designers, but mid and senior level designers too. Heck, even some VR focused designers had their eyes on the game.


    In a way, it was a good learning experience for game designers as a whole, enlightening them on the existence of the concept and how it can be effectively implemented.


    While everyone was busy scratching their heads, learning something new, Chen Xu was having a rxing day.


    Its good to bask in your sess every so often, enjoying the feeling to motivate yourself not to lose it. Undertale could be described as a double harvest, bringing fame and fortune for Neb Games.


    In the office, Chen Xu sipped on a packet of milk, endorsed by Ningxue, and yed around with his system interface.


    Honestly, he was slightly disappointed. Thistest release has earned him more points than Mirror so far. But in the grand scheme, it wasnt much.


    2.1 million emo points from Undertale alone. Enough for 21 draws.


    A lot more than Mirror, but a gacha yer would still feel the ufortable itch, not that he was one.


    Chen Xu spected on the mechanics of his system. He made an educated guess, suspecting that yers had to buy the game and feel the emotions while ying it to generate points.


    Perhaps he was not getting any points if the people are simply watching the content, like in videos and livestreams.


    Spending money and getting strong emotional fluctuations This gave him several nasty ideas, but he would restrain them, for now


    Thinking back, besides first contact with the meta-elements, most of the strong emotions would likelye from going down the Genocide route.


    However,pared to the total yer base, the number of people willing to go down this route was actually very small.


    Especially after a lot of video content of the game was released, many people couldnt bear to do it themselves, so they just watched Lets yers and streamers do it instead.


    He would have to find ways around this issue eventually.


    Anyways, back to the system lottery. Unlike modern gacha games, the system lottery didnt seem to have any safeguards or pity mechanics. There was no option to draw 10 in a row for a guaranteed valuable reward.


    Perhaps this was because every single reward given by the system is valuable.


    Chen Xu began to draw from the system, praying for something really good each time, he felt like a shaman conducting a pagan ritual.


    The only downside was this blinding golden light every time he did it. Can he opt out of this?


    The light receded, revealing a [ plot + 1 ] skill book.


    The most retina boiling golden light and the most ordinary products can be yours today! Order now!


    This damned light can still be seen even if he closes his eyes With a sigh, Chen Xu used up all his draws.


    And after 21 draws, he believed he forgot to wash his hands.


    He got 2 memory banks, which were fantastic, while the rest were all ordinary skill books. Not a single rare to be seen.


    On the bright side, the skill books included art, music, plot, level design, and numericals. A wide and useful coverage.


    He finished his milk, which was surprisingly good, Chen Xu used up every skill book and dismissed the system interface.


    Logging into the official game engine, he checked his ount details with the Capital City Game Department, finding that the previously avable resources had doubled, from 1024 to 2048.


    Apparently, even though he hadnt applied for a title rank up, the higher-ups have taken notice of his recent sess and granted him an upgrade to his designer level. Not bad.


    Time to start thinking about the next game. Chen Xu leaned back in his chair and let his mind wander.


    A 3A game? He ruled this one out. He wasnt ready for such an undertaking yet. Besides, he was a bit of a perfectionist, so he wanted to have the manpower, resources, funds and skills to make sure it was top-shelf quality.


    For now, he would lean into low-cost indie games. Because they were judged mainly on creative gamey and storytelling, while 3A games were judged more heavily across all aspects.


    Therefore, the current n was to focus on small-scale, low-cost games. Then use the ie to grow the team at Neb Games.


    Speaking of which, they actually had some money now, so it was time to expand. He grimaced as he thought back to the insane overtime the team went through to have Undertale ready forunch ahead of schedule.


    Lets avoid that in the future.


    Now, where was he? Oh yes, the next game.


    A mobile gacha? No, no he couldnt. Once he did that, there would be no turning back. This world would be tainted, and the reputation damage might be huge. Hell think about it next time.


    Things are different here, the market is different here. People were still making a profit out of one-time purchased games, the horror of microtransactions wasnt here, and he didnt want to be the one to introduce it.


    Chen Xu was determined to go down the path of releasing high quality products.


    .


    In a conference room, Neb Games office.


    Chen Xu addressed the people gathered in the room, giving everyone an update on the achievements and results of Undertale and the Mirror DLC.


    At the same time, he announced that Neb Games would be focusing on expanding the team in the short term.


    Some new regtions were discussed, and Chen Xu, as the founder of thepany, inevitably made a few promises and sold a vision to the team.


    He had to say, the feeling of making big promises to yourself is quite different from making big promises and feeding it to other people. Now he understood why so many people did it.


    It felt pretty cool.


    After finishing up the admin and personnel matters, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue stayed behind to begin discussing the next game.


    Is it going to be a sequel to Undertale? Yang Xin asked with sparkling eyes. The taste of sess was so good, the future looked so bright. This was her ideal career in the gaming industry!


    Ruan Ningxue sat next to her, equally excited.


    When she first joined, it was partly because she wanted to help Chen Xu and Yang Xin out as a friend, partly because it felt pretty good to be involved in making a game, and partly because she might have a future in this field.


    But now?


    She doesnt just have a future, she has a great future.


    In many of the websites and forums she frequented, she could easily find fanart of the characters of Mirror and Undertale, and it made her feel wonderful.


    After all, they were projects she was heavily involved in, responsible for many of the in-game and promotional artwork. In the past, she was the one who drew fanart of other works; but now, others drew fanart of her work.


    Hearing Yang Xins question, Chen Xu smiled and answered, We will be starting a new project, yes. But its not going to be a sequel, or another meta-game.


    Not a sequel to Undertale? And not a meta-game?


    The girls were taken aback, but also intrigued.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    While they trusted Chen Xu, they still made their concerns known.


    But weve created this wave, this trend. Shouldnt we be taking advantage of it while we can? Theres no telling when this heat might die down. Asked Yang Xin. Ruan Ningxue nodded in agreement.


    Nowadays, the game media was full of coverage or mentions of Undertale, giving different opinions and interpretations of the lore.


    And in many forums where game designers tend to hang out, the game was being heavily studied and discussed.


    After all, it brought such a breath of fresh air into the scene that it could quite possibly kickstart an entirely new genre of gaming.


    Some of the more proactive video game publishers and designers were already making announcements that their games either had meta-elements too, or that their uing games would have them.


    But now Chen Xu, the one who essentially created and poprized the concept, says he wont do it?


    If news of thises out, one cannot imagine the surprise it would cause.


    Because the logic of this world would dictate that one should strike while the iron was hot. Just like how Mirror released DLC before its poprity started to fade.


    In fact, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue had already taken this for granted, having private meals and meetings to discuss their own thoughts about the lore of Undertale.


    In their eyes, the story of Asriel and Chara were basically mentioned in passing, not yet fully developed. So they suspected Chen Xu would want to start working on a prequel based around this.


    The two girls even had a whole document full of ideas ready to surprise him with! Such enthusiastic employees, surely he would shower them in praise!


    What a let down.


    It would be unsuitable, and the scale of meta-elements we can use will be limited. Undertale gave yers enough of a shock because they were not expecting it, they were not mentally prepared to deal with the meta-elements, because they had never seen nor heard of such concepts.


    If we do it again, especially now, the response wont be as good. In fact, it might be a lot worse. Their expectations will be too high, and theyll be looking for meta-elements in every corner.


    Chen Xu exined patiently.


    While others here might not fully realize the nature of meta-games, Chen Xu did.


    Before his transmigration, meta-games werent anything special.


    And in his mind, he had only 4 of them selected for development at some point. The Stanley Parable, Pony Ind, ICEY and Undertale. The best 4 he could remember.


    But in terms of sales, only Undertale and ICEY were high. The Stanley Parable, which was critically acimed and brought meta-elements to the attention of many yers in his previous life, did not sell as much.


    As for Pony Ind, it remained obscure even after being yed by popr video makers and livestreamers.


    The main reason is that meta-elements are not good as a main selling point.


    ICEY is an action RPG with meta-elements, Undertale is a bullet hell RPG with meta-elements. Both games are supplemented by meta-elements, while Pony Ind and The Stanley Parable put meta-elements first before supplementing them with other elements.


    While meta-elements can surely shock the yers, it is still more suitable as a sort of supportive aspect to enhance the core content of the game.


    Once this was understood, many major games in his previous life have used this form.


    For example, Psycho Mantis from the Metal Gear series could read the memory card attached to the console.


    And an ending in NieR: Automata, where a yer can use their save files to save others.


    These are all uses of meta-elements as an auxiliary. So the sess of Undertale is definitely not purely due to these meta-elements.


    Chen Xu ended his lecture, leaving out the names of the games but using their concepts as possible examples. His two students stared at him nk-faced and wide-eyed.


    They understood now, they just didnt quite get it.


    But they were willing to ept his decision.


    And they came to the realization that many of theirpetitors would definitely be adding meta-elements into their games for the foreseeable future, so yers might start experiencing aesthetic fatigue at some point.


    If we n for that, well once again be a breath of fresh air to the scene! Haha, how devious.


    Yang Xin rubbed her little hands together, Alright boss man, so what are we doing?


    Well keep it low-budget. Save some money for expansion.


    As for the type Here, take a look at this. He said as he turned on the projector of the conference room.


    On the screen was the homepage of a website: The Official Game Department


    There was an announcement button shing. Chen Xu clicked into it.


    [[ Science is the source of human progress; scientific progress and innovation bring about earth-shattering changes in our lives.


    The official game department is now holding a contest.


    Genre: Science fiction


    Theme: Technology changes life


    Eligible contestants: Game designers across the country


    Requirements: Healthy themes (please refer to the guidelines), no tform restrictions


    Judgment: Hosted by the National Department of Entertainment. Dual model of reviews and yer voting


    Awards: One first prize, Three second prizes, Six third prizes. Excellence awards andmendations avable


    Excellent works will be promoted and rmended on the homepage of the official tform after the event.


    At the same time, the winning designers will be awarded the title of Outstanding Designer as a means of encouragement.


    The registration period is from 1 to 5 September and the event ends at the end of September ]]


    Yang Xins eyes grew serious as she took it in, Are we participating?


    She had heard of this event.


    It was framed as a national event for all game designers, but in reality, the participants would mostly be indie designers or small-to-medium sized gamingpanies.


    Major corporations would not be interested in participating, because the awards were useless to them. With their high-cost, high-production value games, they have no shortage of exposure.


    Besides, their focus would be on the business side of the industry, and for the sake of business, their works would have some special elements to attract yers. But those elements might be unseemly for an official event.


    But for the current Neb Games, it was a good opportunity.


    The organizer was a national entity, responsible for overseeing game reviews, the evaluation of game designer titles, the development of technology such as the game engines, etc.


    Being able to make an impression on such an entity would be great for Neb Games in the long run. Perhaps they might even gain the recognition of some officials.


    The promotion and rmendation on the homepage of the official tform wouldnt hurt either.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    But its only half a month away! Can we finish it in time? Does this mean more overtime? Yang Xin felt a chill run down her spine, her eyes zed over, perhaps thinking back to some terribly stressful event.


    The registration period is set at the beginning of September. But this announcement was made all the way back in June.


    In other words, anybody interested would have already been working on their projects for two or three months.


    Yeah, and for a sci-fi game, I dont think we can handle something like that. At least, not with just 3 people, right? Ruan Ningxue interjected.


    After taking part in the development of two games, Ruan Ningxue has gained further insight into the industry, bing more aware of the limits and capabilities of a solid team.


    Although the game didnt have to be big, time was tight, and even with 3 people going full steam ahead, it was still not guaranteed to be finished on time.


    We have more than enough time. This game will be smaller than Undertale. Chen Xu replied with a smile.


    The girls looked at him in disbelief.


    Huh??


    Was Undertale good? It was excellent.


    Was it a big game? Absolutely not.


    But now, this new game is going to be even smaller? What even is this thing? Can this thing evenpete in the event?


    Ruan Ningxue said nothing, but looked at Chen Xu and waited for him to exin.


    The size of the game isnt going to matter much in this case. What matters is participating and impressing the yers and judges. Chen Xu said, using all his willpower to stop himself from making an inappropriate joke.


    Hearing his words, the girls seemed to settle down, readying their phones and notebooks like a couple of obedient students.


    Yang Xin was the first to raise her hand, Question. Is it going to be simr to Undertale, just without meta-elements?


    She didnt ask for no reason. After all, the development team for this game would likely still be just the three of them. Even if they managed to hire a suitable candidate, it was unrealistic to expect a newbie to contribute on such short notice.


    So logically speaking, they could work a lot faster by using Undertale as a working temte or format. Since they were so familiar with it by now.


    Yes and No, but youll see what I meanter. Chen Xu gave them a light nod.


    When ites to ideas for new games, there are actually a lot of options.


    But taking into ount the uing event, as well as the teams avable resources and manpower, one particr title stood out to Chen Xu. A title that brought back warm and sour feelings of nostalgia.


    He turned off the projector and began to speak while scribbling on a whiteboard.


    In a not too distant future, in a world not unlike our own, there exists apany that provides a very special kind of service.


    They have created a special device that allows them to create artificial memories in the minds of people.


    But these artificial memories are not temporary or reversible, and thus will conflict with the persons real memories. The procedure can only be legally carried out onatose patients who are beyond saving. Thus, offering a chance to fulfill the wishes of those on their deathbeds, letting them pass on without regrets.


    The story revolves around two employees of thepany, Dr Eva and Dr Neil, as they are contracted to provide this service to a patient named Johnny, whose lifelong dream is to go to the moon.


    After giving his summary, Chen Xu wrote the name of the game inrge letters: To the Moon.


    On the surface, it fits into the sci-fi genre. But in reality, it is the story of two lovers.


    In his previous life, it was a very small indie game, made in a simple engine called RPG Maker. It had nobat, focusing instead on puzzle solving and storytelling.


    But this unassuming little game has moved the hearts of countless yers, making even the most macho of men misty eyed and tearful.


    Not to mention, To the Moon received numerous awards and des for its storytelling.


    Such as the 2011 Game of the Year Awards, where it beat out several other heavy-weight contenders for the crown of Best Story.


    Or the Steam Awards 2017, where it was among the top nominees for the category called Im not crying, theres something in my eye


    The developer, Gao Kan, even made an appearance on national television, on a CCTV programme called The world Listens to Me.


    Chen Xu made this choice for several reasons. Firstly, it fit the theme; secondly, it was small and simple; and thirdly, he wanted to take advantage of the situation to gain more emo points.


    As for the matter of winning the grand prize? He could only leave that up to fate. After all, the actual sci-fi portions were very limited. Its simple nature and ability to squeeze tears out of yers were the highlights.


    Speaking of squeezing out tears, beforeing to know of this event, Chen Xu was actually considering some rage-inducing games such as Jump King or Getting over it.


    With some clever marketing and a bit of luck, these games had the potential to be video and live-streaming phenomena, feeding off the frustration of the content creators and giving the watchers some fun content. Just like in his previous world.


    But after some thought, Chen Xu decided to put this on the backburner.


    Most of the hypees from seeing other people suffer, not from ying it yourself. So it might not be worth taking the reputation impact of making these types of games where the actual yer base is likely to be small.


    So Chen Xu decisively selected To the Moon, his previous two games were already known for their storytelling, so this one would fit right in.


    ..


    The development team at Neb Games continued their meeting, hammering out key details and directions.


    After that, Chen Xu returned to his station to work on the design concept drafts.


    Chen Xu sat down, and used a memory bank to recall the game in vivid detail. Which reminded him, To the Moon had some fantastic music.


    With the newfound memories fresh in his mind, he quickly hummed the tune and recorded it on his phone. He also wrote down the musical notes as best he could. The system lottery capsules included some boosts to his musicposition stats, so his skills would suffice for now.


    He wrote down the plot in its entirety, nning to bring it to its full potential by massively improving the visuals and general game feel.


    After all, the original was a pixel game made with an old RPG engine, with its biggest ws being poor visual performance and clumsy controls.


    As far as the performance of the team and the technology avable, finishing the game in half a month is doable.


    With some overtime


    Hell have to get a list ofpensatory snacks ready.


    (TL: its a real show, . Heres the episode on bilibili /video/BV1A54y1d7r4/?t=1&spm_id_from=333.1007.seo_video.first)

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    The next day, in the office of Neb Games, the team met up again to go over the materials. Chen Xu handed over his character concepts for the main cast: Johnny, River, Eva and Neil.


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue both got stuffy chests and itchy tear ducts after reading the script, but they would save those questions forter, there were more important things to hash out.


    Ruan Ningxue spoke up first, feeling slightly confused, But isnt the theme science fiction? This reads more like a romance.


    Yea, wheres the sci-fi stuff? What about going to the moon? Will there be a moon base? Yang Xin added her two cents.


    Yesterday in the conference room, Chen Xu described the background of the game to them. Its about going to the moon and technology that can alter memories.


    So it was obviously going to be a dark game right? The two girls spoke to each other excitedlyst night, discussing dystopian futures and gritty cyberpunk settings. Yang Xin was particrly interested in having a brain-in-a-vat character.


    But after reading the design document, they felt misled! Its just a romance disguised as sci-fi. What a downer. Oh well


    Now, now, calm down. The setting can be as sci-fi as you want it to be, it doesnt have to sh with the plot. For example, in this part where the two doctors arrive at Johnnys house, we can have the car be extremely futuristic, giving it a more sci-fi feeling. Wouldnt that be fine?


    Besides, the main device used to push the plot forward is technology that can alter memories. Doesnt that count as sci-fi, we can make it look as cool as we want?


    The girls looked thoughtfully at the script once more.


    And remember, the most important thing is that the content of the game connects with the yer deeply. That it touches their hearts. Everything else is just a matter of presentation.


    Chen Xu saw that the fire in their eyes had been ignited at some point, they were in a good state.


    He pped his hands. Alright, you know what to do. Clocks ticking, lets go, go, go!


    .


    At the same time, news of thepetition was heating up on the inte.


    After all, the deadline was drawing near, and it got substantial publicity as a government sponsored event.


    At the same time, many of the designers participating were also promoting their entries on social media.


    Most of the entries were PC and mobile games, due to the rtively short development time. Surprisingly, some of the more well-known gamepanies were also involved, most notably Net Dragon.


    (TL: huh, talk about dejavu, Ive seen this name used in another novel too, viva Cloud Dream!)


    But of course, it wasnt their core studio. Largepanies like these will always have several development teams or studios running at the same time to space out releases.


    Perhaps their participation this time was for the sake of practice or promotion.


    Regardless, more and more yers took interest and started to discuss.<ul><li>[ By the way, are you rooting for anyone in the sci-fi contest? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ ? Whats that ? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Havent you heard? It thetest event organized by the Game Department ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Naw, first time Im hearing about it, its usually a crap shoot anyway, so is there anything good in the list? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Yea, well, it doesnt have to be as good as Undertale, but Im hoping for something decent ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Oh shit, we get to vote on this? There was no yer votingst time right? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Yeah boiiiii, we can vote this time! It used to be just a panel of managers from the Game Department, so there were a lot of rumors about bribes n stuff ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ No wonder, I always thought the winners were crap, guess too many people started asking questions ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Yaya, they announced that yer scores will have slightly more weight in the final judgement ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Well Im gonna keep my skeptic sses on, thank you. No way those bigpanies will y fair ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ By the way, you think there will be a lot of meta-games? Seems like theres one popping up every so often now ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Naw, Im looking up the dates. Undertale wasnt a thing yet when thispetition was first announced ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ You think Chen Xu will be in? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Naaaa fam, no way ]


    </li></ul><ul><li>[ Why not? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I meant just look at the dates, hes been working on Mirror and Undertale so theres absolutely no way he has time for this ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Wait, wait, wait, check his blog. Hes goin in! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ ?????? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Well, Hot Damn ]</li></ul>


    .


    Undertale is an indie game, but its poprity is far beyond that of the average indie title.


    With impressive innovations and staggering sales volume, this game has already be a role model in the ways ofbining artistry and business.


    Naturally, it has attracted the attention of countless game designers in the industry, as well as the media.


    There is a lot of spection going around about what lies in the future for Neb Games and Chen Xu.


    Manye to the same opinion. That the next step will likely be a sequel to Undertale or some other form of meta-game.


    But who could have seen iting when Chen Xu made a new public statement on his official blog. Announcing that Neb Games would now be making a very special game to participate in thepetition.


    As for what kind of game it would be, he did not borate.


    But that wasnt what people cared about.


    No, what people were focused on was Time.


    There is only half a month between Chen Xus announcement and the deadline. Can Neb Games make it in time?


    With their previous track record and release schedule, it was obvious that this game they announced was definitely not made in advance.


    And after hearing this news, many game designers shook their heads, thinking that Neb Games was about to get tripped by their own hubris this time.


    Did the sess of his two games go to Chen Xus head? What is this reckless management?


    Zhong Mei, who had been keeping quiet since his loss, posted a reply just 4 minutes after Chen Xu made his announcement. Who knows if he had been obsessively following news about Chen Xu all this time.


    [[ Sess in the moment does not mean sess in life. It is a pity that some game designers dont understand this and even treat state sponsored events as childs y. Can the work of such designers even pass the entry test? ]]


    Zhong Mei was obviously still holding a grudge from the Undertale incident, and quickly jumped out, adding fuel to the fire.


    And while his newly reopenedment section was still filled with all sorts of weird shit, his words seemed to have garnered some level of support this time.


    Not even 20 days to develop a sci-fi game for apetition? Unthinkable! Unrealistic!


    As for Chen Xus reply to Zhong Mei. It was somewhat nuclear.


    He included a screenshot of Zhong Meis previously deleted post, along with a screenshot of Undertales current ratings and sales. He also put in a silly little emoticon.


    It featured the popr image of a cute bunny, looking at a clown with disgust. Chen Xu ended the post with a line of words.


    [ Stop looking for me, I dont talk to clowns ]


    Seeing this reply, countless melon-eaters and tea-sippers were instantly happy.


    After all, Zhong Mei had always been a controversial personality among both yers and designers. It was somewhat cathartic seeing karma in action.


    Chen Xu went straight for the throat, we love to see it!


    Next


    back


    index

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30<ul><li>[ Ive never seen a clown be so brutally murdered before ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Hey now, clowns are respectable people who bring joy to others ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ But doesnt @ Teacher Zhong bring us much joy these days? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Thank you, young master Chen, for exposing @ Teacher Zhong. I was unhappy after reading his post, but then I saw yours and was happy again ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ But Im still worried about Chen Xus game, I have a bad feeling about this ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I bet hes all talk this time ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Hard to say, but after Mirror and Undertale, Ill trust him this once ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Thesesting days feel so mysterious ]</li></ul>


    After reading his official post, many yers who had been following him since his previous games were busy discussing.


    But the general sentiment was not optimistic.


    There simply wasnt enough time to have that much faith.


    ..


    While heated discussion was circting the inte. Anky man with a disheveled appearance was having a bad time.


    Meng Zuo, lead game designer of Thundering me Studios, was holding his phone in trembling hands.


    (TL: Actual studio name =  = Sword of me and Thunder. Thats cool, but also a mouthful, were just going to call it Thundering me)


    Thundering me Studios is a subsidiary of Net Dragon, and they are currently developing a sci-fi game titled Gctic Heroes, aiming to win the grand prize in the uing event.


    Being a part of Net Dragon sounds like a big deal, and it is. But its not all fun and games. There are simply too many internal project teams, and this studio he runs is just one of them.


    The Net Dragon is a big business, they can shower a studio in resources just as easily as they can take it all away. Not every team gets to y around with tens or hundreds of millions of yuan to make a game. In fact, having a few million yuan is already considered a medium sized project here.


    Which is why Meng Zuo convinced the higher-ups to let his studio enter the contest. By winning, he hopes to raise the prestige of his studio in the eyes of the gamingmunity as well as his evaluation within Net Dragon. Leading to all sorts of benefits like having more resources and more sway in decision making.


    Everything was going well, at first. But with Chen Xus sudden announcement, his ns were disrupted.


    It wasnt that he was afraid of Chen Xu.


    Quite the opposite, in fact. He did not think anything decent could be hammered out in such a short amount of time.


    But what he was afraid of was the heat. The news! The discussions online!


    With the sess and poprity of Mirror and Undertale, Chen Xu was still in the public spotlight, so his every action was bound to make waves.


    For the gaming media, Chen Xu meant traffic! As long as you mentioned his name, traffic would be drawn like moths to a me.


    His reply to Zhong Mei caused even more drama, boosting interest and traffic to a certain extent. So overall, this was a very awkward situation for Meng Zuo.


    A considerable amount of funds were allocated towards the promotion of Gctic Heroes, and the implementation had already begun.


    But now?


    The heat was all taken away! The attention of the masses were drawn towards Chen Xu! And there was nothing he could do.


    Even though Thundering me was a part of Net Dragon, it was a small part. And the marketing department of Net Dragon was a separate entity. It was not so kind as to lend a helping hand to a non-priority studio.


    If they wanted to leverage the might of Net Dragons marketing channels? No problem, seeing as they were part of the samepany, they would offer him a generous internal discount of 9.9%


    What? Not enough funds?


    Then why are you bothering us? Dont waste our time!


    Such was life within a cutthroat conglomerate.


    Meng Zuo felt his heart tremble as he scrolled through the news.


    [ Chen Xus new work will be entering the sci-fi contest! ]


    [ Games are not childs y ]


    [ Can he put his money where his mouth is? Producer of Undertale ]


    There wasnt much money for publicity to begin with, and now its all for nothing.


    Ive offended the heavens! Meng Zuo sank into his desk, clutching his chest with a look of pain.


    He looked back at Chen Xus official blog posts, feeling a sudden urge to p him in the face and express his disdain. Hoping to ignite another stir in themunity, taking the chance to announce the existence of his game to the world.


    But he stopped himself.


    He was different from Zhong Mei. Hepai Style is a medium sized indie studio, and Zhong Mei is the boss, he could post whatever he wanted.


    But Meng Zuo? He was part of Net Dragon. His words would be interpreted as a statement from Net Dragon. And if he dared to cause trouble or make thepany look bad, he would be doomed.


    Apologizing would be a trivial matter, but Net Dragon would use him as a scapegoat and push him under the bus without a second thought. Other departments who were underperforming would definitely jump at the chance to push the me on him as well.


    Others would rake in the cash while he would be ruined and punished. So no, he would do no such thing.


    But to be robbed of your poprity is a tragedy. When the timees to file his report, this will surely be brought up. It feels so terrible.


    Especially when Meng Zuo considered the situation. Chen Xu, this instigator, had no idea this was happening and probably didnt even mean to do it. The very thought of this filled him with bitterness.


    Mother! How wronged I am!


    Nevermind! It was never toote for a gentleman to take his revenge. Even if Chen Xu didnt mean to do it, he still caused this mess.


    Chen Xu! Youve robbed me of my publicity, so let the game speak for itself during the contest!


    Meng Zuo paced around the office, muttering to himself.


    I dont think youll be able to pass the entry test, but I still hope youll get a constion prize or something. That way, youll have to show up at the ending ceremony to receive it.


    Thinking about this, Meng Zuo started to smile.


    And at that time, in front of all the yers, game department managers, and gaming media, Ill be able to stare you down, shake your hand coldly, and give you sarcastic praises!


    Scrolling enviously at the numerous headlines covering Chen Xu, Meng Zuo took a deep breath and put the phone down.


    The red carpet, the media, the handshakes, the speeches. One monthter, the day of his perfect vengeance!


    .


    Back at the Neb Games office, Chen Xu didnt know that someone was already plotting vengeance upon him.


    And if he did, hed be surprised it wasnt Zhong Mei.


    It was a very busy time, as he was not only actively involved in the development of To the Moon, but he was also conducting interviews for new hires.


    Chen Xu made some recruitment posts on various game industry forums andmunity sites. And with the poprity of Undertale, the posts drew a lot of attention.


    But a majority of them were unable to meet Chen Xus high standards.


    After going through piles of applications, he could only say, Its so hard to find good people.


    The most pressing matter was to expand the art team. He nned to hire someone to share the workload with him and Ruan Ningxue.


    Up next would be a numbers guy, someone to calcte and bnce values such as attack, defense, experience gained and whatever else that involves math.


    A level nner would be a fine addition as well. To free up Yang Xin so she could focus more on her narrative building strengths.


    Unfortunately, no promising candidates were found yet.


    At this time, the bell of the office door rang twice. Chen Xu answered and a middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline walked in.


    It was Zhang Yida, manager of Neb Games marketing department.


    Mr Chen, have you decided on the relevant personnel? May I have their contact information? Zhang Yida said with a hesitant smile. He has a lot of admiration for Chen Xu, and was also slightly intimidated.


    Chen Xu nodded, sending the details from his phone, Contact them directly


    After a few more words, Zhang Yida left the office once more, and Chen Xu returned to work on the game.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Day by day, the deadline drew ever closer.


    By now, the vast majority of contestants have uploaded their games to the official tform. Many major participants and gamingpanies even ran huge promotional events centered around their entries.


    There were mobile games and PC games, with most of them being single-yer titles. But some of the more daring ones even submitted online multiyer games.


    Not everyone was here to win prizes and des, some were simply trying it out for the experience or just for the fun of it.


    After all, why not get involved? Its not out of the way from their usual work, and who knows? They might happen to win something.


    Once the game has been submitted, the next step would be the entry test, otherwise known as the preliminary review.


    Problematic and sloppy work will be filtered out here.


    Of course, how the filtering is carried out will not be made public, only the results. And the eliminated games will remain avable on the game tform.


    But even with such measures, not too many games will be removed this way. After all, the only entry requirement is to be a certified game designer.


    Normally, this part would be glossed over.


    But not this time. This time, the process drew attention from the gaming media as well as themunity.


    All because of Chen Xu, who has famously spent only about 10 days to develop his entry. The people were curious, would his game be eliminated?


    Here ites, here ites, the list of eliminated games.


    Its not here.<ul><li>[ Woah! Does this mean his game was acknowledged? Its actually good enough to contend? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ So I guess its at least a yable game, right? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Found the title! Its called To the Moon ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Pretty cool name, you think its some kind of space game? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Only 15 yuan? Its so cheap! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Eh? There are two different versions. What does this mean? Even Undertale didnt get this treatment ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Im so excited, Im shaking. I need to know what Chen Xu cooked up ]</li></ul>


    With the entry list now fully avable, yers across the tform began to pick and choose, downloading games from studios and designers they were interested in.


    Among them, To the Moon was naturally one of the most downloaded titles.


    ..


    In the gaming section of Shark TV.


    A huge number of streamers were also broadcasting their live testing of the games in the list.


    This could be seen as an unofficial partnership between Shark TV and the Game Department. After all, this is somewhat of a national event, thebined publicity of the two entities created a massive wave of interest and viewership.


    So naturally, the more astute would be ready to ride this wave and take advantage of any benefits they could find.


    Dong Zhen, a streamer on Shark TV, was one such person.


    His stream started early in the morning, titled in bold and all caps: <strong>SCI-FI CONTEST LIST. WE OUT HERE. DROPS ENABLED</strong>.<ul><li>[ Good Myorning, Nyan ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Where am I? What am I? Why is it so early today? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I cant feel my face ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ WE RISIN BOIS ]</li></ul>


    All sorts of messages started scrolling down, making himugh. Its good that they were as excited as he was.


    Ahem!!!


    Alright, alright, alriiiight. Morninds. You guys voted on what games you wanted to see, so we got a long ass list today. Gotta start early ya?


    As Dong Zhen made casual conversation with his viewers, he was also running some tests on the recording equipment and software in the background. It was a habit every respectable streamer should have.


    He logged in and showed off the list of games downloaded in his official tform ount.


    Ok guys, lets get the big one outta the way first. The one were all dying to know about, the one made by Chen Xu, creator of Undertale.


    Ill be honest with you, Ive really been looking forward to this one.


    Why? I mean, were you here for my Undertale ythrough? Cmon, that was a really good game. Probably my game of the year.


    This new one, its called To the Moon. Heres some context for anyone who doesnt know. This game was made in less than half a month, maybe even around 10 days. And it actually passed the entry test! Thats wild, absolutely wild, so Im curious to see what its all about.


    He clicked on the games store page, reading the summary.


    Changing memories, an old man wants to go to the moon. Now that is an unconventional setting if Ive ever seen one. Alrightds, were going in!


    The icon for the game was very simplistic, two children seated on a log, staring at a distant moon.


    He skipped the Neb Games intro logo, too familiar with it after restarting Undertale so many times.


    Soon, a lighthouse appeared beneath a starry sky, fluffy clouds drifted slowly by. The moon was full and bright, illuminating the scenery.


    The name of the game To the Moon is engraved on the moon.


    The camera slowly panned downwards, and a soothing piano piece was ying in the background.


    The entire scene gave off an ethereal feel.


    Down the lighthouse, past the meadow, and into arge house by the edge of a cliff.


    The camera panned into the house, where an adorable little girl was sitting in front of a piano, ying it smoothly despite her size. Next to her, a little boy was ying with some toys.


    At this point, the background music changed, and a more simple, lighthearted piano tune began to y.<ul><li>[ Can we take a moment to appreciate how good the music is? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ If you close your eyes, it feels like youre in the forest, and a gentle stream is next to you ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Chen Xu seems to always have good music ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ These two piano pieces are great. Does the game description include the sheets? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ The music was great in Undertale too ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Do you remember the Mirror soundtrack? Shit ps ]</li></ul>


    Dong Zhen agreed with his chat, the game hasnt really started yet, but the music is already really good.


    The screech of tyres and the sound of a crash broke everyones immersion in the music. The screen shook and the children were startled.


    The camera panned outside the house, to see that a futuristic looking ck car had crashed into a tree.


    A pair of people mmored out of the car with disheveled looks, one man and one woman. Both wore the signature whiteb coats of doctors and scientists.


    [ Where were you looking, Neil? ]


    [ Well <em>excuse </em>me for heroically evading that squirreling out of nowhere! ]


    [ You ran over it anyways ]


    [ Oh ]


    [ You ran over it <em>and </em>hit a tree ]


    [ Look, dont worry, its apany car ]


    [ Are you kidding me? The boss is going to kill us! ]


    [ Hm Well just say I was saving a puppy. He likes puppies right? ]


    [ Hes more of a cat person ]


    [ Why does the world have to be soplicated? Fine, whatever furball he fancies. Crisis averted ]


    [ Good, go write that on your reportter. Lets grab the equipment from the car and move already ]

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    After the conversation between the two doctors, the UI popped into existence, and the game began in earnest.


    The dialogue is simple, containing snark and sarcasm, such as when the yer interacts with the dead squirrel on the ground, and the general banter between the doctors.


    The details are pretty good so far, the dialogue is a delight to see, just like in Undertale, very detailed. Dong Zhen gave his thoughts while moving the characters around and interacting with the environment.


    For example, when clicking on a signpost near the car, the characters willin.


    [ Putting up a sign when they live in the middle of nowhere is like asking to be robbed ]


    And while he enjoyed the dialogue, it made him feel a little awkward. Like an unemployed person standing in a busy store.


    Adding vor to the dialogue is what he usually does, but it feels a little hard to do when the game is already quite witty.


    Is this going to be a story heavy game? Dont mean toin but it feels a little dull so far.


    Besides dealing with a boulder blocking the path, there were no other notable happenings or special gamey. The two doctors continued walking and talking to each other, making their way to the house.


    At least in Undertale, there were the bullet hellbat segments that broke up the monotony. But so far in this game, the only thing that truly stood out to Dong Zhen was the music.


    From Mirror, to Undertale, to now this game, the music has always been good. Dong Zhen briefly joked to the chat that if things dont work out for Chen Xu, he could still make it as aposer.


    Graphics-wise, Chen Xu has made massive improvementspared to the version of To the Moon in his past life. but in this parallel world, these graphics can only be considered average, still a far cry from being outstanding.


    While Dong Zhen was immersed in replying to chat and controlling the characters, the two doctors finally arrived at their destination, therge house on the edge of the cliff.


    They knocked, and a middle-aged woman answered the door. She had a kind looking face, marred with fatigue, and was introduced as Lily.


    She exined her role as the caretaker for an old man named Johnny, and the two little dumplings who were ying the piano earlier were her children.


    After some brief conversation, she led the two doctors up the stairs.


    As soon as the adults were out of sight, the children raced back to the piano,peting for the parts they would y in a duet, soon the music they yed filled the background.


    It was the same tune that was ying before the two doctors crashed their car.


    So Dong Zhen guessed that it should be the main theme of the game.


    As the banter between Eva and Neil continued, they were introduced to Johnnys medical doctor, who was there to bring them up to speed with the old mans condition.


    Johnny is now bedridden, and has been in aa for a while. The medical doctor estimates that he has only one or two days left.


    Hisst wish was to go to the moon.


    But why does he want that? Lily doesnt know, because even though she has been taking care of the old man for two years, he is a man of few words and keeps to himself.


    Huh, this old mans pretty wild! He wants to go to the moon, so I guess the main goal of the game is to find out why, and find a way to grant his wish?


    Dong Zhen pped his thigh and boasted to his chat, A puzzle solving type of game, is it? Well guys, youre in luck. Im 200 IQ, very good at this, trust, trust. Believe in me!


    The following conversations between the characters gave yers a clue. They needed to find key pieces of information before they could enter his memories, then change those memories to help him achieve his wish.


    Human memoriessted a long time, so it would be an impossible task to go through each and every memory to find key events. Objects and information about the most impactful moments are needed.


    Dong Zhen chose to let Eva work on the machine, while controlling Neil to explore the house.


    Wow, this old mans rich, this is a very nice house!


    But one things for sure, hes lucky to have met me! Going to the moon? Easy-peasy. Ill even bring him up to Mars if he wants to!


    He interacted with the two children in hopes of getting some useful clues, but they were mischievous and demanded his help to get arge candy cane from a high shelf.


    Bah, kids these days have no respect for their elders. But forget it, I am a generous and understanding man. Ill y along.


    He moved to the kitchen, only to find that he couldnt reach the candy cane either. So he had to move a stool and step on it to get the item.


    Shut up, chat, shut up. This is Neil who cant reach it. Im obviously 6 foot 5. How could I be too short to reach such a low height, why would I lie to you, were brothers right?


    The chat was spamming their usual mockery and Dong Zhen had to struggle to maintain a serious look as he reprimanded them.


    He gave the candy cane to the children and got a clue from them.


    Apparently, when Johnny could still move, he would go down to the basement a lot, to a ce the children called the funny room.


    They also exined that the piano pieces they liked to y was what Johnny always yed when he was still able to.


    Led by the two children, Dong Zhen found a key and used it to enter the small room inside the basement of the house.


    It was pitch ck, and there was amp near the door.


    But as soon as Dong Zhen turned on the light, the games soundtrack changed.


    It became strange, gloomy and ufortable. The dim light of themp illuminated the contents of the room, revealing countless origami rabbits ced all over the floor and furniture. They were of different colors, and all standing undisturbed.


    Yo what the fuck. Chat, help me check the genre tags again. Is this a horror game? I cant deal with horror games man.


    The change in atmosphere happened quickly and without warning, giving Dong Zhen goosebumps all over his body.


    The room wasnt veryrge, and seemed more like a warehouse or storage room.


    And sitting among the rabbits, on a table near the doorway, was a typus doll. It looked old and worn, and luckily it was more cute than creepy.


    But this entire situation was psychologically taxing!


    If not for the constant scrolling messages of his chat, Dong Zhen might have chickened out of the game right this instant. This wasnt cowardice mind you, it was a strategic retreat!<ul><li>[ Feels like we just stepped into the underworld ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ It really doesnt have a horror tag, whats happening? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Stop whining, Im more afraid of mosquitos in broad daylight ]</li></ul>


    Looking at the chat, Dong Zhen calmed down and adjusted his mentality, he actually checked the tags before starting the game too, so he remembers it really doesnt have the horror tag, just adventure and story rich.


    Dont panic, dont panic, so what if its a horror game, it cant hurt you. Im a 6 foot 5, intimidating dude. I can dunk on these ghosts, I got this.


    He began searching the room.


    The typus doll was collectable and seemed to carry some significance as a key item.


    Haha chat, are you scared? Dont worry, big brother is here to guide you,e hold my hand.


    This is getting interesting, lets see how things unfold, why does the old man want to go to the moon and what is up with this freaky room.


    Dong Zhen lightened the mood by interacting with the chat, continuing to advance in the story.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Continuing to interact with the two mischievous children, Dr Neil eventually received another clue: Johnny used to visit the lighthouse at the edge of the cliff very often.


    And there are more of those creepy origami rabbits there.


    So Dong Zhen decided to make the trip over to see if he could find anything useful. The two children naturally wanted toe along.


    On the way to the lighthouse, the three continued to talk, making the slightly boring journey more interesting.


    [ Do you roley too? ]


    [ I, uh No? ]


    [ Hes not cool enough to do it ]


    [ Hey, I could if I wanted to! Just you children watch ]


    They then found a sleeping squirrel, with which Dr Neil found his chance to make himself known as the cool guy.


    [ Oh no, its a terrible squirrel-gon! ]


    What?


    Dong Zhen sat confused.


    (TL: yes I know that was Evas dialogue, but the author used it and I also think it was better than Neils dialogue in this part, so Ill use it)


    An exciting background music started to y, and all four of them (including the squirrel) took up battle stances as a turn-based RPG interface appeared.


    [ Dont worry children, Ill protect you! ]


    The kids stood behind him and looked at each other and shrugged.


    [[ Attack ]] and [[ Defend ]] options could be selected.


    Oh my God! Theres abat system in this game? But why does it look so weird, bro?


    Dong Zhen was stunned by the sudden change. He selected [[ Attack ]] and four options appeared.


    [[ Tsunami Kick ]]


    [[ Tornado Punch ]]


    [[ shoe ]]


    [[ other shoe ]]


    Dong Zhen was so confused that he picked on at random. Then another option appeared as [[ Yelling volume ]]


    [[ Loud ]]


    [[ Louder ]]


    [[ Loudest ]]


    What is happening? What are these options? But he still decisively chose the [[ Loudest ]]


    [ Your, uh, time is at an end, squirrel-gon! HYAAAAAAAA ] Dr Neil shouted at the top of his lungs.


    But the children behind him stood forward.


    [ Stop iiit! Or we tell ma you animal abuse! ]


    [ Ya! Shell call the cops on you! ]


    The RPG interface disappeared. And the squirrel gave Dr Neil a disdainful look before scurrying away.


    What is this gaaaaame! It got me! It fucking got meds!


    Dong Zhen gave himself a facepalm and chuckled, understanding that the game had yed aedic trick on him.


    The stream chat was the same, the messages flying faster than he could read.<ul><li>[ Damn, I really thought it was actually going to be a turn-based RPG ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I feel like I just started watching tv and it got turned off ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Haha, I was going to ask why the artstyle changed suddenly ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ GOTTEEEEM ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Chen Xu is such a bad guy ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Damn that was funny, is there aedy tag? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Might as well have it, a lot of funny bits since the beginning ]</li></ul>


    Dong Zhen continued to progress, eventually reaching the lighthouse by the sea.


    There is a gravestone in front of the lighthouse, the words engraved on its surface read: In memory of River E. Wyles.


    Its the grave of the old mans wife.


    Looking at the grave, Dong Zhen recalled what the housekeeper told him, that Johnnys wife passed away years ago. But why was she buried here by the lighthouse? Was there a special meaning behind it?


    Dong Zhen continued onwards, climbing to the top of the lighthouse.


    Again, this ce was filled with origami rabbit, arranged haphazardly but standing. But among the sea of white rabbits, one stood out. It had a yellow tummy while the rest of it was a deep blue. It looked far more intricate andplicated to makepared to the rest of its brethren.


    And unlike the rest, it rested upon a box, like a perch. It was clearly an important item.


    But Dong Zhen was even more confused now. After going on this little trip, it felt like he had a lot of questions and no answers.


    The lighthouses, the origami rabbits, what do they mean?


    Full of doubt, he returned to Johnnys room where Dr Eva was waiting. A futuristic helmet was already put on Johnnys head, and the medical doctor was on standby to monitor his health.


    The two colleagues put on their own helmets, and entered into the memories of the old man.


    They appeared inside the memory and began to go through the n. They would start on a recent memory and with the help of mementos holding deep, sentimental value, they would be able to move all the way to his childhood and imnt the desire to go to the moon there.


    This way, the machine will be able to simte a life driven by that desire and ultimately making Johnny fulfill his wish with his own hands.


    Inside the house, Dong Zhen found a sheet of music ced on the old mans piano, titled  For River. Theposer was Johnny himself, apparently written for his wife.


    Eventually, by the lighthouse behind the house, the two doctors would meet Johnny and introduce themselves. Wanting to know more about the origins of his desire. But they discovered something very strange.


    Dr Neil, filled with curiosity, asked Johnny why he wanted to go to the moon.


    But even Johnny was confused.


    [ Im sorry, but I really dont know ]


    [ I just do ]


    At this point you could actually draw a question mark on Dong Zhens face and he would happily ept it. The chat also expressed their confusion by spamming harder.


    Youre kidding me right? You dont even know why you want to go to the moon?


    Then where is this obsessioning from?


    Chat, is this an alien invasion story? Did this guy get kidnapped by aliens in his childhood?


    Regardless, Dong Zhen carried on. He was actually getting caught up in the story and was very curious now.


    Johnny helped out by giving the doctors the two-colored origami rabbit. And they used it to perform a memory hop.


    Time reversed, and the indicator at the top of the screen showed that they were still in Johnnys old age.


    They were inside the house again, but the floor was filled with origami rabbits. Old Johnny was at the piano, ying the song he wrote for his wife, River, over and over again.


    Her death must have been recent in this time period.


    The paper rabbits again. Chat, what is up with these rabbits, dude? What do they mean?


    At this point, Dong Zhen was 100% sure that these origami rabbits had something to do with the old mans wish.


    But another part of him had a fewints, too.


    So far, the content of the game was simple, all you had to do was look for the memory links.


    Once you find them all, you y a simple, little puzzle and move the plot forward.


    Its not exactly rich with gamey features, Its a very story driven game. Which was not really his style of game.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    As Dong Zhen continued to progress, he moved from Johnnys old age to his middle age.


    Here, Johnny stood beside therge bed River was resting on. The typus doll was ced beside her.


    The sides of the room were filled with origami rabbits.


    [ Just enough. After we pay for your operation, well have just enough left for it So dont you worry ] Johnny said to River.


    But she stared at him and said nkly: [ White lie. Thats what you call it, right? ]


    [ No, Im sure we can jus ] He tried to exin, but was cut off.


    [ Stop it. I dont like it when you lie ]


    [ I calcted our finances; I know how its like ]


    [ Why do you try to convince me against my will? ]


    River looked downcast, as did Johnny, the circumstances had taken a toll on them both.


    In a fluster, he raised his voice. [ We need the money for your medical bills, River! ]


    [ I understand that Anya means a lot to you, but this This is just too much ]


    [ I mean, she She isnt even ]


    River turned to Johnny, the slight movement already taxing on her frail form. She spoke once more.


    [ Do you know what makes me happy, Johnny? ]


    Through this conversation, Dong Zhen and his audience came to understand that Anya was a very important existence to River. But it was still unclear as to who or what it even was.


    After all, Dong Zhen had already explored the house earlier, as well as the previous memory scenes. He found no traces of this Anya anywhere.


    He had a few guesses. It could be a deceased daughter, or the typus doll, or A strange idea came to him Could it be the lighthouse? It felt like an important set piece.


    So does this mean River could have been cured, but chose to refuse treatment? It seems like she insisted that Johnny use the money to finish building their dream house and watch over the lighthouse, saying she would be happy with this way.


    Woman! Are you mad?! You dont want to live? Is a house next to a lighthouse more important than your life???


    Dong Zhen had conflicted feelings, his head was full of questions.


    River reached out and ced something in Johnnys hands. It was an origami rabbit, the special one made of blue and yellow paper.


    [ Johnny? ]


    [ Yes ]


    [ I made this. Tell me what it is ] She looked at him with hopeful eyes.


    [ What? ]


    [ Just tell me what it is ]


    Johnny was surprised at the sudden question, but still replied.


    [ Its a rabbit, like all the others you made ]


    [ What else? ]


    [ Um, its made of paper ]


    [ What else? ]


    [ Its body is yellow, and the rest is blue ]


    Hearing this answer, Rivers eyes seemed to light up beautifully, though her face remained nk. [ Good. What else? ]


    But in the end, Johnny had no idea what River was trying to say, so he changed the subject and told her about a new song he wrote for her. He wanted her to hear it.


    Its name was  For River


    She said it was very cliche. Johnny quickly told her it was just a ceholder name, he would think of a better one soon.


    Soon, Dong Zhen continued his memory hopping, and found Johnny sat on the ground, leaning against the half-finished frame of the house.


    What should he do? Should he use the money to treat River? Or continue the construction of the house ording to her wishes.


    A friend came over to visit and console him, and after the brief conversation, Johnny announced that he would make the painful, selfish decision of saving her and abandoning the house. But Dong Zhen, his viewers, and the two doctors in the game understood that Johnny would ultimately choose to grant Rivers wish.


    But why??


    The dialogue shared with Johnnys friends Nichs and Isabelle gave more context.


    Anya was indeed, as Dong Zhen suspected, the lighthouse on the edge of the cliff. It is also the ce where River and Johnny got married.


    But he still cant figure it out!


    Why is River so obsessed with this freaking lighthouse?


    But theres something else, too.


    From what they are saying, River seems to be suffering from some kind of cognitive condition, and the constant folding of origami rabbits seems to be a part of it.


    But what does it mean? Shes clearly trying to convey something.


    God damn, I really dont know, we need more cluesds. Dong Zhen was still filled with doubts.


    At the same time, the chat was lively.<ul><li>[ My little brain doesnt have the capacity for this ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ The CPU is overloading ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Sup guys, did I miss anything? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I keep feeling like theres something off in this game ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Quit stalling ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Stop holding out on us boss ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I need to know what happens next ]</li></ul>


    Dong Zhen nced happily at his viewer count, it was holding steady and the chat was zooming by. Seems like his viewers have been captivated by the plot too.


    He didnt know where the game would take him, but the feeling of anticipation was rising in his heart. He was really looking forward to how the game would answer these questions in the end.


    As he continued hopping through memories, he got to see much younger versions of Johnny and River.


    The two had a romantic dance at the top of the lighthouse named Anya, and were full of hope for the future.


    But this still doesnt have anything to do with the origami rabbits. And the way she kept folding them and asking Johnny what he could see in them.


    She was even asking while on the verge of death, but that just made it more confusing.


    Dong Zhen scratched his head and ruffled his hair, Just what in the world is happening? The rabbits chat, what do they mean??


    God, I dont know why, but not knowing feels awful.


    And what kind of illness does River have? The questions kept lingering in his head.


    As he continued progressing, further conversations with Nichs and Isabelle revealed more about River.


    It turns out that Isabelle and River are both suffering from the same disorder.


    It is this disorder that makes River speak so strangely, and struggle tomunicate. Making it a challenge for normal people to understand what she is trying to convey.


    So this River girl was born with some illness that makes her unable to express herself clearly, she has social barriers?


    With this clue, Dong Zhen had a few guesses as to what it was. Could it be Autism? Aspergers? Something to do with speech? It was hard to pinpoint, but at least it exins her strange behavior.


    Like why she kept asking Johnny about the rabbits, or why she let Johnny throw the hacky sack as far as he could and then stood dangerously close to the cliff to see how far it went.


    These quirks could now be exined.


    It is because she, who suffers from thismunication disorder, cannot express herself clearly, and so she uses these hints and actions to express her inner thoughts.


    Alright, he can understand now, but theres still a problem.


    This still doesnt exin the reason behind the rabbits, the meaning behind them, or the obsession with the lighthouse named Anya. So much so that River is willing to give up her life for it.


    Is it just because she and Johnny got married by the lighthouse?


    Surely not, that wouldnt make sense!

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    The whole game is like one giant shback, and the yers understand it.


    With some doubt in his heart, Dong Zhen continued his adventure. His next hop took him to the night before River married Johnny.


    The two young lovers were in formal attire, chatting beneath the lighthouse with the beautiful moon watching over them.


    It was here that the lighthouse was given its name  Anya.


    Johnny and River made their way into the lighthouse, and ended up on the very top. The ss windows hid their features, but the gentle moonlight cast their shadows towards the audience.


    Here, Johnny taught her how to dance.


    The soft and soothing melody of a piano filled the air, and the two danced slowly, deep into the night.


    Dong Zhen had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. This damn game, reminding him how single he was. Romance is so beautiful, I hate it, but I need more.


    While the graphics of the game were not outstanding in the market, thebination of music and atmosphere still helped paint a wonderful picture of love that warms the heart.


    For now, the lingering doubts Dong Zhen had about this game were put aside. And he immersed himself in the mood, casually reminiscing with the chat about past rtionships.


    Time progressed in the scene, and the next morning, Johnny and River stood before Anya, and were officially pronounced man and wife.


    Another memory hop, the two doctors found themselves staring at a strange scene. Along the way towards their wedding venue, River stopped by the road and knelt beside a small white rabbit that had be roadkill.


    Her eyes were sad, and her behavior was odd as ever. But Johnny eventually persuaded her to move on and continue on their journey to the lighthouse.


    Huh, is this the source? Is this why River kept making those origami rabbits? But it doesnt feel right, feels like this is such a minor thing. Chat, what do you think?


    It was still too confusing. So Dong Zhen carried on.


    At the wedding, everyone was happy. But the chat noticed something off, Johnnys mother kept calling him by a different name.


    Nichs, Johnnys best friend, also pointed this out and expressed his doubts.


    Johnny gave a casual answer: That Joey was his grandfathers nickname and his mother used it to honor the memory of his passing.


    Joey, huh There must be something important connected to that name! Dong Zhen stood from his chair and went offscreen, the sound of rustling was heard and he came back wearing a fancy detective hat and fake monocle prop. It was something he prepared when ying through mystery games in the past.


    The memory hops continued.


    And the two doctors ended up in a period of time where Johnny and River were still just dating.


    The scene took ce in a tranquil forest-like area. There were people riding horses around and there was arge stable in a corner.


    River, Johnny and even the two doctors had a fun time riding the horses around the tracks.


    This was apparently a form of therapy for Rivers condition, rmended by a psychiatrist they had visited not long ago.


    Now, yers would finally have the name for the condition of River.


    Aspergers Syndrome, so my wild guesses werent that wild. But I dont actually know what its about, I only know the name and that its a bit like autism? Chat, am I right? Lets look it up right now.


    The majority of chat was also confused, some having never heard of its existence till now. Dong Zhen searched it up for everyone to see.


    Symptoms include difficulty in interpersonalmunication, stubborn obsession in a single topic of interest, difficulty with facial expressions and craving repetition or routine.


    Well damn, thats exactly what weve been seeing. This exins a lot of her behavior.


    But it still didnt answer the most important questions, such as the meaning behind her behaviors. Dong Zhen could now understand what she was doing, but not why she was doing it.


    Dong Zhen was now fully invested in the mystery, he wanted to know more about Johnny and River. He needed to know the meaning behind the origami rabbits, and their connection to the moon. Why did she give up her treatment to have the house by the lighthouse?


    He checked his clock, its been almost two hours since he started. Wow, time was flying by.


    He briefly thought back to the massive backlog of requested games for his stream, and contemted stopping this game and moving on to the next.


    But he didnt want to. He was in the zone, immersed in the storyline. He nced at his chat and realized they were in a deep discussion about Rivers condition and many were sharing personal stories about family members or friends afflicted by simr conditions. The vibes were good, there was no reason to stop now.


    As the story progressed, the memory hops eventually brought the two doctors into Johnnys teen years.


    This should be around the time where Johnny and River first met.


    Dong Zhen also noticed the typus doll with her, the same one that was with her near the end of her life.


    So it seems River brought this doll along for arge portion of her life. It should carry great importance to her. And it was also the conversation starter between Johnny and River.


    With the help of Nichs, Johnny was pushed over to River. Who was sitting on the school stairs, reading a book.


    Despite his nervousness, he still managed to strike up a conversation with her.


    [ Hello ]


    [ Eh Hello? ]


    [ Can you hear me? ]


    [ Yes ]


    [ Then why didnt you never mind ]


    [ Um, thats a cool typus you got there. Whatre you reading? ]


    [ A book ]


    [ About typus? ]


    [ No ]


    [ Oh I, er, I think thats great ]


    Johnny looked embarrassed and Dr Neil was cradling his face in his palms from cringing too much. Dr Eva just looked on with interest.


    Judging by this interaction, and how far away she was sittingpared to the rest of the children, it seems River was always a bit of a loner, unused to interacting with others.


    One could even say this awkwardness was inhumane, radiating from the screen and affecting Dong Zhen and his chat. Countless amounts of RIP were spammed at this moment.


    Although the atmosphere was cold, the people understood that she was not doing this on purpose. She was not maliciously or cruelly creating this situation, it was simply due to her condition.


    [ Lighthouses ]


    River, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up, interrupting Johnny who was stumbling over his words.


    [ There are exactly sixteen second-order Fresnel lens lighthouses in the country left ]


    [ Nine of them are coastal. And one of them was modified from a historic kerosenemp lighthouse ]


    Johnny took a moment to gather his bearings.


    [ Oh, is that what youre reading about? ]


    River did not answer.


    [ Um, say you wanna go catch a movie together sometime? ]


    [ I dont know ]


    [ Thats okay, Ill give you time to consider it ]


    [ I cant ]


    [ Why? ]


    [ Theres no date or time ]


    [ Oh, um, how about this Saturday at eight? ]


    There was another stretch of silence, and Dr Neil even suspected if the machine had some error or was frozen.


    [ Yes ]


    This entire interaction made Dong Zhen happy because of how wholesome it was, but also made him feel some difort in his heart.


    If it hadnt been for the knowledge gained from the earlier portions of the game, Dong Zhen would not have understood what was happening.


    He would have been making fun of the whole thing, not knowing how much River and Johnny had to struggle just to have some basicmunication.


    Normal people who didnt have such knowledge would probably never understand. And Dong Zhen knew that he could only imagine how frustrating it was to have thoughts but be unable to urately express them in words or actions.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    As the game continued to progress, Dong Zhen began to feel more and more ufortable, as if dreading what was toe.


    But the two doctors, Eva and Neil, were determined to see their task through. They were still seeking to fulfill their contractual obligations and have Johnny end up on the moon at some point.


    As the memory hops continued, the two ended up finding out why Johnny wanted to woo River in the first ce.


    It is because Johnny sees River as a special existence, because she stands out from the crowd and can be considered unique.


    This was obviously not something one wanted to hear from a significant other. And even Nichs voiced his disapproval after Johnny revealed this to him.<ul><li>[ I feel sorry for River ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Johnny has suddenly be annoying ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ +1 selfish devil for sale ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ But something still feels off, maybe theres more to it? ]</li></ul>


    The chat began fervently discussing, but Dong Zhens attention was still enraptured by the game.


    Johnny here was indeed being very selfish, he could even say it was annoying. But Dong Zhen still couldnt help but feel like something was missing.


    ording to the previous segments, Johnny eventually confessed this information to River, but it still didnt exin the origami rabbits.


    You could say this was Rivers way of retaliation to Johnny, but that seemed far-fetched. After all, they ended up being truly in love.


    More memory hops, and the two made it to see a much younger Johnny.


    He was leaving for school, and just like at his wedding, his mother does not call him Johnny, but Joey.


    Later, Eva and Neil used a football as a medium to continue hopping. But this time it was different.


    Dong Zhen, who was now wrapped up in a thick nket andfortably reclining, leaned forward in surprise.


    What awaited the two doctors was a vast expanse of white nothingness. And at the same time, the two could smell the heavy stench of roadkill.


    There seems to be a problem with Johnnys childhood memories.


    Seeing no way forward, Eva and Neil decided to work with what they already gathered. And proceed with the process of imnting Johnny with the dream of bing an astronaut.


    However, yers would be unhappy with what the two were doing. How could they choose to skip over such an interesting mystery?


    How did Johnnys memories get damaged? What secrets would those memories hold? You cant just ignore this!


    Dong Zhen was also unhappy. He was much more interested in this mystery than in going to the moon.


    Based on how the game is ying out, he had a hunch that all the previous secrets would be exined and revealed in Johnnys childhood.


    But these two doctors with their huge brains were very persistent, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals.


    What followed was a very humorousption of the two trying desperately to instill the wish.


    They added astronomy lessons to his school days, they gave inspirational speeches, they even changed the films in his memories to be space rted.


    They went into nearly every single significant memory to ce hints about being an astronaut, but the results were beyond their expectations.


    None of these caused any amount of change in thetest memories. And in many of the subconscious memories, Johnny expressed having no interest in space travel. He had never even thought of going to the moon.


    But then how do you exin hisst wish? Why did such a person even want to go to the moon? What is it about the moon that has attracted his attention?


    Time was running out, Johnnys body could not take much more.


    So if his wish was to be fulfilled, his iplete childhood memories may be the key.


    The two agreed to take a break and exit the memories.


    Neil went to make a few calls to HQ to see if they could help in any way. While Eva took a seat near the lighthouse to organize her thoughts on the matter.


    If there is truly nothing wrong with the machine, then going to the moon is obviously a secondary wish, rted to something greater or more important.


    So there was something else fueling this desire, another condition that would change his wish.


    She thought back to River, and the role she yed in Johnnys life. Theyd been together for a long time, so she obviously must have influenced this desire.


    While Eva was deep in her thoughts, Neil had sessfully gathered some extra information from his calls.


    Apparently, Johnny was administered arge dose of enhanced beta-blockers as a child. These medications can cause memory issues by interfering with chemical messengers in the brain.


    But this doesnt mean the memories arepletely erased, they are simply hidden and subconsciously ignored.


    So in order for the machine to ess these hidden memories, they will need something to trigger the subconscious.


    At this point, Dong Zhen began to connect the dots.


    The smell of roadkill Didnt Neil run over that squirrel in the beginning? And Eva wasining about the strong smell earlier too. Well use the dead squirrel to trigger the memories!


    Wow, so this was all set up from the beginning of the game. It was all nned, thats pretty cool.


    I see, so this squirrel was fated to die! It was the will of the heavens! Chat,e thank the squirrel for its outstanding contribution.<ul><li>[ Squirrel : No problem, thank you ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Best worst character award : The squirrel ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ RIP ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ o7 o7 o7 o7 o7 o7 o7 ]</li></ul>


    Apart from a few troublemakers, most of the viewers were just like Dong Zhen. Ready and eager to see what Johnnys childhood memories contain.


    Soon the scent of roadkill was collected from the squirrel and brought to Johnny, triggering a chaotic reaction.


    It was a very confusing segment, where different points of time seemed to ovep. The two doctors saw more than one little Johnny ying on the street.


    Among them, Dong Zhen notices that one of them is ying with a football, just like the football memento that first brought them here.


    After searching high and low but finding nothing, Eva seemed to realize something and led the rush back to the ce where they first hopped in.


    At the same time, Johnnys mother had just finished her visit with some neighbors. She got in the car and got ready to leave.


    No one noticed little Johnny chasing his football to the back of the car.


    There was a loud bang, and the sound of something wet being dropped on the pavement.


    Whats this? Johnny had a car ident? Is this why he lost his memories? But what about the beta-blockers?


    There were lingering doubts, but like Neil, Dong Zhen also believed that it was Johnny who was hit by the car.


    But in the next moment, the real Johnny appears.


    The doubts were answered, he had a twin!

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    So it wasnt Johnny who got hit by the car, it was his twin, Joey.


    Did Johnny actually have a grandfather named Joey? We dont know, but we can assume Johnnys mother sees him as a recement for Joey after the grief of killing her own son drove her mad.


    She gave him the beta-blockers around this time.


    So many questions were answered now.


    Why did Johnny always sleep on a bunk bed?


    Why did his mother keep calling him Joey?


    Theics he read, the pickled olives. They were all things Joey once loved. Perhaps his mother pushed these onto him while she was raising him as Joey, or perhaps he picked these things up himself due to lingering subconscious memories.


    But there are still a few doubts: Where is River in all this? Does his wish to go to the moon have something to do with River?


    As the game progresses, Dong Zhen arrives at the time before Joeys death.


    The two brothers were having a heart-to-heart talk, and Joey expressed his love for his brother.


    The scene then changed to take ce at a carnival of sorts. Joey managed to win himself a toy train, while Johnny got a typus doll.


    Johnny was whining about wanting the train, but his mother stopped him. Perhaps she really did favor Joey. Luckily, Joey was willing to share.


    Later on, Johnny, who was feeling a little glum, wandered off into the forest behind the carnival, still holding on to his typus doll.


    Seeing this, Dong Zhen got a jolt of energy, his previous gloom lifted.


    Yes, that typus doll! Its the same one River carried throughout her life! So it was won by Johnny?


    Does that mean


    The next scene confirmed his suspicions.


    Johnny found his way to a cliff, and gazed upon the starlit sky. His original misgivings melted away as he was enraptured in that beautiful cosmic sea.


    He made his way further up the cliff and found a fantastic little spot, hidden away from the noise of the carnival, with a fallen tree stump as convenient seating.


    Eventually, after a little banter from the two doctors, a little girl appeared on the screen.


    Dong Zhen jumped in his seat, there was only one character with such red hair in the entire game! That has to be River!


    So this, this is where the two met for the first time! Not in high school, but here, as children.


    Noticing her, Johnny greeted her warmly, but River turned to leave. This was prevented by the charming little boy who sessfully invited her to enjoy the stars together.


    At this point, soothing piano and violin music filled the background.


    Under the sea of stars, Johnny and River sat down and shared a moment. The scene then cut to a beautifully animated close-up shot as the two had a conversation.


    [ Just look at em Did you know there were so many lights in the sky? ]


    [ Yes ]


    [ Oh Uh, I did too. You said this was your spot, right? ]


    [ Only during the carnival ]


    [ Not a fan of the crowds? Me neither. Yknow, you still havent told me your name yet ]


    [ Im not telling you Everyone makes fun of it in school ]


    [ Why? ]


    [ They say it makes them want to go to the washroom ]


    [ Uh Okay, then. Well, it cant be worse than John. I mean, everywhere in the world, nearly everyones named John! ]


    [ Even in India? ]


    [ Probably! ]


    [ Whats wrong with that? ]


    [ Hm? ]


    [ Whats wrong with having a name that everyone has? ]


    [ Well Its boring, I guess. I mean, if everyone has it, then whats the point? ]


    [ I wouldnt mind. Just for one to have the same name everyone else has ]


    [ Its like those lights in the sky. They all look the same from here, but that doesnt make them any less pretty ]


    [ Eh, I suppose What do you think those stars up there are anyways? ]


    [ My dad said theyre giant burning spheres of gas ]


    Johnny and River continued to chat, until River asked him, [ Have you ever made an Easter Bunny out of stars? ]


    [ Like a constetion? ]


    [ Yes ]


    [ Um, of other things Never tried a rabbit though ]


    [ Do you want to make one? ]


    [ Yeah, well make the bestest constetion ever! Lets see who makes one out first! ]


    [ I see it ]


    [ Er Where? ]


    Johnny was in a daze at her speed, and the camera slowly panned upwards, focusing on the full moon.


    [ In the sky ]


    [ Um, but where in the sky? ]


    [ Think big ]


    [ Eh ]


    [ Bigger than all the others ]


    [ I dont know. Wait a minute Wait a minute!! I SEE IT ]


    [ Tell me what you see ]


    [ There, right?? Therere the two ears and head! ]


    [ What else? ]


    [ And there Therere its two feet! ]


    [ Yes. What else? ]


    [ And And the moon!! The moon is its big round belly! ]


    The scene faded as simple lines gave the stars around the moon a shape, the form of a cute rabbit with a yellow belly.


    At this moment, the previous contents of the game shed in Dong Zhens mind.


    Why did River start making origami rabbits like crazy after Johnny told her about their first meeting?


    Why did River keep asking Johnny what the rabbit with the yellow belly was?


    Why could Johnnys answers never satisfy her?


    Now Dong Zhen sees clearly, now he understands! This was Rivers own way of reminding Johnny.


    Reminding him that their true first meeting was under the stars and moon, so very long ago.


    As Johnny continued talking to River, she confessed that she had always secretly believed that the stars in the sky were lighthouses.


    She believes these lighthouses want tomunicate with others, but have no way of doing so. They can only shine their lights to others from afar.


    So Rivers attachment to the lighthouse named Anya is also exined, as she ns on befriending one of them in the future.


    Then came a scene that moved countless people.


    Johnnys mother was calling for him, so he had to go. But before leaving, he gave his typus doll to River.


    [ Keep it, its yours! ]


    [ Mine? ]


    [ Yeah, I can always get another. I dont like to brag, but Im totally the best at that game! ]


    [ Will you be here next year? ]


    [ Yup. Will you? ]


    [ Yes ]


    [ Same ce. Same time? ]


    [ Yes ]


    [ What if you forget or get lost? ]


    [ Then we can always regroup on the moon, silly! ]


    With Johnnys words, countless yers who were trying this game out could not help but feel their eyes hurt.


    The image of the game before them is suddenly bing blurry. Why is it raining indoors?


    All their questions.


    Here it is finally answered.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Why does Johnny want to go to the moon?


    Because even after his childhood memories were blurred by those beta-blockers.


    Even if he couldnt consciously recall, the memories were still there, he had met River a long time ago.


    The memory of their promise is still carried within him.


    [ What if you forget or get lost? ]


    [ Then we can always regroup on the moon, silly! ]


    In the lonely days since River passed away, this idea had gradually emerged from the depths of his memories.


    He had forgotten everything, including the true first meeting, and the conversation of that time.


    But his mind clings on to one thing, and that is the need to go to the moon, because River is missing, lost from his life, and he needs to go to the moon to find her.


    This also exins why River had been folding those origami rabbits.


    Because Johnnys confession made her realize that he could not remember their first true meeting.


    So she had been obsessively folding those rabbits to remind Johnny of that meeting, in her own way.


    Simrly, River would rather sacrifice her health and life to finish building that house, just to remind Johnny of everything.


    When they first met, River opened her heart to Johnny and revealed her true self. Johnny, too, felt something special about River that he needed in his life.


    All the secrets they held are finallyid bare.


    What Johnny wants is not the moon, but to be by Rivers side.


    She had no good way of expressing herself, but she was willing to spend her remaining lifespan trying to remind him of her, shining on him like a beacon in the night. This is a sort of mentality, a mentality that many others would never understand.


    And as for Johnny, he may have lost his memory of her, but he could never forget the promise that they made when they met by the moon.


    The scene lingered on a young River, holding the typus doll in her arms and gazing at the distant moon.


    In an instant, the eyes of all the yers became wet and blurry.<ul><li>[ Damn this game! I cant see my screen clearly! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ +1 for blurry screen, pls fix the game ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Fuck, my eyes hurt! I must have been watching a screen too long ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ When it started, I thought the game was boring, but now I just want to ask WHYYYYY ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Im ugly crying ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Its not a sin for a big man to cry. Look at the boss, his eyes are red too ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ What does it mean for a macho man to cry? This, this is what it means ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ My heart hurts, I cant take this shit ]</li></ul>


    The game is unique in its use of shback techniques, starting from the excitement of going to the moon, arousing curiosity and inner doubts.


    Little by little,yers of secrets are revealed.


    Combined with the powerful background music, it moved countless yers.


    Some of the more emotional yers couldnt help but cry as the truth was uncovered, it didnt matter if they were male or female. They were all moved by the story of River and Johnny.


    Dong Zhen cursed as he blew his nose into a napkin, his eyes were red and he trembled as he was forcefully restraining himself, needing to cry out but unwilling to lose face in front of such arge audience.


    But the real shocker, was that the game was still going, the ride wasnt over yet.


    It was only after a quick conversation between Neil and Eva that everyone remembered.


    This was still taking ce within Johnnys memories.


    And they still had a written contract to fulfill: To bring Johnny to the moon.


    [ If they ever get lost? Wait, does that mean ]


    [ Dont tell me you didnt see thating ]


    [ And here I thought this was going to be some inspirational childhood dream story I shouldve known that some girl woulde along and turn it into a cheese fest ]


    [ I suppose now we know what we must do to send him to the moon ]


    [ Wait, you arent actually going to do it are you?]


    [ Its our job, Neil Its what we are contracted to do ]


    [ Damn it Eva, WAIT ]


    Without warning, Evas figure disappeared in front of Neil. He gave chase.


    Dong Zhen, who was at the edge of his seat, got a very bad feeling.


    Yo, wait, hold on, whats this doctor trying to do?


    After several hops, Neil tracked Eva down to the memory of high school.


    The background music changed, bing tense and fast-paced. The scenery also changed, bing a sickly yellow, like film grain.


    [ I know what you are nning to do ]


    [ Look, our contract is to send him to the moon And the only way for that to happen, is if Johnny is motivated to do so ]


    [ But if that means removing River, then whats the point?! The reason why he even wanted to go to the moon in the first ce is because she died! ]


    [ I know. But we are legally bound by the contract to specifically ]


    [ Fuck the contract! I didnt take this job to make him miserable, Eva. I dont know about you, but I signed up to help the freakin geezers die happy ]


    The conversation between the two amplified the feeling of dread in Dong Zhens gut. This doctor actually wants to remove River!


    Her reasons are sound and legitimate, there seems to be no uses or explicit requirements for a case as unique as this one.


    However, after spending time enjoying the game and getting to know the characters, the yers are unable to ept such a situation.<ul><li>[ Lady, how can you be so cruel? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Lady, why are you being so rigid? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Im sorry I need to goy down, I cant take this ]</li></ul>


    Dong Zhen couldnt help but pound his table in a rage. He was so moved by the story of River and Johnny, how could he stand such a development!


    The chat was zooming on faster than before, and the viewership numbers were steadily increasing.


    Obviously, no normal person could allow this to happen.


    What the fuck even is that contract?


    Johnny doesnt want to go to the moon, he wants to be with River!


    And now this doctor is threatening to take River away from his memories! How can this be?


    But neither the viewers, the yers, or even doctor Neil could stop what was happening.


    Eva, who has greater authority over the machine and the mission, begins to remove and modify River from every corner of Johnnys memories.


    In the process, she also creates traps and walls to impede Neil from stopping her.


    Next


    back


    index

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    <strong>Meet me on the Moon</strong>


    For the first time, the background music in the game was different. It had lyrics and there was an actual singing voice.


    Everythings Alright.


    That voice and those words, it felt as though it was sung from the bottom of Rivers heart.


    While apanied by the sad melody, Dr Neil and the yers could do nothing, only helplessly watching as River was gradually removed from Johnnys life.


    At the steps of the school, where Johnny thought their first meeting to be.


    The typus and River were both gone, all that remained was the book she had been reading, the book about lighthouses.


    From the door beyond the steps, Joey appeared, alive and well.


    He merrily hopped down the steps to join Johnny and Nichs as they chatted about transforming robots and adventures in space.


    The copy of Rivers favorite book, The Emperors New Clothes, was shown covered in dust.


    At the cinema where Johnny and River had their first movie date, it was instead he and his brother walking in happily.


    Scene after painful scene was shown, while the beats remained the same, the presence of River was reced with the existence of Joey.


    And at the same time, Johnnys ambition of bing an astronaut is constantly hinted at, by losing River and gaining Joey, the trajectory of Johnnys life has changed dramatically.


    The racecourse where Johnny and River rode horses together is empty. The surroundings of the lighthouse named Anya is overgrown with weeds. There is no trace of the wedding, or the rabbit killed nearby.


    Johnny became a studious young man, working hard while continuously sending applications to NASA.


    And eventually, he received a reply and an offer letter.


    His goal was within reach, going to the moon is only a matter of time now.


    What Eva did was technically working. The contract would be fulfilled.


    But the yers and audiences were silent.


    Yes, Johnny would soon be able to go to the moon, just as he stated. Eva and Neil were about toplete their mission.


    But why is there such a sour feeling in the air? Why does the heart feel hollow?


    Is this what Johnny would really want? To reach the moon, but without River? Does it even make sense anymore?


    In the reconstructed memories of Johnny, they have arrived at the space agency.


    Dong Zhen and all the other yers who reached that point were now just mechanically on autopilot. The earlier experience still left them reeling and filled with emotions that were difficult to express.


    Ufortable, might be the right word here. They were very ufortable. They just witnessed an entire life get rearranged.


    But since they were all so invested, they would only continue the wild ride.


    As Eva and Neil explored the space agency, Eva began looking for something.


    [ Its not here ]


    [ Uh, what? ]


    [ Lets just go ]


    The two doctors continued tomunicate as they explored the levels, and Dong Zhen seemed to pick up what the game was hinting at.


    Hang onds!!! Thedy seems to know something we dont! Shes looking for something Or someone!


    While the characters made a stop in a waiting room, Dong Zhen made a bold guess, one that he hoped was true after thinking about Evas actions and words.


    But he didnt have the time to voice his opinions in the stream, as the atmosphere of the game made an abrupt shift.


    The sad background music fell silent, letting the sound of Johnnys heartbeat dominate the scene.


    Then uplifting music began to y.


    A girl with red hair tied in a ponytail strolled into the room.


    [ Ah, and heres our other new recruit. River, right? ] said the unnamed NASA director.


    He left the two to socialize and get to know each other.


    [ Hello, Im John ]


    Johnny introduced himself first, just like before.


    At the same time, the final memory fragment was collected by Eva and Neil.


    [ Whew ] Eva let out a sigh of relief as soon as the scene concluded.


    [ I almost thought she wasn ]


    [ What the fuck, Eva?! But you deleted her! ]


    [ No, I told you, I just moved her. What she does with her life here is still up to her ]


    [ But this new world Its based on public data and Johnnys own beliefs. And since Rivers data as an individual is not recorded in the public domain ]


    [ It alles from Johnny ] Neil finished, aftering to understand her meaning.


    Despite having his entire life changed, despite having never crossed paths with River in this generated world. The memory of River and his promise to her still remained deep within.


    [ What if you forget Or get lost? ]


    [ Then we can always regroup on the moon, silly! ]


    Yes. They will meet on the moon one day.


    The tears Dong Zhen had been holding back for a while started flowing again.


    The music Johnny wrote for River made an appearance again, but the name was no longer For River.


    It has a new, more meaningful name, To the Moon.


    In the hall, River was among the audience, murmuring her liking of the name while watching Johnny y the song.


    Years sped by in the simted memories.


    Johnny and River went through the rigorous astronaut training program together.


    Finally, the rocket is up and running ording to schedule.


    To watch the final events unfold, Neil and Eva invited the nanny and the medical doctor inside the simtion.


    As the sun set, crowds of people gathered on the bridge overlooking the river and the location of the rocket. They were here to witness theunch.


    With a mighty rumble that echoed far and wide, the rocket took off.


    And at the same time, the sound of a heartbeat could be heard.


    A very dull, tired heartbeat.


    The heartbeat of Johnny, who grew weaker and weaker as the seconds drew by.


    He is about to leave this world.


    To the Moon ys again in the background as the rocket continues its journey upwards.


    The simtion begins to falter as Johnnys vital signs begin to fade.


    Inside the rocket, Johnny and River look into each others eyes.


    They held hands, onest time.


    [ Then we can always regroup on the moon, silly! ]


    As the rocket grew closer and closer to the beautiful moon, the screen plunged into darkness.


    Then, memories of Johnnys past sh by like brilliantnterns in the night sky.


    Seeing these memories of Johnny and River brought waves of heavy emotions crashing into the yers and viewers.


    Finally, Dong Zhen could no longerpose himself. He covered his face in one hand and ugly cried into the napkin he grabbed from the side.


    Chat did not let this go, even if they were ugly crying too. <ul><li>[ Hurry up! The macho man is shedding tears for the second time! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ This damn game making me cry! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I cant see the screen, who installed the waterfall in my room? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ What if you get lost? Then well just meet up on the moon, silly! ]</li></ul>


    Along with the games final credits, the final scenes of the game roll by.


    In Dong Zhens stream chat, people started to cool down and regain their bearings.


    At that moment, the people who were submerged in the overwhelming atmosphere and immersion of the story suddenly remembered something


    That this game was a submission for the sci-fi game design contest!


    But everyone was so focused on the story of Johnny and River, that they forgot about this aspect. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Capital City Games Department.


    Unlike the previous world, the various divisions of entertainment industries are not governed under one entity in this parallel universe.


    Instead, each industry has their own governing body acting as liaison between the national government and the industry as a whole.


    The Games Department is, of course, in charge of the gaming industry.


    Domestic agents are assigned within the department to review games from both domestic and overseas developers before they hit the shelves.


    Sometimes there is also a need to review games that are already on sale domestically but are in the process of shipping out to overseas markets.


    And again, unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of the previous world, this parallel world employs a detailed grading system.


    This is mainly due to the higher tech level of the parallel world, allowing for the creation of extreme variances. However, the actual barriers to entry and review parameters are not as vigorous as those of the previous world.


    And its all thanks to the system of having national identity numbers being tied to online ounts. So if youre underaged, dont even think about meeting your new favorite porn stars, you wont be able to find them.


    Unfortunately, this also means games with more erotic aspects will have more hoops to jump through as well .


    Just like Chen Xus first game, Mirror. Which had to be exported and sold domestically as an overseas game. It exists in a gray zone, not exactly supported, but not a target for elimination either.


    Another, much more appreciated service provided by the Games Department, is their proprietary game engine, much like the Unreal Engine of the previous world. Its just that one is amercial product and the other is state-owned and funded, so the level of technology on disy is absolutely night and day.


    At this time, the managers and appointed judges of the Capital City Games Department, who were in charge of this years science fiction game design contest, were in a meeting to discuss the situation.


    Unlike the average yer, these appointed judges are obliged to experience every single submission. Their internal scoring system will be based on abination of a list of fixed criteria and their own personal judgements regarding the contents of the game.


    After all, it would be unrealistic to judge every single submitted game within the timeframe if they had toplete them from start to finish.


    Besides, the burden of this event was rtively lighterpared to previous events due to the new public voting program, where the votes and reviews of normal yers would be taken into ount for the final scoring.


    After all, the main reason these events were held by the Games Department was to better manage the domestic gaming market.


    As for the gaming market itself? It lived and died by the decisions of the yers.


    Even if the Games Department selects a list of games that adhere to their own values, if the yers end up not liking them, how can the market be guided?


    Alright people, good to have you all here today. Lets get straight to the point and start the tally for first ce. Each person present has to present their vote and exin their reasoning. The head judge, who was hosting the meeting, made the announcement. He gestured towards one of the other judges to begin.


    I nominate Gctic Heroes, designed by Meng Zuo, under the banner of Net Dragon. The level design stands out in particr, but the game falls short on plot and bnce issues. the first judge spoke up.


    I nominate To the Moon by Chen Xu of Neb Games. The actual gamey is nothing noteworthy, but the pacing is excellent. The game makes effective use of shback-like sequences.


    I agree. Although this game does not carry the amazing shock value of Undertale, its storyline is still of ster quality.


    Yes, while Gctic Heroes was indeed an impressive piece of work, the budget and assets involved in its creation is something most ordinary designers wont have ess to. While To the Moon is a shining example of what can be done with rtively basic resources. So Im personally more inclined towards it.


    Errm The game is indeed excellent, but I must ask if To the Moon can truly be considered a science fiction game. Because the main focal point seems to be more about love and romance, correct?


    Strictly speaking, I guess youre right. But by those standards, about 40% of the entries we received wouldnt count either.


    Well, I still have my doubts, so Im more optimistic about Gctic Heroes.


    The judges and reviewers were having increasingly heated debates over the game choices. And online, countless yers had already experienced various entries for themselves, and were beginning to form their own opinions.


    In terms of promotion, many of the participating games had received the spotlight, but the one that stood out the most was still Chen Xu.


    After all, the heat generated by Undertale was still lingering, with several pockets of fandoms still actively posting and creating content. Then Zhong Mei, who pretended to be dead for a long time, popped up on the radar again, only to be instantly buried by Chen Xu.


    So in terms of poprity, one could say that Chen Xu somehow had it all figured out.


    This led many yers to give To the Moon a chance.


    And subsequently causing a flood of intense, pyramid scheme-esque posts on numerous forums.<ul><li>[ I urge everybody to y To the Moon Chen Xustest work as an entry to this contest. I was moved to tears! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ My brother upstairs, I am still in tears. Also, didnt Chen Xu make this game in like ten days? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ So what if the game was made in ten days? If it works, it works! And the story was really touching. When you y it, youll understand what it means to make a macho man cry. ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Dude fuck you for bringing it up! I feel like crying again! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Are you guys being serious or is this just some meme Im too old to understand? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Youll know when you y it my dude. The game made me realize that I have a very low tolerance for sadness. ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Alright Ill take your word for it this time. ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ So who are you guys nning to vote for? Ill probably go To the Moon since I literally cant think of any other game right now ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Yep, To the Moon for me too. ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Idk guys, I was very moved, and I know it left the deepest impression in my heart, but I dont really think its a real sci fi game? Does that make sense? Anyone else feel the same way? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ I literally dont care bro Im voting for it. ]</li></ul>


    These yers, who were deeply mired in the emotional turmoil caused by the game, voted for it without regard or hesitation.


    As for it not being strictly a sci fi game?


    Sure, sure. But after that roller coaster of an experience, not many people cared anymore.


    And why should they? If they think the game is great, if the game manages to impress them, then the vote is decided, end of story.


    Whether the game qualifies, thats just semantics in the end.


    ..


    Soon, the three day sales figures for the participating games were revealed on the official tform.


    To the Moon took the lead with 193,000 units sold, followed by Gctic Heroes with 87,000 units sold.


    Now, this is already a highly rming figure, but there are two perfectly reasonable exnations for it.


    Number one, To the Moon is actually released for both PC and mobile, so it would naturally have a much wider yer base.


    Number two, the price of To the Moon is only 15 yuan. Its actually rted to the content and length of the game. After all, it takes only around 4 hours to finish the whole thing, and there is no real incentive to rey the game other than catching little details you missed in the first run.


    But the lower pricing still makes a huge impact on sales count.


    Gctic Heroes costs 65 yuan. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    As time passed, the sales of To the Moon kept increasing.


    And of course, the domestic media outlets that were covering the contest wouldnt miss this chance to spice up their articles.


    Unforgettable love, To the Moon is a game that will make you cry!


    Game review : A game to touch your cold, dead heart!


    The tournament favorite? Can To the Moon truly be considered a science fiction game?


    The game that made countless gruff men cry


    A week into the contest, the difference between the games who had a chance of winning an award and the games that couldnt were clear as day.


    It was understandable, as some games were simply entered for the experience and exposure, they did not cause any trouble.


    And as for the games that actually mattered in the contest, the yers, and those involved in the gaming industry, were aware of them.


    Among them, To the Moon and Gctic Heroes were the only ones to leave asting impression in the minds of the yers and judges.


    In terms of sales and yer reviews, To the Moon stood head and shoulders above thepetition. But the yers verdict wasnt the be-all and end-all.


    And amongst the judges, Gctic Heroes was still quite evenly matched with To the Moon, it had less of an advantage, but not to the point of being absolutely crushed like in the yers verdict.


    Naturally, people were arguing about these two games online. <ul><li>[ The winner <em>has</em> to be Gctic Heroes. Like, I admit that To the Moon was fantastic, but it had <em>ZERO</em> gamey. I dont think its a real sci-fi game. ]</li><li>[ There you have it folks! Gctic Heroes wins because random guy no.3894 from the inte says so! ]</li><li>[ Bro, what even <em>is </em>gamey? Isnt it the entire experience of the game? Isnt the story part of gamey? Isnt the soundtrack part of gamey? Do you actually have to kill shit and solve puzzles for it to be considered gamey? ]</li><li>[ Yeah, I mean, If To the Moon isnt a real sci-fi game, then a huge majority of entries in the contest cant be considered either. So lets ask the Games Department to exclude them all, why not _()_/ ]</li><li>[ Cant hear you, Cant hear you, Sutra chanting bastards. I voted To the Moon ]</li><li>[ Victory must go to Gctic Heroes ]</li><li>[ Yes, Gctic Heroes will most likely win this round ]</li><li>[ Bah, what <em>about </em>Gctic Heroes? The guy who made it is named Meng Zuo. He wants to win? He better keep dreaming! ] </li></ul>


    <em>Meng Zuo = simr to  (ZuoMeng) Dreaming</em><ul><li>[ Lord brother, your analytical skill astounds me ]</li><li>[ Yall sleepin on my boi, the great devil, and his game, ck Beast. Is gonna be a sweep no cap ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Fools. To the Moon and Gctic Heroes might have more votes at the moment, but my guts tell me that Asha Ji from Widowmaker Studio will win in the end ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Get your guts checked bro ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Lmao yea, in what world do you think any other game is beating To the Moon and Gctic Heroes? ]</li></ul>


    Each yer made their preferences known, and the final conclusion had yet to be reached. It was a scenario where the wife is saying that the wife is right, the mother-inw is saying the mother-inw is right, and the public is saying that the public is right.


    But all-in-all, the buzz of activity generated by the event was a fantastic boon to the many gamingmunities.


    At this time, Chen Xu was calm as a sage.


    ..


    Neb Games.


    Chen Xu was in his office, going through the files of various new applicants, and making calls to speak with them.


    Promising candidates for the music and art teams have been found. But as for the role of Level Designer, none of the applicants seemed to catch his eye.


    Chen Xu! Chen Xu! Arent you nervous? Yang Xin asked as she watched him put down his files and spin around in his cozy swivel chair, his brows folded in deep contemtion.


    Yang Xin herself could barely sit still without fidgeting, 4 empty cans of coffee were scattered around her desk.


    Todays the day, right? Theyre going to announce the contest winners. Gosh, I hope we win! Ruan Ningxue was also very excited.


    After all, this is the third game she has worked on. She is no longer a person who knew nothing about the gaming industry.


    As for bing a famous book illustrator and eventual manga queen? Shes forgotten all about that stuff. Its just not as intense, its not the same. Now that shes gotten a taste of this new dimension, she was hooked on the high.


    Besides, they were doing so well right now, so why ruin a good thing?


    Its useless to think about it. Of course Id love to win it all, but we did what we could and its out of our hands now. Chen Xu shook his head and replied.


    By the way, remember to schedule our updates for after the contest concludes. With how things are trending, were either number one or number two, so even if we dont get first ce, there will still be a wave of hype to ride on.


    After the submission of To the Moon, Neb Games was not sitting idly.


    The mobile port of Undertale was alreadyplete, they had simply decided to hold back on the announcement in light of the contest.


    Thepany itself was also undergoing a massive expansion. New people were joining and several departments such as Operations, Finance and Human Resources were all finalizing.


    Then there was the tform development team.


    Thats right, Chen Xu nned to make his own gaming tform.


    At the moment, Neb Games is still considered a small indiepany by industry atrge. From Mirror to Undertale to To the Moon, these were all fantastic titles, but none of them were considered true masterpieces. They were undoubtedly good games, shining beacons of their respective genres, but in the end, they were still small indie games.


    But is that the limit of Chen Xus ambition? No.


    In his eyes, Neb Games will be involved with the wider world, breaking free from the constraints of the domestic market.


    And with the establishment of an independent gaming tform, this can be seen as the building blocks of his foundation.


    In truth, this was not an oundish move, especially in this parallel world. Which is why Chen Xu felt it was a safe option.


    Self-operated tforms were rathermon here.


    Frankly speaking, even if To the Moon wins first ce in this contest, it will only cause a stir in the indie gaming scene. So he didnt need to think too much about raising major hostilities.


    In fact, a lot of 2nd and 3rd tier games have their own followings and ecosystems, hosting their games and products on self-operated tforms.


    By freeing themselves from the need to pay fees for using third-party tforms, they receive a muchrger slice of profits.


    While Chen Xu was finalizing the roadmap of growth for Neb Games, the final moments of the contest came to a close, and an official notice from the Games Department was issued.


    <svg width="32" height="32" viewbox="0 0 32 32" fill="none" xmlns="http://.w3.org/2000/svg"><g>


    </path>


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    1 ps


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 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Three Oclock sharp, the Game Departments website and official social media ounts simultaneously uploaded their announcements regarding thetest developments of the contest.


    To the Moon, First ce, Congrattions


    Gctic Heroes, Second ce, Congrattions


    And so on.


    Chen Xu also received a phone call from the Games Department, offering their congrattions and inviting him to the awards ceremony.


    Soon the homepage of the Games Department was updated with a huge banner, with artwork depicting the victory, as well as a tribute to the game. <blockquote>


    Imagineying there on your deathbed, pondering the joys of your life, and your regrets, especially the regrets.


    You always tell yourself that if you could go back in time you would do this differently, achieve that finally, change this definitely, but something always stops you from fulfilling your dreams: could be family,mitments, work, or friendships.


    And now that you are about to leave this world, there is no time left. What if, upon your deathbed, you could change your memories, and make it so that your dreams really dide true?


    This is just the tip of the iceberg of To the Moon. It is not a big budget title. It does not have exquisite graphics orplex gamey loops. But I must say, that just like Chen Xusst game, Undertale, that To the Moon is a lesson and a reminder to all designers who value narrative and storytelling that the bar can be raised, and raised very, very high.


    To give a full review of this game, it will be difficult to avoid spoilers, so all we can say is that if you are a gamer who cares about the story in a game, this one is a must-y.


    Perhaps this take may change with time, perhaps something better wille along in the future to shake up our perspectives, but at least for now, for what it is and what it seeks to be, this is an absolutely brilliant experience.


    The dialogue is immersive and gut-wrenching, with a touch of humor sprinkled in alongside the witty banter of Dr Neil and Dr Eva, breaking up the often dark storyline.


    The story touches the soul, depicting the twists and turns of Johnny and his wife, River. Sometimes happy, sometimes absolutely soul-crushing, a perfect blend of bittersweet goodness.


    The music is absolutely beautiful, making use of piano melodies and having each track taking center stage during the different thematic moments. Something you would expect from the best feature films.


    To the Moon is about life: the people, ces, hardships and joys that make life worth living.


    The first impressions of the game was a hodgepodge of strange decisions made by the designer, but ended up crystalizing into something truly magnificent.


    There is no doubt that this is one for the books.


    <cite> Head Judge of the official Science Fiction Game Design Competition</cite></blockquote>


    It can be said that this article of appreciation issued by the Games Department to the game To the Moon implies a very high rating and fully confirmed its status.


    Inside the office of Neb Games.


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were running around the different departments, cheering and celebrating with any poor (lucky) soul they could get their paws on.


    That, of course, included Chen Xu.


    Chen Xu! Chen Xu! Look! To the Moon has been rmended by the national game tform! The officials! The Bigwigs! Yang Xin was excitedly jamming her phone into Chen Xus face so he could see.


    This was the official gaming tform! Used by a vast majority of the domestic yerbase, essentially thergest and most active digital storefront for gaming in the country.


    And now it had ced their little game front and center, promoting it towards that huge market.


    This was something she had never once dared to hope for, yet here it was, happening before her very eyes.


    As someone who had always dreamt of making it big in the gaming industry, it was difficult to put into words how much this meant to her.


    She was literally shaking, her normally white face was now a shade of red from the strong emotions.


    Beside her, Ruan Ningxue wasnt faring much better. In fact, she might be hyperventting a little bit, but it could just be the excitement so Chen Xu decided to observe for now.


    A whirlwind of energy surrounded the offices of Neb Games, the air was alive with the sounds ofughter and enthusiastic debates.


    The new employees who recently joined thepany were brimming with excitement too, thepany was in an upward trend and the future looked bright. Perhaps one day it will be their works that receive such widespread fanfare.


    Theres going to be an award ceremony too! Are you going to attend? Yang Xin asked Chen Xu, finally remembering further details about the contest.


    Yes, the head of the Games Department contacted me about this earlier.


    Ooo. Will it be on TV? Ruan Ningxue wondered.


    Dont overthink it. Its not going to be some massive red carpet event. I just have to show my face at their building and grab whatever they give me. Could be a certificate, could be an actual trophy. Chen Xu shook his head.


    AwI guess that makes sense. Ruan Ningxue calmed down a little.


    Alright, gather round, lets discuss something more important. After the awards well be having a national day vacation, and after that, were going to be taking a big step forward.


    With that, the office fell silent as people filed in, eager to hear what their promising young leader had in store for them.


    Seeing as he had their attention, Chen Xu began, First, our tform. It has to be up and running before the end of October. Any non-coreponents that are time-consuming orbor-intensive can be outsourced.


    Chen Xu began counting off his fingers.


    Mirror, Undertale, To the Moon, these were all small games. They didnt cost much to make at all. But in terms of sales? In terms of branding? They were absolutely sessful.


    He looked up, eyes scanning the faces of his expanded team.


    However, the earnings weve collected from these three are still not enough to fund the creation of a true triple A title. But thats okay, becauserger and more challenging games are still within reach.


    At those words, the faces of those gathered grew tense, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. It was as if they were on the precipice of some life-changing event.


    And it was no wonder, too. Because most people in the gaming industry have the longing to at least try their hand at arge project, something with the potential to cause great impact on thendscape.


    For those with passion, it would be an important personal goal. For those who are career focused, it would look amazing on their resume.


    Chen Xu did not share more on the details of his next nned project, instead telling his team to focus on the tasks at hand for now. They would be given the details as soon as the time was right.


    After that, he returned to his office, leaning back into his chair as he began browsing the interface of his status screen.


    He couldnt hold back a smile as he admired the points earned from To the Moon, it was a significant amount.


    His current emo points were at 4.5 million, allowing him to draw 45 times from the magic gacha, if he wanted to.


    And boy did he want to. But not yet though, he would be patient and stock up a little longer.


    He has not decided on his next project, and even if he did, development could only begin after the national day vacation.


    With the hype surrounding the contest, and the official website promoting his game, he knows that many yers will soon flock in to make their purchase.


    And in Chen Xus eyes, those yers were walking sacks of money and emo points, ready to be harvested.


    From a metaphysical point of view, if you draw ten times ten in a row, youre more likely to get the good shit. Allegedly.


    So hopefully things will turn out better than before, where 21 draws didnt even grant him a single rare skill book.


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    </ul>

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    The awards ceremony for the Game Department Science Fiction contest will be held at the Game Department HQ in Shanghai.


    More specifically, the conference hall of the main building, which happens to be in the Capital City.


    Although it was called a ceremony, it sure didnt actually feel like one.


    It was held on National Day, but the building was still bustling with people, Chen Xu couldnt tell if they were actual staff or contractors.


    There was none of the grandeur one would expect from a film or television award ceremony, no beautiful backdrops were constructed, and a lot of the staff were using their phones to take pictures and samples.


    And at the entrance of the building, journalists from gaming media outlets were camped out with signs and cameras, reporting on the event but not yeting forward for interviews.


    This was because the event had yet to begin, and the gaming press was only allowed inside after the event was already underway.


    The whole affair was simple and direct, with no frills attached. And Chen Xu, who was attending such an event for the first time, found it all very novel.


    He arrived on site at 1:30am, half an hour before it began. A staff member came to greet him and guided him into arge conference room, decorated in reds, browns and whites.


    There was a long horizontal table with chairs arranged on both sides. A podium with the national emblem was connected to the table, and twoicallyrge national gs were hung in its nks. Chen Xu held back a wry smile, since when did this be an international event?


    He swept his gaze across the seats, many were already upied. There were little stic signs with the names andpanies of various game designers put in front of each seat.


    Soon, Chen Xu found his designated seat and made himselffortable. He turned to greet the person sitting next to him out of an ingrained sense of politeness.


    Are you Chen Xu? To the Moon was an amazing experience. It really deserves the top spot. Meng Zuo shook Chen Xus hand, he had a smile on his face but his heart was veryplicated.


    Was he reluctant to offer his praise?


    Yes.


    But it couldnt be helped. In his heart was not hatred, but a mix of envy and admiration. After all, he too had yed the game, and he too was deeply moved.


    Senior Meng? Charmed to make your acquaintance. I also enjoyed Gctic Heroes very much, especially the level design in Chapter 3, it was quite outstanding.


    Chen Xu gavepliments after ncing at the namete from the corner of his eye, hoping not to get the other partys name wrong. He extended his right hand with a smile.


    Bah, its nothingpared to the storytelling in To the Moon, not to mention your Undertale. I think that one was even more amazing. Meng Zuo shook Chen Xus hand and began to speak subconsciously. But wait


    Why was this scenario so familiar to him?


    It seemed to be exactly the scene he had imagined a month ago!


    But there seems to be something wrong regarding the protagonist and the supporting cast


    Meng Zuo let go and fell into silent contemtion.


    Chen Xu took this as a sign of an introverts social battery requiring to cool down, and he felt Meng Zuo was a kindred soul. He too, quieted down infortable silence, happy to meet someone he could get along with.


    Chen Xu did not realize that he had identally caused significant psychic damage to a young designers mind.


    Some other designers noticed the small chat and came over to speak to Chen Xu, and it was surprising to him, because many were already well-known and very enthusiastic.


    After a while, Chen Xu figured it out.


    These people, even though they didnt know him personally, they all had one thing inmon. That is, they had all been ripped apart by Zhong Mei in the past.


    Among them, many either missed the chance for a good rebuttal or had no good public response to give.


    None of them had witnessed such a glorious frontal assault like Chen Xu before. They felt like a damsel watching a heroic knight trample over a hated cretin. It was a cathartic experience.


    Although some feelings of envy towards such a sessful young designer was inevitable, there was no point in holding grudges now that the winner was clearly decided.


    Besides, connections were always important, having one more friend is like one more new path being opened for the future.


    Chen Xus phone was now filled with the contacts of a bunch of game designers, and he was also added into several smallmunication groups and chat rooms.


    Soon, one of the heads of the Games Department made his appearance in the conference room.


    Chen Xu recognized his face, he recognized the faces of all the heads. There would be opportunities to make deals with them in the future, and he wanted to be prepared.


    The award ceremony officially began. Yang Chen, the current director of the Games Department, took to the podium to give his speech. He was a middle-aged man in his fifties. Tall, thin, and sporting a pair of gold-rimmed sses. The very picture of a traditional intellectual.


    The content of the speech was also, suitably traditional and formal.


    Even after the speech was over, and the award ceremonymenced, Yang Chen continued speaking in his solemn tone, not showing the slightest hint of excitement.


    Despite that, the atmosphere in the room was good. The designers were having fun in spite of the somber host. Or maybe the whole thing was made funnier because of his presence.


    Amidst the apuse, Chen Xu walked forward with a smile.


    He was handed his prizes; Arge certificate ced in an embroidered holder, an elegantmemorative medal, and a customized red notebook with the printed logos of the Games Department and his own Neb Gamespany.


    The next step was to give a speech of his own, addressing the crowd and expressing gratitude for the victory. Chen Xu had alreadye prepared by copying the eptance speech fromst years contest winner and making modifications as needed.


    Whether he would get any bacsh from thister, he genuinely didnt care. It was just a minor matter.


    Thank you to all the leaders for taking their time to organize this event. I am honored to achieve first ce in thispetition. I am humbled to be standing here at this moment


    After Chen Xus speech, the audience burst into apuse, but Meng Zuo, who was positioned near Chen Xu again, had a strange expression on his face.


    Why was this eptance speech so simr to the one he wrotest year?


    When all the winners finished their speeches on the stage, and thest photoshoots were done, the event grew to a close.


    As the game designers were leaving the facility, the reporters waiting outside finally made their move, moving forward and surrounding them one by one.


    Of course, the main targets were Chen Xu and Meng Zuo, as they were the names being brought up the most in the heated discussions leading up to the event.


    [ Mr Chen, what are your thoughts on winning first ce in this yearspetition ? ]


    [ Mr Chen, do you have any announcements regarding new projects at this time? ]


    [ Mr Chen, will yourpany continue to focus on games like To the Moon in the future? ]


    The group of reporters came up to him with various questions.


    But they were simple, reserved questions. After all, this was not an exclusive interview. If Chen Xu answers, everyone here will be able to publish it, all that mattered was speed.


    I have to say, it was a very unexpected and pleasant surprise. Didnt think the leaders would be so optimistic about To the Moon. At the same time, I feel some pressure. It would be embarrassing to release something of lesser quality than your previous work, after all. I will work hard to do more in the future, and continue contributing to the gaming industry


    Listening to his obviously prepared answer, the surrounding media were somewhat depressed.


    Youre supposed to be a hot-blooded, young designer right? You responded so magnificently when Zhong Mei provoked you, why are you giving us such a boring response now?


    Thats some.


    But Chen Xus next words soon made them even more depressed.


    As for my next project, I have no idea. I cant say if it will be a heartwarming game, but I do personally prefer to make those types. After all, Ive always considered myself to be a warrior of love. So lets do it!<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    20 minutes after the interviews.


    Chen Xu had yet to reach his office due to traffic.


    Reports and articles from major gaming news outlets had already appeared.


    Revealing, Neb Games next game is likely to be


    Chen Xu : Im a Warrior of Love


    No ns for a new game yet, but ording to Chen Xus words, Neb Games next project is likely a heartwarming love story!


    The rising indie darling : The Warrior of Love  Chen Xu!


    The interest generated by the science fiction contest has yet to pass, and To the Moon is still being rmended on the official tform.


    Thisbined with the wave of new articles released have brought the name of Chen Xu into the awareness of many new people.


    The followers of his official social media has reached over 800,000. And with the current momentum, it is only a matter of time before it breaks the 1 million mark.


    At the same time, in his public designer profile, To the Moon was added under the Masterpiece tab, and a small title was added to his introduction excerpt. Warrior of Love


    Many yers were also discussing the articles in their forums. <ul><li>[ Warrior of love? The hell is that? ]</li><li>[ I mean if you think about it, Chen Xu really does seem to like heartwarming elements. Disregarding Mirror and the horrific parts of Undertale ]</li><li>[ The pacifist ending of Undertale was full of love. To the Moon was full of love, I think he might be onto something ]</li><li>[ Yea, if you put it that way, I guess so ]</li><li>[ This makes me even more curious about his next project ]</li><li>[ Should be another heartwarming adventure, Im actually looking forward to it ]</li><li>[ Yep yep, warrior of love ]</li></ul>


    ..


    Meanwhile, Chen Xu couldnt care less about the happenings on the inte.


    He had just arrived in his office and was itching to spend those delicious banked up emo points.


    Golden rays of light bombarded his vision constantly. The special effects were pretty great, it all looked so solid and real.


    50 draws in a row.


    The spoils of war:


    37 ordinary skill books covering storyline, music and level design.


    4 rare skill books, covering architecture, psychology and music, again.


    And 9 memory capsules.


    There were enough points for 1st draw, Chen Xu didnt overthink and just spent it.


    The golden light was surprising, and looked like he would receive something noteworthy.


    It wasnt a skill book, but an item, simr to the memory capsules.


    [ Fear Converter ] (120 days)


    Effect : x10 point multiplier to yer fear emotion (6 million points collected limit)


    A consumable item that boosts points earned with strict limits. It seemed like a mid game item that helped with scaling.


    Something else that bothered him about the items description. It didnt specify if the points cap was before or after the multiplier effect.


    Ultimately, it didnt matter too much. Points were points and 6 million was a huge amount either way.


    But this time limit


    It was concerning. He could see the seconds ticking down even while the item was in his inventory. He had to make use of it soon, or risk wasting a rare consumable.


    So just like that, the genre of his next project was decided for him. It would have to be a horror game, or something adjacent. He couldnt stand to let this item go to waste.


    But what title specifically? He was still mulling over it.


    It definitely wasnt going to be a small project like before. No no no It had to be bigger, at least moving from 2D to 3D.


    But at the same time, the scope cannot be toorge.


    Even if game development is simplified in this world, there are still limits. What you can and cannot do will be restricted by the resources avable to your designer ranking.


    And like building blocks, while everyone on the same level would have ess to the same pieces, the type of structures you can build would be limited by your personal skill level.


    There are many pieces of these building blocks to consider. Take Action games and FPS games for example.


    In these types of games, the most important thing is the sense of impact.


    And how would you create a sense of impact?


    Through Building Blocks like Sound effects, Controller Feedback, Special Effects, Vibration of the UI Interface, Physics, etc.


    With the most fundamental one being Freezing Frames.


    Chen Xu is not nning to make something incrediblyplicated for his next work.


    He began writing down his ns as he mumbled to himself,  A horror game with some action elements


    An idea of what he wanted was sprouting in his head, but Chen Xu did not immediately act upon it. Instead, he first when sleuthing around the inte, scouting out the currentndscape of horror games in this parallel world.


    There were no especially noteworthy titlespared to his previous world. But the situation was very different.


    There were norge-scale productions of horror games or films in this world. Nothing with big investments or big production values. Everything regarding this genre was small and indie.


    But the market share was still rather sizable. With some horror games selling up to almost 10 million copies.


    Of course, that example is an older title. Its been on sale for a few years and even has multiple holiday discounts.


    All in all, horror is actually a rather niche genre in gaming.


    Unless the developer has a special love for horror in general, no one is going out of their way to develop horror games for thetest VR tforms.


    There hasnt been a horror game created in this world that is suited to VR. And the cost of developing VR games is always very high.


    The risk is simply too great to bear.


    And as for horror games on the PC tform, there have only been 2 types of ventures. The budget approach, like Undertale and To the Moon, or something a bit bigger like AA games.


    After having a deeper understanding of the market and other rted trends in the horror game genre, Chen Xu quickly made his decision.


    With the capital gained from Mirror, Undertale, and To the Moon, Neb Games currently has the funding for a AA production, something medium sized.


    And the market share, though rtively niche, still upied an important space,parable to ssic genres like RPGs and FPSs.


    If made well, it will be able to generate hype and sell well. But now, the question is what to make.


    When ites to horror games, Chen Xu actually has a lot of options.


    The Resident Evil series, the Silent Hill series, Dead Space, and so on


    But after careful consideration, Chen Xu decided upon Oust as his next project. Mainly because it was more suitable for his current situation.


    In terms of length, Oust only takes around 5 hours toplete. And if you speedrun it, you can be done in less than an hour.


    And another very important point, whenpared to many other famous horror titles, is that in this game you are unable to directly defend yourself. You y as a reporter, not abatant with a weapon.


    This is good, because the development team at Neb Games is still new and untested, removingbat as a feature would ease the burden and allow the team to ease into their roles.


    To Chen Xu, this game was not just an opportunity to make use of his time-limited consumable, but would also serve as the perfect team-building exercise. Giving the fledglingpany a chance to test out game engines in a more in-depth fashion.


    Experience on action and shooting can be honed using the enemies in the game, while the protagonist, who will be controlled by the yer, will be used to sharpen their skills with traversal and environmental interactions.


    In almost all aspects, Oust is a game that can realistically be recreated and improved ording to Chen Xus expectations, and with the current resources and skill levels avable.


    He is confident in the quality of the game he could produce, but the only things that bothered him were the potential reviews.


    Though not particrly egregious, Oust was still a rtively graphic game, with scenes of blood and gore.


    While the rating system in this parallel world is well-rounded, whether the game will even be allowed to pass will still depend on the decision of the Games Department. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    On the 8th of October, just after the National Day vacation, the core members of the development team, including Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, were called into Chen Xus office.


    Morning everyone, I trust you had a restful holiday. If you recall, I mentioned we will be busy when we get back, so Im going toy out the ns for our next project.


    It will have action elements. Qin Yi, please make arrangements with the motion capture studio in our contacts list as soon as possible. Were going to take the chance to establish a library of rig motions.


    Chen Xu gave instructions to a young man in his twenties who looked to be developing a bald spot, how unfortunate.


    Noted, Mr Chen. Qin Yi nodded.


    The concept and usage of motion capture is simr to that of his previous life, it was not considered a high-end expenditure.


    It is simply a convenient method to save time and moneypared to animating manually. The movements wille out more naturally as well.


    And here, with the saturated establishment of motion capture studios, the problem of high initial investment is eliminated.


    Chen Xu ns to form good rtions with a mature studio. After all, such materials will likely be used frequently in his future projects.


    Alright, have a look at whats in store this time.


    Chen Xu had his workstation connected to the projector, and with a tap of a button, the draft design concepts of Oust, was disyed on the wall.


    This was something he had been working on with the aid of a memory capsule for the past few days.


    Its a horror game? Yang Xin looked at Chen Xu in surprise.


    The people gathered in the room sat in stunned silence, unsure of how to respond. This kind of game was definitely not something they expected.


    They came in expecting story-focused, plot driven experiences like To the Moon and Undertale, games that were fundamentally RPGs.


    But to venture into the horror genre, and it wasnt even in an RPG style Its really unexpected.


    And theres a very important point: didnt you say earlier, Mr Chen, that youre a warrior of love?


    What has that got to do with horror games!?


    Looking at the expressions on everyones faces, Chen Xu could more or less guess what they were thinking.


    Because this kind of game is really difficult to make.


    You could say that horror games are a type of game that really puts your production capabilities to the test.


    If a horror game cant make the yer feel scared, itll be downgraded to a funny game instead.


    Plus, the market for horror games is perpetually overlooked byrgepanies, with only small and medium sizedpanies bothering to produce anything.


    With the difference in funding, most designers who try their hand at the horror genre will make liberal use of the mostmon, cheap technique in horror media, the Jump Scare.


    Put simply, a Jump Scare is when an image or scene changes abruptly and without warning, often apanied by loud noises.


    For example, when you are trying to take a picture of a tall girl, and when youre about to press the button, she turns into a monster and gets in your face, thats a standard jump scare.


    Although many consider it clich, it cannot be denied that it is a ssic and effective technique to bring fear to the yers.


    But jump scares are also a double-edged sword, when used well, its a satisfying experience that will be remembered fondly.


    Used poorly, its trash.


    Excellent horror games often make use of jump scares, but this gives the wrong impression to less experienced designers, so they tend to make games filled purely with jump scares and wonder why the ratings are low.


    A genuinely good horror game wants to keep yers in prolonged states of oppression with short lulls in between.


    Because the most stressful part of a horror game is not the scare itself, but the anticipation and uncertainty about <em>when</em> the scare will happen.


    Having jump scares is fine for a horror game, but its bad when overused. The core of horror is to have the audience scare themselves with their imagination, which is the most difficult aspect.


    Inside his office, Chen Xu was busy exining these concepts to everyone and emphasizing key points to pay attention to in Oust.


    To be honest, for personal reasons, the development time for this project will be tight. Otherwise, I would have liked to take everyone on a field trip to soak in realistic atmospheres. Like abandoned hospitals, schools or viges to gain a deeper understanding. Chen Xu said with a remorseful look on his face.


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. While Qin Yi and the others all lowered their heads or looked away.


    Its alright, I can feel how disheartened you are by the loss of this opportunity. But no worries, when we develop more horror games in the future, Ill definitely take every one of you there, Chen Xu said with a smile.


    The silence continued.


    Who would regret such a thing!?


    Also, Zhang Yida, regarding the marketing of the new game, we need to pay special attention to video sharing and live streaming tforms. Youll need toe up with a good proposition for that, and get me a list of suitable influencers.


    Chen Xu turned to regard the young man, who nodded and gave a curt reply, Understood.


    With their current avable funding, Neb Games had no reason to skimp on marketing.


    Moreover, horror games have inherently good synergy with live streaming. So leveraging streaming and video tforms will quickly spread hype and awareness, and if the game turns out to be worthwhile, word-of-mouth will quickly outpace any paid marketing campaigns.


    Theres also a difference between ying a horror game and watching someone else do it.


    After all, many yers dont have the courage to y a horror game by themselves, but enjoy watching other people y it to see their reactions, living vicariously while being carried.


    Some may even grow bolder after watching, and decide to try it out themselves. But they might still stop progressing after a particrly stressful scare.


    While this might be a problem for some types of games, it is not so for a horror game. Instead, this will likely contribute to growing the poprity and prestige of the game.


    In his past life, the Oust series managed to achieve sales of over 15 million copies,rgely thanks to the rise in poprity of the video content and live streaming industry.


    Chen Xu continued his exnations. Narrowing down the core concepts of Oust to his awaiting team.


    First, the outline. yers take on the role of a nonbatant thrust into a threatening environment. And just like the name of the title, the only way to move forward is to Oust the situation.


    Second, the key feature, the camera. Unlike most other horror games in the market with their nuclear-powered shlights that never run out of power, the yer will be dependent on the night-vision mode of their equipped video camera for navigation.


    The camera will use up battery power and the yer will have to go out of their way to find more, so this bes another driving point in the game.


    Third, the plot and pacing. Chen Xu spent extra time going through this part, because the feel of the game would greatly hinge on this.


    and Ruan Ningxue, regarding the video camera and atmosphere of the scenes, youll need to pay special attention to this part. The yers have to be as immersed as possible.


    When you get back home, wait until around 3am and turn off all the lights at home, I want you to really experience it and bring it to life.


    This is the type of video camera the in-game version will be based on. Please take this home and experience it in the dark as well. We have to get this right.


    While speaking, Chen Xu reached under his desk to retrieve a handheld video camera and ced it in front of Ruan Ningxue.


    Ruan Ningxue: ??????


    Staring at the camera in front of her, it felt more and more difficult to maintain her smile.


    Boss, please have some humanity. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    An agreement was drawn up between Neb Games and the motion capture studio to produce an extensive library of material.


    And Chen Xu led the charge in the development of Oust.


    It wasnt cheap to make a game like this, but it wasnt as expensive as one might think either.


    After running through everything, the finance department drew up a budget report. The total cost of this game, including the creation and subsequent marketing expenses, is estimated to be around 6 million RMB.


    There might be additional fees to consider, but the upper limit will not exceed 8 million RMB.


    For a game in the horror genre, this is a pretty hefty figure. Not a lot ofpanies would be willing to invest so much in something like this.


    Needless to say, the team at Neb was very excited.


    This was, after all, their first major project. And if it took off like Chen Xus previous titles, they would essentially be making a breakthrough in the horror gaming genre.


    .


    The days passed quickly.


    Artwork, animations and various other parts of the game were produced quickly and efficiently under the guidance of Chen Xu and the team leaders.


    The script for dialogue was alsopleted, with voice-overs being booked forter.


    At the current stage of development, the team was busy giving the yable character a trial run, working out the kinks in the movements and actions.


    Man Im actually kinda creeped out already. Can you imagine how terrifying the final product will be?


    In her new office, Ruan Ningxue was giving the design concepts another once over with the other team leads.


    These were environmental designs of the setting. So they included the dpidated hospital building, the blood and corpses strewn about the area, the escaped crazies hiding under beds and in dark corners.


    There was also a second set of the same scenes, but made from the perspective of video camera footage. And a third set for the cameras night vision mode.


    These images, rendered with the technology of the parallel world, were doing a fantastic job of showcasing the eerie atmosphere of Oust, just looking at them was enough to send shivers down the spine.


    As the development phase continued, Ruan Ningxue was gradually growing more haggard, her eyes were slowly growing more bloodshot as the days passed, and dark rings began appearing beneath her eyelids.


    Why?


    Because she was too scared to sleep!


    She actually did as Chen Xu instructed, and tried using the night vision video camera at 3am. Her house became an eerie ce with a creepy atmosphere she just couldnt shake off. And it made her extremely ufortable.


    After all, scaring yourself with your own imagination is the greatest of all scares.


    However, it turned out to be a curse and a blessing. Because now that she had tasted this fear personally, she was able to fully realize Chen Xus vision and bring the atmosphere he desired to life.


    Yeah! And theres no way to fight back in the game too, they can only run away and hide Yang Xin, who made herself at home in Ningxues office to steal her snacks, let out a sigh as well.


    Chen Xu had a satisfied smile on his face, Isnt that more exciting? If you have a gun, it will be something more akin to an FPS. The fear hits harder due to being unable to defend yourself.


    In this parallel world, almost every horror game includes some sort of melee weapon or firearm. But why is that so?


    Two reasons mainly. Having abat system can add more depth to a game depending on the gear customization and ammo scarcity. And it can also be considered an emotional outlet for the tension being built up.


    This approach isnt bad. In fact, the Resident Evil series makes good use of this form.


    However, the main w is that once the yer umtes a significant amount of firepower, a horror game will then turn into an FPS.


    After all, the feeling of horror arises from being unable to defend yourself against whatever ising for you. But with enough firepower, fear will be suppressed.


    Resident Evil also gradually deviated from its original vision and went down this path, bing more of an action game with horror elements.


    Starting from the 4th installment in particr, it began leaning towards the action shooting style until the remake reigned it back to have a bnce between horror and action. The series also saw a resurgence into its horror roots with the 7th and 8th installments.


    But of course, for a lot of yers, the highlights of the recent games are Lady Dimitrescu and her three daughters. For obvious reasons.


    By the way, Mr Chen, when should the pre-release marketing for Oust begin? Our socials are getting flooded by yers asking for news and updates. Yang Xin asked.


    Due to the influx of new people in the office, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue had taken to using more formalnguage when speaking with Chen Xu about work rted matters. It was important forpany image but how long that wouldst is up to fate.


    Yes, development on the game is progressing quickly. I wouldnt be surprised if we finished by December, Ruan Ningxue said absentmindedly, her nk gaze still transfixed on the disturbing works of art on her monitor.


    Oust was not a veryrge-scale project, and most of the effort was concentrated on producing the various animations and art assets.


    And in terms of gamey, its fast-paced and progression is made rapidly, barely containing any time consuming content.


    There were also very few numbers to crunch as it was not aplex RPG, so development had been smooth sailing from the very start.


    Chen Xu smiled and replied,


    No need to rush, and no need for excess spending. Have it begin around mid-tote November.


    Ive also gathered up quite a following on my personal socials at this point, might as well make use of it.


    Besides, you two seem to be forgetting something. Dont you remember what day tomorrow is?


    Huh? Whats the date?


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue stared nkly at Chen Xu before scanning the bottom corner of the monitor.


    October 30th?!


    Thats right, its Halloween! Ive been preparing for this day, and got some promotional material ready to go.


    After all, our dear yers have been eagerly awaiting something, I think its pretty fitting and realistic if we announce the new release on Halloween, right?


    Chen Xus smile seemed to grow eerie and malicious in the eyes of the two girls. He ignored their expressions and pulled up a video on his screen.


    It was a short video, only 10 seconds long.


    The screen was pitch ck at first, then suddenly the sound of electronics booting up was heard. An image appeared, but it wasnt normal.


    Its the POV of a night-vision video camera, with a battery indicator on the top right corner and a red blinking dot on the top left corner, implying that the footage was being recorded.


    The girls recognized the background image being used, it was Chen Xus office.


    But it was a mess. His chair was knocked over and there were numerous files scattered on the desk.


    The video waspletely silent.


    The atmosphere of the video was incredibly unsettling.


    In the final second of the footage, the screen shook, as if the person holding the camera was being attacked and was struggling fiercely.


    But still, there was not a single sound, the unsettling atmosphere was now suffocating, and then the video ended abruptly, plunging the screen back into darkness.


    There was silence in the office as Chen Xu turned around with an expectant smile, his eyes sparkling with mirth. He knew damn well that the level of horror in this world wasnt very high, and the Oust project was leagues above in terms of quality and fear factor. Even this little video oozed an atmosphere that put the majority of horror movies to shame.


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue stared back at him for a long time without speaking.


    Mr Chen, I think being realistic and sending people straight to hell are two very different things. Ruan Ningxue was unable to hold it in any longer and let it out.


    Obviously, this video tantly informs the public that their next release was going to be a horror game.


    But the main point is, what is this terrifying thing? Was this really fitting and realistic?


    Im afraid some very unfortunate people are getting sent straight to hell this Halloween.


    Ruan Ningxue mumbled a silent prayer for those unfortunate souls, for she knew what awaited them.


    She looked back at her boss, who was giddy with excitement. Toe alone into the office in the middle of the night and shoot a night-vision video, he was clearly enjoying this way too much.


    Yang Xin couldnt help but toss onest life buoy towards Chen Xu before he sank further into the swamp of depravity. Mr Chen, didnt you publicly say you were a warrior of love? Oust has nothing to do with love, why dont we have a more upbeat announcement?


    Of course its rted to love! Havent you done your research on the genre? For the longest time, horror enthusiasts have been saying that there were simply no good horror games. Why do you think Im developing Oust? Its to express my love for these poor, forgotten souls! I AM a warrior of love!


    And upbeat? Dont you think this video fits perfectly with the game? Because its so different from normal marketing trailers, this will gain even more traction, I guarantee it! We have to be prepared to ride the wave of hype this creates! Chen Xu exined with an earnest expression that blinded his twopatriots. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    In the early hours of October 31st, followers of Chen Xu received a notification that there was a new upload.


    The post contained a short video clip and a message : Wanna guess what the new game is?


    Even though it was posted on such an ungodly hour, there were still arge number of night owls who followed Chen Xus socials.


    So it didnt take long for the likes,ments and reblogs toe flooding in. <ul><li>[ Whoa, whats happening? Look what I found! Does Chen Xu have a new game for us? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ What time is it? What gamingpany posts promos at this hour??? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Chen Xu: Ill post whenever I feel like it. *Gigachad png* ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Yo, whats this video about? Is it a horror game? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Ive never felt more ufortable watching a video camera recording lol ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Is this real? Is Chen Xu making a horror game? ]


    </li></ul><ul><li>[ Shame, Im not into horror, but the timing is so perfect ] </li></ul><ul><li>[ Is this an actual live recording or is this part of the game? Is it video camera rted? ]</li></ul>


    Many were left puzzled. After all, Chen Xus intentions were obvious. This intensely eerie video posted at this timing indicates that his uing project would be horror rted.


    But what caused more discussion was the timing of this message.


    The very next day, Chen Xus post kicked up quite a stir among the gaming media outlets.


    After all, he had gained some measure of fame in the recentpetition with his hit piece, To the Moon, making him good clickbait material for their articles.


    And also, November was fast approaching. There would be little to no major releases worth mentioning during this time period because everyone would be waiting for the holiday season of December.


    Meanwhile, the most heated discussions were conducted by the nichemunity of horror enthusiasts, sequestered away in their hidden ces and dusty forums.


    After all, even horror games have subgenres. <ul><li>[ Alright, so heres what we know. Theres a video recorder and it seems to be shot in a modern office. Looks like a contemporary setting ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ The person seems to be trying to film something with the camera, but the entire video is silent. And look at how messed up the room is, Im specting ghosts. Like, maybe we can only see ghosts with the camera? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Prime jumpscare material, I can see it already. You walk through dark corridors and rooms with the video cam, then BOOM! A ghostly face appears in the camera footage, pulling the cameraman into the darkness ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Damn, I think youre all overthinking it. Theres literally nothing in the video, stop throwing out random nonsense in broad daylight, youre scaring me ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ It is a fantastically eerie setting, I stumbled upon the posttest night, and even if it didnt reveal much, I kept feeling like there was something under my bed, kept me away for half the night ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Lmao heres a link for adult diapers, you big baby  ] </li></ul>


    Discussions such as these were happening fervently in popr gaming forums and boards, but it was mostly wild analysis and ideas being thrown around. After all, Chen Xus video only hinted at the genre of game he was cooking up, without offering up many other details.


    And It wasnt just the yers who were buzzing with curiosity either, there were many among the gaming media and game designers who were trying to get a feel for what was toe. <ul><li>[ Have you heard? Chen Xus uing project is actually a horror game! ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Thats unexpected, really didnt think he would choose to go down the horror route ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ But its not a bad choice, for smaller teams and indies, horror games have always been a very good entry point ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Smaller teams? Chen Xus team isnt exactly small. Havent you heard they were recruiting a lot of people recently? I bet theyve expanded quite a bit ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Now <em>thats</em> something I expected. Undertale and To the Moon both sold very well ]


    </li></ul><ul><li>[ But horror games are so niche tho And not just here in China, there arent really any noteworthy horror titles abroad either ] </li></ul><ul><li>[ VR tech should pair really well with horror games, but it so gosh darn expensive, I wouldnt go for it, too risky ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ What if its a bait and switch? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ ? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Look, Chen Xus a good storyteller. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. So what if this horror game is just a front for a heartwarming storyline experience? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ Huh, if you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. He told everyone hes a warrior of love right? ]</li></ul><ul><li>[ You might be onto something dude ]</li></ul>


    While members of the game designermunity were having logical, level-headed conversations about Chen Xu, things were a bit more chaotic on the media side.


    CREEPY VIDEO RELEASED AT MIDNIGHT!! WHAT IS CHEN XUS MASTER PLAN??!!


    FROM HEARTWARMING TO HORROR? DESIGNER CHEN XUS NEXT MOVE


    CHEN XU ABANDONS HIS LOYAL FANS! PURSUES NEW FIELD! CONFIDENT OR BLIND?


    ..


    Soon various articles flooded gaming news websites and forums. Mostrger outlets tended to favor a more neutral approach, trying to maintain amicable rtions with the designers featured in their articles.


    But the same couldnt be said for the smaller marketing ounts and lower tiered outlets, where creating a buzz was the business.


    This was mainly due to the specific genre chosen by Chen Xu.


    After all, it has been several years since the gaming industry was introduced to an excellent horror game. And even back then, its quality was still rather poor whenpared to excellent games of the more popr genres like Action or Adventure games.


    It wouldnt be urate to say that the horror scene is stagnant in this world.


    There is a diverse range of horror games focusing on many types of antagonists. From zombies and ghost themed games poprized in China to serial killer and demon themed games poprized abroad.


    There are also horror games that take a more grounded, realistic approach and horror titles that lean towards the supernatural and myth.


    So theres a lot to pick and choose from, but the scene isnt exactly bustling either, almost none of them have sold well.


    In the current market, the horror games that do make sales are usually from older IPs and are part of a series. But even those are facing lower and lower sales with each gaming season.


    And one of the reasons is that none of these games have tried breaking out of their traditional restrictions.


    Theyre still relying on small, one-shot plotlines. Still using jumpscares as their main tool. Still relying on rudimentary FPSbat systems and designs.


    Granted, none of these are <em>bad</em> per se, but its difficult to make things more exciting and take major risks when funding is limited and the investors are king.


    For Chen Xu and the rest of Neb Games, these discussions online have had very little impact.


    Because the development progress of the game was ramping up significantly and many of the staff were now in the zone of their creative process.


    While the game was not yetpleted, many parts of the game could already be experienced.


    And after experiencing those segments, Yang Xin, Ruan Ningxue, and many of the other team members came to a unanimous conclusion.


    Dont y this game at night.


    Its really scary, please send help.


    Even though they had peered behind the curtain, participated in the creation of the game from scratch, and had ess to the backend systems of the game


    The yable parts of Oust were still delivering a level of terror that was previously unseen in the horror gaming genre.


    Yang Xin was closely monitoring the online buzz after Chen Xus post, and she made a silent prayer for the poor souls who would be the first to experience the monster they were about to unleash.<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    In the blink of an eye, mid November came around, Oust was currently 70%plete.


    The remaining 30% consisted mainly of voice acting, cutscene production and polishing up the finer details.


    For Chen Xu, the most significant gain from this entire experience was actually a deeper understanding of the game engine editor.


    At the same time, with his current designer qualifications, the resource quota provided by the government tform waspletely sufficient for a game like Oust. Since there was no need forplex systems such asbat and character customization to be involved.


    Besides game development, Neb Games also silentlyunched their own gaming tform, with Chen Xu giving it a quick shoutout on his socials.


    But this didnt cause too much of a stir.


    No industry giants paid heed to it, and the media wasnt as interested in it as they were about the uing horror game. This piece of info was simply tucked away in the sub-columns and smaller segments of a few smaller gaming news outlets.


    In fact, most yers wouldnt even notice it if they werent specifically looking for it.


    On the Neb Games tform, there were only 2 entries, To the Moon and Undertale. And the two had abined sales of 172 copies, with the cumtive ytime of all purchases being only around 50 hours. Obviously, the people who bothered to make a purchase on this tform were fans who wanted to show their support for Chen Xu by buying an extra copy. The two games had already been out for a while on numerous other,rger gaming tforms.


    So Chen Xu was not discouraged, after all, the user base of a gaming tform is not built overnight. It is something to be earned with good service and attractive features, all of which he had ns for.


    Time passed swiftly and soon it was early December.


    The development of Oust hade to an end. And the marketing for the game had begun.


    An update was soon posted on Chen Xus socials and official developer blog. Just a simple paragraph and a poster for the game.


    [ Only by ousting, can one save themselves from Hell ]


    [ December 15th, Oust begins ]


    The poster depicted a hospital room in disrepair. Rusty, stained medical equipment was scattered all over, and dark stains covered the walls and hospital bed.


    On the wall was the title of the game written in a dark, viscous fluid: Oust.


    The scene was viewed through what seemed to be the night-vision mode of a video camera, making everything reminiscent of bloodstains and amplifying the dreadful imagery.


    Under the hospital bed, was a person with a gaunt and frightened face, hiding there with his index finger ced on his lips, as if signaling the viewer to stay quiet.


    Following this upload, numerous major media outlets began their report on the news, contacting Neb Games in hopes of arranging an interview before theunch.


    Oust also appeared on therge official tform in pre-order mode.


    The price was 65 yuan, an extremely good price whenpared to many other games. After all, it wasnt arge game with a huge amount of content.


    At the same time, the lulling discussions about Oust were stirred up once more in various forums and gamingmunities.


    Some of which was paid marketing, as Chen Xus current renown was still insufficient to cause too much of a buzz, with only two famous titles to his name.


    December 15th came and went, Oust was finallyunched.


    In the gaming section of Shark TV, there was a channel named Old Boy Commentary


    Brother Lemon had to make a trip to the hospital today, he hasnt had a physical examination in a while. Hell probably be backter, but Im not sure when exactly, you know how slow hospital trips can be.


    Thank you for the subscription, and stop hyping up horror games man. Let me tell you, Ive yed so many of these garbage games man, Im numb. Horror games arepletely stress free for me now, ying them is like breathing, theyre really nothing special.


    Yall just want me to y a horror game cause you think Ill freak out and then you get to farm clips of me. But theres something in the way of that n. I am a wall, physically and emotionally. Im not gonna crack.


    Alright lets do this, I did this before and Ill do it again. Everyone knows I eat these shitty horror games for breakfast dude. And if it gets boring, well just y something else until brother lemones back.


    Ok ok ok, turning on the camera now. Dont be disappointed when I get all stone faced, kay?


    I am a very calm and reasonable person, Im cool. <em>Mods please timeout anyone that keeps spamming that emote, you know the one</em>. Im a chill person, unshakable mental fortitude. Horror games? Easy work, easy as breathing.


    Sun Yixie, who was the streamer in question, stared into the camera with an exaggerated deadpan look. The chatroom responded by spamming walls of cheeky emotes.


    He repeatedly assured the chat that he was above being scared of shitty little horror games, and he wasntpletely wrong in this aspect.


    After all, making fun of bad horror games with his partner was how they built their channel, it was their main content so they were undoubtedly experienced with the overused tropes in the genre.


    So much so that they even hadption videos of them predicting when jump-scares would ur urately.


    After having some technical difficulties with the official gaming tform, Sun Yixie ignored the chat spamming [ Big brother cant even open the game by himself ] he finally hit the y button in peace.


    A brief fry of static shed, then the game interface appeared.


    The entire screen was tinged in a gloomy shade of greenish blue, the color tone reminiscent of those used in horror and thriller movies from thete 90s and early 00s.


    There seemed to be a hospital room in the background, but it was sparsely lit. Thick, ominous clouds swirled and obscured the visibility of the background, while eerie music yed.


    Ok that made me feel stuff, but only a lil bit, a lil tiny bit. But still, as Ive said before, ying horror games is like breathing to me, lets go. Sun Yixie eximed as he read the chat, still feeling quite confident.


    Difficulty selection. Lets go with normal for now, I think its best for the first run through.


    The screen faded into darkness, and a male voice began to narrate as white text filled the screen in ordance with the narration, giving the yer a brief introduction of the setting.


    My name is Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist.


    I received a tip from an anonymous source, containing disturbing implications regarding a long-abandoned medical institute deep in the heart of Colorado  Mt. Massive Asylum.


    So far, Sun Yixie had zero psychological fluctuations about this. He appeared as calm as he had before.


    Most horror games and movies were like this, it was going as expected.


    After the narration ended, the screen began to clear up, showing a first-person POV of the protagonist driving a car.


    However There was something about the presentation that was unsettling. The atmosphere was oozing with an unpleasant feeling that prickled the skin, the darkness beyond the car lights was suffocating, and the howling winds that could be mistaken for wolves did not help lighten the mood.


    Sun Yixie felt his heartbeat speed up just a tad. <blockquote>


    I return from crabby hell. I make zero promises. I apologize. I am shame.<ul><li>Crab man</li></ul></blockquote>


    Next


    Back


    Index<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Eventually, the car came to a stop before the entrance to the asylum.


    Sun Yixie stared nkly at the dark, looming buildings in the background, while the sound of cold, rustling winds swept ominously through his headphones


    He put his palms together and took a deep breath before addressing the chat.


    Okay. Before I start, I need to ask you guys If I were to, hypothetically speaking, decide to y another game right now, would that be okay with yall?


    Thus, the revolution began.


    Alright, fine, fine Ill y it.


    Thus, the revolution ended.


    Lemme just turn on the lights real quick. Sun Yixie said as he reached over the screen to hit the switch, causing the recording studio to light up brightly.


    Thus the mes of revolution were lit once more. <ul><li>[ COWAAAAAAAAAAAARD ]</li><li>[ Didnt somebody say this was EZ?  ]</li><li>[ Wow, turning on the lights 5s in smh ]</li><li>[ You scared?  ]</li><li>[ Its okay if youre scared lil bro, lets wait for big brother Lemon toe home and take care of you~ ]</li><li>[ If its as easy as breathing, why turn on the lights? ]</li><li>[ TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TURN OFF THE LIGHTS  ]</li><li>[ <em>removed by moderators</em> ]</li></ul>


    No! Shut up! Im keeping them on! Mods, time out anyone that spams light stuff!


    Ahem. Ill say it again for those in the back, horror games are like breathing for me, no pressure at all. But asionally, I get startled, alright? I get startled. Just some minor tension is all.


    Sun Yixie joked around with the chat, trying to ease his nerves and buy time to calm his mind.


    After a while, he leaned back into his gaming chair and put his headphones back on, finally getting back into the game.


    Some minor tutorials were highlighted on the screen, and he became more aware of the gamey features and setting.


    Generally, horror games in this parallel world will fall into one of two categories.


    The first being games withbat systems, where yers can collect weapons to kill monsters and deal with bosses.


    And the second being games with nobat system at all, where yers avoid monsters and solve puzzles to progress.


    The vast majority of popr horror games involve the first category. And the second category, while existent, was only used in obscure titles or certain segments of a full game.


    So far, just by looking around, Sun Yixie is rather impressed by the production value being disyed. This Oust does not seem to be a half-hearted project like so many others before it.


    Just from the atmosphere alone, he could feel that this experience would be something special.


    Even if the graphics werent rendered up to the levels of thetest triple A titles, it had a certain level of gritty realism that lends well into immersion. And for a horror game, that was a big deal.


    God dammit man, I am <em>not</em> scared! How could I be scared?! Hold on and let me check the controls first!


    Again, Sun Yixie was interacting with the chat to dy the inevitable. <ul><li>[ Lmao, quit stalling ]</li><li>[ Stalling ]</li><li>[ Stalling LOL ]</li></ul>


    And so his adventure began.


    After searching around the car and the unmanned guard station, he collected several items: A camcorder, some batteries, and a blue folder.


    Following the instructions on screen, he loaded the batteries into the camcorder and turned it on.


    Somehow, the surroundings became even more eerie behind the green-tinted filter of the camcorder.


    Sun Yixie made a few conjectures as he looked around with the camcorder active. Being an experienced horror game streamer, he could make a few rough guesses at the gamey.


    There would probably be some dark environments where hed need to use it to find his way.


    In any other horror game, this wouldnt be an issue for him. But as he continued to stall and look around the game world, he couldnt help the nervousness creeping into his system.


    After a thorough sweep of the immediate surroundings, Sun Yixie finally pushed open the iron gates and stepped into the courtyard.


    The surroundings were cloaked in silence, and the flickering lights shining through some of the asylum windows were not reassuring in the slightest, It felt like countless eyes were watching.


    While controlling the character and moving along the path, Sun Yixie suddenly halted.


    One of the rooms of the asylum lit up, and a dark figure could be seen standing still at the window.


    His eyes widened as he pushed the keys on his keyboard, having the character bring up the camcorder and zooming in to see.


    But the figure seemed to notice his movements, and quickly moved away and out of view. The room lights were turned off after a brief moment.


    Sun Yixie felt a chill move up from his feet to the top of his head.


    Although nothing really happened, and no monsters were shown, his anxiety rose and his heartbeat quickened.


    The dark asylum building now seemed more menacing in his eyes, like a beast with its mouth wide open, waiting for him to take a step inside.


    The feeling of dread in his heart was amplified as he took a few more looks at the surroundings, noticing the armored vehicles left parked around thepound.


    These were riot control vehicles Why were they here at a mental hospital? Did a riot happen here? But the document said this ce was abandoned years ago


    The main entrance turned out to be locked, so he wandered around, eventually finding a small hole in the iron fences and crawling his way inside.


    A few more gamey prompts appeared to guide him at this point.


    Running, jumping, climbing and crouching.


    The games POV camera work was polished, and the slight vibrations in sync with the character movements were subtle but detailed. This was reaching a level of quality that Sun Yixie had never witnessed in horror games before.


    Through his headphones, the heavy breathing of the protagonist could be clearly heard as he exerted himself.


    Following the guidance prompts, he made his way to an open window, and as soon as he climbed inside, the lights in the room went out.


    The surroundings were plunged into sudden darkness.


    Sun Yixie, who was not expecting something like this, was visibly shaken. <ul><li>[ LOL what did I just see ]</li><li>[ yall see how wide his eyes went? ]</li><li>[ lmao did he just shake for real? ]</li><li>[ Sun, if youre scared, just say it bro ]</li><li>[  ]</li></ul>


    Could chat still be chat if they didnt notice something like this?


    The quality of the game and the reactions of the streamer was really pumping up the viewers. The chat was speeding by so fast that it was having slight buffering issues.


    Clearly, arge portion of viewers were spooked as well and were using the interaction to dampen their fears. But it was hard to look away.


    Damn Dammit! Theres nothing happening! Nothing to be scared of! Its just a video game! Pixels! Im not gonna let pixels scare me!


    Sun Yixie let out a warcry and turned on the camcorders night vision mode. The green hue made the atmosphere even more intense.


    Letting out another, slightly smaller, warcry, Sun Yixie began to explore the area.


    He pushed open a door that was slightly ajar and walked forward.


    Suddenly, a previously inactive television was turned on, emitting a sharp static noise.


    AHHHHHHH!


    The noise broke down the frail mental barrier Sun Yixie had erected for himself and really shook him.


    In fear and surprise, he let out a shrill shriek that could be considered world-ss, iled his legs wildly, and covered his eyes.


    After a few seconds to calm down, and realizing that no other sounds were flooding his headphones, he parted his hands slightly to peep at the screen.


    In-game, the dark room was partially lit by the white static of the television, no other movements were seen and the protagonist was standing, safe and sound.


    Confirming that there was no immediate danger, Sun Yixie let his hands drop from his face onto his chest as he let out a sigh in relief.


    Next


    Back


    index<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50<ul><li>[ 23333333, what¡¯s wrong brother Sun? Having some trouble breathing? ]</li><li>[ Stop it everyone, please stop it he¡¯s already dead XD ]</li><li>[ ¡°Horror games are as easy as breathing for me¡± ]</li><li>[ Looks like he¡¯ll need an oxygen machine, someone help ]</li><li>[ HE NEED SOME MILK ]</li><li>[ It¡¯s ok bro, we can y something else if you¡¯re struggling, just let us know, ok? ]</li><li>[ Guys he¡¯s obviously ying it up for the stream ]</li></ul>


    Even though the stream was featuring a horror game, a rtively unpopr category, and even though the stream just started about 10 minutes ago, the chatroom was buzzing like it was prime-time on New Year¡¯s Eve.


    Seeing countless messages scrolling by, Sun Yixie felt a difficult mix of tion and embarrassment. This would do wonders for the channel, and all it took was the low, low cost of his dignity¡­


    But this game! This game waspletely different from anything he¡¯s seen! It was turning everything he understood about horror games upside-down.


    The atmosphere, the graphics, the immersion, it was strong. So strong that it was almost overwhelming. Somehow it felt simr to ying a good VR game. He shuddered at the thought of this game being adapted for VR.


    Part of this is attributed to the nature of horror games. From a psychological perspective, yers feel more immersed when they are focused on the game. Some games rely on storytelling, voice-acting, music, etc to pull yers into a state of immersion. But horror games were a bit different.


    yers start these games up, knowing they will get scared, knowing that the objective of the game is to scare them. What they don¡¯t know is when and where the attempts wille from. When coupled with music and atmosphere, this is enough to keep yers focused on the game and immersed.


    That¡¯s why yers often feel drained or tired after ying for some time. The high levels of focus and concentration required can be mentally taxing.


    Looking at his screen, then ncing back at the chat, Sun Yixie paused for a bit and reached out to grab his keyboard and mouse,ying them out on a hard piece of cardboard he picked up from the floor, and ced the whole setup on hisp.


    He was attempting to rx himself by creating a bit of distance between him and the screen.


    He was also attempting to ignore the increasingly speedy chatroom as the viewers gave their opinions on his current actions.


    However, as he continued his exploration this way, Sun Yixie felt that this didn¡¯t seem to help much. He instead began to experience a bit of paranoia, as if there were hidden things watching him from behind or around the room.


    As he controlled Miles to crawl through a gap in the walls, into an air duct, he kept ncing towards his chat screen, takingfort in sharing this newfound torment with so many people.


    He looked around his room and raised his voice, trying to muster up the nonchnce he felt prior to booting up the game.


    ¡°Damn it! Ain¡¯t nothing to be afraid of, damn it!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of being scared? We just have to move forward step by step! I am in control! I¡¯m not scared at all!¡±


    After crawling out the other side, Sun Yixie had to take a moment to get rid of the lump in his throat. The walls around him were stained with blood.


    He wanted to get out of this ce as soon as he could, so he moved towards the half-opened door and pushed it open hastily.


    In the next moment, the music in-game became sharp and loud, and a corpse hanging from the ceiling swung towards the protagonist, filling up the screen space.


    Both Miles in the game and Sun Yixie outside the game let out an almost synchronized high-pitched scream.


    [ AHHHHHH ]


    ¡°AHHHHHH!¡±


    The scare made Sun Yixie repeat his earlier actions, retreating into a defensive shell. His breaths were heavy and his heart was beating out of his chest.


    He lost face again, all because of that damn scare.


    ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit! I can scream, but why are you screaming!¡± Sun Yixie pointed at the screen as he noticed the protagonist¡¯s heavy breathing in his headphones, trying to change the topic.


    It might be a bit hard to believe, but the main reason he got so scared wasn¡¯t because of the hanging corpse appearing, but because of the protagonist¡¯s own loud scream hitting him a few nanoseconds early.


    Being already rattled, the sound of another person screaming made him subconsciously scream as well.


    His legs, hidden from view under the table, were shaking and trembling slightly. And the back of his shirt was soaked in a cold sweat. This couldn¡¯t be shown to the chat no matter what! His pride wouldn¡¯t allow it!


    Sun Yixie, patted his chest and took a few deep breaths, centering himself.


    Looking back at the game screen, he hesitated for a moment, then got up from his chair and started walking around the room. He lowered the temperature of his air conditioning, then retrieved something from a nearby cab.


    It was a thick hoodie with a knockoff superhero brand.


    ¡°Brothers, the room is getting too cold, I need some extra clothing.¡± Sun Yixie addressed the chat while putting it on, pulling up the hood and wearing his headphones over it.


    This was, of course, taken as the peak of cowardice. <ul><li>[ ????????? ]</li><li>[ Brother Sun is amazing. Brother Sun wears his hoodie because its cold, obviously ]</li><li>[ Exactly, horror games are ez as breathing for Brother Sun, how could this level of game scare him? ]</li><li>[ Don¡¯t worry brother, we know you aren¡¯t scared. Kappa ]</li></ul>


    Seeing sarcasticments flood the chat, Sun Yixie wanted to refute but couldn¡¯t find the words to do so.


    So he moved on in a huff, swiftly reloading the camcorder batteries and carried on in his exploration.


    One of the doors was open so he moved into the room. It was littered with headless corpses. Blood painted the walls and floors, some even getting on the ceiling, and there wasn¡¯t a piece of in-tact furniture to be found, everything was shattered.


    Human heads lined the shelves and cupboards in various states of decay, but judging by the blood trails leaking downwards and pooling on the ground, some were rather fresh.


    In the night-vision view of the camcorder, the horrid scene was amplified in the minds of everyone whoid eyes on it.


    Sun Yixie, as the yer, was most heavily affected by the mental debuff. He didn¡¯t dare take a closer look at the corpses and random body parts.


    ¡°Go, go, go, go, go!¡±


    Just as he reached the middle of the room, one of the ¡°corpses¡± spoke up.


    ¡°Oh Shit! Fuck! Is this game actually trying to kill people?¡±


    He trembled a bit, but didn¡¯t scream out this time. Instead, mumbling curses into the mic.


    Turning towards the source of the voice, he saw a man impaled on a steel rod, like a human kebab.


    [ They killed us. They got out. The Variants ]


    [ You can¡¯t fight them. You have to hide ]


    [ ¡­Can unlock the main doors from Security Control ]


    The dying man coughed blood and sputtered out his final words.


    [ You have to get the fuck out of this terrible ce¡­ ]


    Before going still.


    He was obviously just a messenger NPC, meant to deliver his hints to the yer and then fade into the background.


    But at this moment, Sun Yixie no longer had any interest in the secrets of Mt. Massive Asylum. His mind was dominated by one thought:


    Run!


    The scenes and atmospheres were simply too oppressive, everything was ufortable and caused major unease. This quality of horror was unheard of in this world, it was borderline psychotic.


    Why is he exploring this asylum? Why is he ying this damn game?! But still, he feltpelled to continue.


    ¡°Fuck this! Let me out¡­ Let me OUT!!!¡±


    With the help of the camcorder, he eventually made his way out of the dark room and into a more well-lit corridor.


    However, he didn¡¯t notice a shadow flickering past another door beside him. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    ncing at the brightly lit corridor, Sun Yixie let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding.


    Such a well lit ce should be safe, right? A jumpscare couldn¡¯t possibly be good here. Regardless, a bright setting was much moreforting than a dark one.


    With this in mind, Sun Yixie moved forward, and the protagonist began squeezing his way through a narrow gap of shelves that were moved into the corridor.


    Without warning, a low and gravelly voice whispered into his ears.


    ¡°Little pig.¡±


    The screen shook violently as something grabbed the protagonist and dragged him backwards. Sun Yixie, tightly curled on his chair, let out a panicked scream, just like the character in the game.


    His hands instinctively reacted and covered his face again, while his eyes remained glued to the screen, peeking through the gaps between his fingers.


    A huge, grotesque figure stood towering behind the protagonist. His head was bald and seemed to have undergone horrific muttion.


    The giant of a man grabbed the protagonist, and threw him down from the upper floors. As the protagonist smashed into the ground floor, his eyes grew blurry and his ears rang. He had to take a moment to steady himself and recover from the impact.


    But soon, an NPC in priestly garb appeared by his side. His approach went unnoticed as the protagonist was struggling to get his bearings.


    The priest held the camcorder in his hands, going through the footage captured thus far. And as he did, he seemed toe to a realization.


    ¡°I¡­ I see. Merciful God, you have sent me an apostle. Guard your life, son, you have a calling.¡±


    And with that, consciousness finally slipped away, immersing the screen in a short moment of darkness before the protagonist woke up again.


    After struggling to stand, a new mission prompt appeared:


    [Escape the asylum. ess Security Control to unlock the main doors]


    ¡°Shit! Fuck these jumpscares, man! Holy shit!¡± Sun Yixie let out a string of curses as control of the character was once again granted to the yer.


    Looking through his inventory, he noticed the camcorder had only a single bar of battery left.


    This,bined with the earlier happenings, left him with a growing sense of unease. He feltpletely exposed.


    What if that big bastard of a monsteres for him again?


    But thankfully, now that the scary parts had truly begun, Sun Yixie was able to let go of some anxiety.


    In fact, he started to think that maybe meeting the fat monster wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. Unlike the ghosts that most game designers used, the monster was human, albeit a scary looking one.


    As he explored the surroundings, he came across other human NPCs, but they were all just sitting around, staring nkly into space.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with these people? Are they turning into monsters?¡± Sun Yixie wondered.


    He cautiously moved the protagonist closer, but there was no reaction. The asylum patients simply sat unresponsive.


    As if they could not see him.


    Feeling slightly reassured, Sun Yixie scoured the room and found some batteries, all while speaking to his audience to ease his nerves.


    ¡°Ok chat. Chat. Look, this style of horror game is usually all about setting the atmosphere. These guys aren¡¯t enemies, they are just set pieces, there¡¯s really nothing to be scared about here.¡±


    As then, as if the game heard hisment and wanted to fuck with him, a patient npc sitting on a wheelchair lunged forth, tackling the yer and filling the screen with a terrifying visage.


    Intense music and sounds filled the previous eerie silence, the protagonist let out a scream of shock as he wrestled against his ambusher.


    Sun Yixie was jumpscared so hard, his mouse was flung off the table.


    He hastily paused the game and slumped into his chair, covering his face and letting out a string of curses that could barely be picked up on the microphone.


    Just as he was beginning to calm down, he heard a slow creaking noise behind him.


    ¡°Oh Fuck!! Who¡¯s here?!¡± He spun around and grabbed whatever was next to him, a tissue paper box in this case, and held it high above his head, eyes wild with fear.


    ¡°What do you mean who? It¡¯s me. What¡¯s going on, Sun? Why is the room so cold? And you¡­ what happened to you?¡±


    The once dark room was now lit up with the flick of a switch, and near the door stood arge, chubby man.


    His head was clean shaven, so much so that the lights on the ceiling reflected a sharp gleam. He had a short, thick neck and a sleek pair of ck sses framed his widened eyes as he took in the state of his friend.


    Sun Yixie, forck of a better term, was somewhat in a state of shock. His face was pale, drained of color, and his form was cocooned in a thick, downy jacket.


    ¡°Brother Lemon! You¡¯re finally back!!!¡± He eximed in relief upon seeing that familiar face.


    ncing at the active stream setup, Huang Doni, otherwise known by his online moniker, Brother Lemon, came to understand what was happening.


    ¡°Ah¡­ you were ying a horror game? Looks like one finally got to you.¡± Brother lemon shook his head yfully.


    ¡°Nevermind that! I¡¯m just d you¡¯re back,¡± Sun Yixie said joyfully, feeling the refreshing sensation of gaining reinforcements. He picked up the thrown mouse and readjusted the stream camera.


    ¡°Chat, we had a lil¡¯ mishap¡¯ just now, just a lil¡¯ oppsie, no big deal. Now, let¡¯s get back to it!¡±


    He sat down and put his headphones back on, handing Brother Lemon a separate pair. With his friend now beside him, Sun Yixie was surging with confidence.


    Inside the game, the protagonist was woefully equipped. Currently carrying nothing but his damaged camera.


    At this moment, Sun Yixie couldn¡¯t help but miss the shitty horror games he was used to ying. At least those always gave him a weapon to fight back with.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    The voice of Brother Lemon could be heard faintly through his headphones, animatedly engaging with the chat to catch up with recent events and asking their thoughts on the game so far.


    Theforting presence gave him courage, and so he soldiered on, dodging the numerous asylum patients and reaching the security room without further incident.


    As soon as the storyline had progressed, Sun Yixie noticed that the chat activity had begun to speed up significantly. This was a bad premonition, so he pulled up his hoodie and braced himself.


    Brother Lemon was, understandably, confused. ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± he asked.


    Sun Yixie pointed at the zooming chat, so many emotes were being spammed that it was obvious the viewers were excited that something was about to happen.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Brother Lemon looked at the screen, where the protagonist was standing in a fully lit room. Then spin his head to look around the now brightly lit recording studio.


    ¡°It¡¯s so bright that it¡¯s ruining the atmosphere! What are you even afraid of? Besides, horror games shouldn¡¯t be all that intense anyway.¡±


    As he finished speaking, something happened in-game. The priest appeared on the monitor, looking to be inside a generator room of some sort.


    After a quick prayer, he reached out and pulled a lever, shutting down the power of the facility and plunging the environment into darkness.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Sun Yixie despaired.


    ¡°Good lord, Sun, steady yourself! Nothing¡¯s happening, there aren¡¯t even any monsters on the screen! Why are you like this?¡± Brother Lemon¡¯s visible confusion intensified.


    This was simply not the normally confident Brother Sun he knew. Was he acting? ying it up for the stream? But he¡¯s never done this before, it was starting to concern him.


    Just as he was about to speak again, an ominous thud broke the silence of the game.


    For a moment, nothing happened. And then it came again, louder, and more forcefully.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Something was mming the door from the outside, something so strong that it shook the door from its hinges.


    Each m sent a chill down Sun Yixie¡¯s gut, and he grew frantic.


    ¡°Damn it! Shut up, Lemon!¡± he shrieked as he finally noticed the game¡¯s pop up on the side of the screen.


    ¡°A locker? Yes! I can hide in the locker!¡±


    He fumbled the controls and shakily pressed the interaction button.


    CRACK!


    As soon as he got inside, the door snapped and broke. The samerge monster that terrified him earlier came lumbering into the room.


    In game, the surrounding sounds were slightly muted as the sound of the protagonist¡¯s heartbeat echoed.


    Through the gaps of the locker, Sun Yixie saw therge monster¡¯s horrific visage and pulled back, closing his eyes to take a break.


    A minute passed, followed by two more¡­


    ¡°Sun. Sun, why are we still hiding? The monster left a minute ago.¡± Brother Lemon, reading the chat and seeing Sun Yixie turtling up, asked curiously.


    ¡°Alright. Just give me a sec. I got this¡­¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he slowly emerged from the locker.


    ¡°C¡¯mon man. I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s how horror games work. That was probably just a cutscene. Sure, it¡¯s scary now, but you¡¯ll get numb to itter on when It keeps repeating.¡± Brother Lemon stated with certainty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to make me feel better, Lemon.¡± Sun Yixie replied without taking his eyes off the screen, feeling the paranoia take hold.


    ¡°The fuck would I lie? They gave you a hiding mechanic so it¡¯s probably going to just repeat and won¡¯t be as scary eventually! C¡¯mon, the chat is getting excited, let¡¯s keep going!¡±


    Next


    BacK


    Index<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    As the gamey continued, Sun Yixie and Brother Lemon settled into a familiar rhythm of bickering. To an outsider, it would have sounded like they were teetering on the verge of a scuffle, but to the loyal viewers of the channel, this was simply the norm.


    The yful atmosphere helped stabilize Sun Yixie¡¯s mentality for some time, but when the protagonist began the trek into a dark, decrepit, underground path, an unwee tension stirred in his gut.


    Up until this point, the game hadn¡¯t gone truly dark yet.


    Sure, there were the darkened corridors and rooms, but those were always supported by small light sources scattered about in the environment.


    But this was different.


    It was pitch ck, with a darkness so heavy that even the small bits of light seemed like frail candles in the wind, just barely keeping themselves from being consumed and snuffed out. The visibility was basically zero.


    To navigate, Sun Yixie was fully dependent on the night vision mode of the handheld camera.


    And though he had mentally prepared himself, and even brought his own hype man, the dread still ate at him incessantly.


    He stared at the in-game prompts sourly. ¡°What¡¯s this? Turn on two gas pumps and a main switch to restart the generator? Oh god damnit¡­¡±


    He felt the sense of dread growing, this dark basement zone was already terrifying enough, but now he was forced to look for some switches and pumps inside it?


    Why is the world so cruel? How could anyone do this?


    Why did he foolishly challenge this horror game in the first ce?


    But now it was toote to turn back, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose face in front of the viewers and his best friend.


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright! There¡¯s nothing to be scared of!¡±, he bellowed (weakly) to hype himself up and began slowly creeping around and exploring, sticking closely to the walls and swiveling the character around nervously.


    Brother Lemon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, earning himself a string of curses.


    Sun Yixie headed left first, eventually reaching a door and opening it.


    The room was dimly lit, allowing him to see without the need for night vision. At the back of the room was one of the gas pumps, along with a long row of rusty metal cabs.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He felt such excitement to see a pump so soon, a third of the objectives would soon beplete, hopefully ending this suffocating segment of the game.


    The chat exploded in dismay.<ul><li>[What kind of luck is this? I wanted more suffering¡­]</li><li>[Already found one? I was hoping to see Sun get freaked out more.]</li><li>[There were actually arrows painted on the walls, brother Sun didn¡¯t notice.]</li><li>[Uh oh, those cabs look kinda like the one in the security office.]</li><li>[Uh ooooooooh]</li><li>[Lmao ur rite ??]</li><li>[??rip brother sun, you¡¯ll be missed]</li><li>[lul rip]</li></ul>


    As thements rolled on, Sun Yixie also took note of the cabs, testing them out and finding that he could indeed make the protagonist hide inside each of them.


    ¡°So if I turn this gas pump on, the monster will appear, and this cab will be for me to hide in?¡±


    It was a logical conclusion, the game devs had to leave a way out for the yers.


    There was no point in hesitating further, the game would not progress if the objectives were notpleted. So he interacted with the gas pump.


    A loud, tortured grind echoed throughout the basement as the pump was turned.


    And soon, Sun Yixie could hear something moving closer to the room.


    He scrambled to hide inside a nearby cab.


    After a few seconds, the sound of something heavy smashing its way through the door was heard.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Then came a horrible crack as the door splintered and gave way, followed by uneven footsteps and a faint muttering too jumbled to make out the words.


    Inside the cab, Sun Yixie did not turn off the night vision. He wanted to see what was hunting him, but he also leaned back into his chair and pulled his hoodie tighter across his head.


    In the green glow of the camera, he saw anky figure enter the room.


    The creature was a patient of the asylum once, judging by the torn clothes it wore, but his visage was off-putting, as if it were a yed man wearing his former skin as a mask.


    His movements were twitchy, jerking this way and that in erratic movements. In his hand was a torturous instrument, a piece of wood studded with sharp nails all over. There were dark stains all over the nails, it was hard to tell if it was rust or dried blood.


    The monster looked around the room, allowing a better view of its face. What a horrible day to have eyes.


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m smart, hiding in the cabs as soon as I could,¡± Sun Yixie gave himself a pat on the back and let out a sigh of relief.


    But then the monster did something unexpected, shocking him into silence and sending the chat into a frenzy.


    The monster moved to the nearest cab and mmed it open. Checking one after another. Sun Yixie felt his heart leap from his chest as the monster got closer.


    Fortunately, it stopped checking after two or three cabs, losing interest and moving out of the room while still muttering a string of unintelligible words.


    ¡°Shit, that was close,¡± he swallowed nervously. The situation is a lot more dire than previously thought. Not only did he have to search for the objectives, he had to do so while avoiding the new monster that now roamed the basement.


    Half a minuteter, when Sun Yixie was sure that the creature would not return, he creeped out of the cab slowly.


    Looking out from the now broken door, he spotted another door with an arrow painted on it. He moved towards it and looked inside, seeing another gas pump.


    The only difference was that this room did not have any cabs to hide in.


    ¡°Shit, now what?¡±


    His nerves were acting up as he looked at the scene then back at the chat. Many were poking fun at the situation, but some were trying their best to backseat, it was them that he looked to with hope filled eyes.


    Unfortunately, the game was a fresh release, hot off the oven. There were no guides or tips avable yet. Many in the chat provided suggestions, but they seemed unreliable ¨C perhaps some of the game devs were watching as well, holding their silence and watching him struggle with glee.


    Brother Lemon, the fivehead intellectual, offered his opinion on the matter.


    ¡°Sun, maybe you¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    ¡°The cabs were ced for a reason, so if no cabs were ced, maybe it means the monster won¡¯t show up here?¡±


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s still an intact door. The monster will have to break down the door to get you, right? So at least there¡¯s a heads up.¡±


    Sun Yixie turned to look nkly at his friend, who had headphones on and was listening to cheerful music.


    Why did he have headphones on? Well, to be honest, he was somewhat frightened by the game too¡­


    By focusing more on chat interaction, and drowning out the eerie sounds of the game, Brother Lemon had avoided the brunt of the psychological damage.


    ¡°You know what? That actually makes some sense.¡± Sun Yixie decided to cling to hope and delude himself.


    But somewhere in the back of his mind, it still felt like the wrong answer.


    Ah well, nothing to be done about that now, he just wanted this segment to be over soon. And the suggestion seemed logical enough¡­


    Next


    Back


    index<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    As thetest release from Neb Games, or rather, as thetest release of the infamous Chen Xu, there were many who were keeping tabs on it.


    And these people weren¡¯t just gamers; numerous game designers, and gaming media outlets were included.


    After all, the name of Chen Xu is now a recognisable brand, a publicly acknowledged award winner.


    ¡®To the Moon¡¯ touched the hearts of many and grew the fanbase by a wide margin, so the anticipation of his next release was sizable, to say the least.


    But perhaps the most enthusiastic group of people were the horror game fans. Spection and discussion of ¡®Oust¡¯ had made waves in theirmunity.


    And now that the release hade, the forums were lit up with posts about the new game.


    [ Good lord! Today I stumbled across a newlyunched horror game. Scared the pants off me! I thought I was just adding a cheap, typical game to my collection, but damn, this is the first time I took a break out of fear *sweat emoji* ]


    [ I know, you¡¯re talking about ¡®Oust¡¯ right? I still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s made by the same guy who made ¡®To the Moon¡¯. This game is terrifying! The early jumpscares weren¡¯t too impressive, but it was all a false sense of security! ]


    [ Saaaaame, brother, same. It¡¯s actually so scary. When I hid in the locker and prayed for the monsters to not find me, I knew I was ying a good game. ][ I could handle the jumpscares, I¡¯m used to jumpscares, but the night vision mode parts really got to me. I¡¯ve never been more creeped out in a game. ]


    Those who had experienced the game were actively discussing various aspects of ¡®Oust¡¯. Their conversations and threads attracted the attention of yers who had no clue about the game.


    While mentioning ¡®Undertale¡¯ and ¡®To the Moon¡¯ will draw attention and interest for gamers who are in tune with the indie gamingndscape, the wider mainstream was still unfamiliar with Chen Xu and Neb Games as a whole.


    This is why marketing budgets never seem to stop increasing for major gamingpanies.


    Most gamers are pretty passive with the games they y. Unless something strikes a chord with them, they rarely bother with remembering the names of the studios and game designers.


    With numerous threads and posts popping up, ¡®Oust¡¯ came to draw in many people who previously weren¡¯t interested or aware of Chen Xu.


    [ A new horror game with such good reviews, huh? ]


    [ Are you speaking facts or is this just hype? C¡¯mon, it¡¯s just a horror game.]


    [ Lmao, fine, go try it yourself then. It¡¯s avable on the official tform, and if you get it on the Neb tform, there¡¯s a bit of a discount. ]


    [ OJBK, i¡¯ll fuckin do it! ]


    <em>( OJBK = ng for ¡°fine, whatever¡± )</em>


    [ I¡¯ll try it too, yall are just a bunch of cowards. ]


    [ I look forward to your reactions. Don¡¯t keep me waiting hehehe. ]


    [ Yep, we¡¯ll get back to you after beating this cheap game. ]


    Those bold words were soon put to the test, and a follow up was posted within two hours.


    Their earlier bravado had vanished, their dismissive tones hushed.


    Theirments were drenched by their current state of mind.


    [ WTF I nearly died of fright! Who approved of this game? ]


    [ I¡¯m actually feeling dizzy. The basement part with the generators almost broke me down. It¡¯s so dark, I¡¯m out of batteries, there¡¯s a guy chasing me¡­ ]


    [ Damn near wet myself, shouldn¡¯t have had that much coffee before ying XD. ]


    [ You know, now I¡¯m curious. What did the game designer go through to make something like this? Scratch that, what did thepany go through to make this? ]


    [ This is already 100% the best horror game of the year, maybe even of thest few years. ]


    [ + 1 ]


    [ I rmended this game to my cousin who is staying over. He¡¯s trying it tonight. I¡¯ve ordered the popcorn. ]


    [ Brothers! Good things are meant to be shared! ]


    [ Great minds think alike, brother! I¡¯ve made posts and rmendations in several other forums and threads. The good word must be spread. ]


    [ Same here, we should help bump each others threads for more visibility. ]


    [ Dang it, you went ahead of me! Not fair! ]


    As the first wave of horror game fans were undergoing the ¡®Oust¡¯ hazing experience, many who couldn¡¯t bring themselves to continue the game gathered in the forums instead to spread the word.


    Of course, they weren¡¯t sharing out of the goodness of their hearts. Their thoughts were simple: I suffered, so others must suffer too.


    Muddled into the fray were agents of Chen Xu, nting the seeds and fanning the mes.


    They were the excited staff members of Neb games, watching with glee as more hapless souls delivered themselves into the maw that was ¡®Oust¡¯¡­ Who knew watching people get genuinely scared would be so addictive.


    This is not to mention the promotional teams Chen Xu hired to stir up posts and discussions. Though employing such a method would require the product to actually deliver on the hype it was creating.


    And did ¡®Oust¡¯ deliver on its promises?


    The answer spoke for itself.


    So it was that a wave of free marketing swept the gaming forums. The first batch of yers began rmending ¡®Oust¡¯ passionately to their friends, family, and even strangers.


    How could such a great game only be terrifying for themselves? They had to make sure other yers felt the ¡°love¡± of this game too!


    [ Highly rmend a new horror game called ¡®Oust¡¯. I gifted it to my school rival, and it worked wonders ¡ª he couldn¡¯t sleep well after ying it and now his scores are below mine! ]


    [ Bought it for my kids who won¡¯t shut up, now the house is filled with peace and quiet. ]


    [ Other games cost you money; this one also costs money, and your sanity! Buy now! ]


    [ Bought in the morning, yed at noon, dead by evening! 10/10 ]


    [ If you¡¯re a wuss, definitely stay away from this game, it¡¯s strong stuff, too much for you, wuss. ]


    [ Recruiting people to sit near me and hold my hand while I attempt to finish the game. I have snacks and drinks. ]


    The posts in the forums were generally split into two categories: memes, and people trying to trick other people into ying the game.


    And the psychological effect was somewhat working.


    Could this ¡®Oust¡¯ really be that scary? Could it really cause such a strange turn of events? Is this some kind of multilevel marketing ploy? How curious, I might try it out too.<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Meanwhile¡­


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that everyone at Neb has been closely following the news and progress of Oust.


    After all, this was their first major release as a studio, their first group project.


    The budget wasn¡¯t a trivial amount either¡ªwith development and advertising fees rounded out to a hefty 7 million yuan.


    Sure, this was peanuts to therger gamingpanies dominating the market right now, but it was an amount that surpassed the typical spending of most indie games.


    With great spendinges great need for returns. So it was natural that the team was highly focused on the performance of the game.


    ¡°Bossman, how is it so far?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a few days sinceunch. I¡¯m dying to know.¡±


    Within the first week ofunch, Yang Xin, Ruan Ningxue, Qin Yi and a few others were gathered around Chen Xu, who was sinking deeply into a fancy massage chair pany benefits), asking him about the status of the game. While the reviews and buzz around the game were all well and good, what truly determined their future as a game studio were the sales.


    What did word-of-mouth or cult ssic status matter to a game that didn¡¯t sell well? If the sales were bad, the project had no future.


    The first game that came to Chen Xu¡¯s mind along this line of thinking was ¡®Bayta¡¯ in his previous life. A game that was near and dear to his heart.


    It was one of the three best action games of its time, standing alongside other hits like ¡®Ninja Gaiden¡¯ and ¡®Devil May Cry¡¯. ¡®Bayta¡¯ was celebrated for its gamey and character design, with loyal fans that begged for more.


    Yet it suffered a lukewarm fate, having the IP traded off repeatedly. The fans had to wait 8 years between the 2nd and 3rd installments.


    Despite its critical acim and cult ssic status, it did not sell well. In fact, if you added up the first and second games, both the original releases and HD remasters, the total sales would still be mogged by ¡®Devil May Cry V¡¯ alone.


    It was that bad. The industry could be brutal like that.


    ¡°Not bad at all. We¡¯ve hit 130k copies sold in just under 2 days, and this is after factoring in the refunds. So we should break even within 3 days,¡± Chen Xu answered with a smile.


    Compared to many other games, ¡®Oust¡¯ had a noticeably higher refund rate. But this was within Chen Xu¡¯s expectations.


    After all, it was a horror game. An exceptionally terrifying one, even by his previous world¡¯s standards. So it was only natural that many yers would be too frightened to continue ying.


    ¡°Aww¡­ looks like only 2000 copies were sold on our own tform¡­¡± Yang Xin said regretfully while peeking at Chen Xu¡¯s personalputer.


    While Chen Xu hadn¡¯t been explicitly mentioning his intentions with the Neb Games officialuncher / storefront, the internal resource allocation provided towards it made things rather clear.


    ¡°Our discounts aren¡¯tpetitive and the tform stillcks recognition. Plus, our games catalog isn¡¯t at a level to draw people in yet, we currently only have ¡®Oust¡¯ as a major title,¡± Chen Xu replied in a calming tone, his lips curling slightly upwards, ¡°It¡¯s a gradual process, our time wille.¡±


    In the current era of the parallel world, inte culture was in full swing, there were tons ofpanies and tons of tforms out there. Building up your own would be an uphill battle.


    In his previous life, Chen Xu witnessed the battle between Microsoft and Sony during the peak of the console wars. Both sides had wins and losses over 3 generations of consoles.


    But while Microsoft achieved some notable sesses, it lost a critical battle while transitioning to the inte era, resulting in the reign of the PS4.


    Sony pivoted more quickly to embrace digital games and social gaming, allowing thepany to dominate the market.


    And even after Microsoft leveraged its vast resources, acquiring studios left and right,unching several subscription services, it still ended upgging behind Sony for a long time.


    Simrly in the PC market, Epic Games tried to leverage its breakout hit ¡®Fortnite¡¯ to establish its own tform, aggressively spending money to secure users even while operating at a loss.


    But Steam was an industry titan, boasting a massive catalog of games and a suite of convenient services topliment its tform.


    Thinking back, Chen Xu was reminded of Tencent as well. It managed to get a leg up on older giants such as NetEase and Shandargely due to being the first to establish instant messaging.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be great to build apany that could rival those titans one day? Chen Xu mused inwardly, having high goals was nice, but it was time to focus on matters at hand and deal with things as theye.


    He shifted the conversation: ¡°Right now, the potential of ¡®Oust¡¯ has yet to be fully realized. There¡¯s a good chance for a sales boom in the near future, get ready for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How so?¡± Ruan Ningxue and the others were intrigued.


    ¡°Pay attention to streamers and video content creators, those will soon be ourrgest driving force,¡± Chen Xu said with a gentle smile, he was looking forward to the reactions andptions that would surelye.


    For a horror game to be trulypetitive in sales, it needed to go viral.


    This means making a break out of not only the niche horror game enthusiasts, but also the gamingmunity in general. It had to make normies get hooked on watching other people get scared.


    This worst case scenario would be to remain confined to the initial niche, sales would be doomed in that case.


    Great examples would be ¡®Five Nights at Freddy¡¯s¡¯, which took the world by storm and topped YouTube charts, bing a universally known franchise.


    And the ¡®Resident Evil¡¯ series, which produced iconic characters and memes such as Leon, Ada, rock puncher Chris and hand sanitizer warrior Ethan. Alongside infamous mods such as the Fly Swatter weapon specifically for Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters.


    Other IPs such as ¡®Silent Hill¡¯ and ¡®Oust¡¯ enjoyed mainstream exposure through video essays, streams and ythroughs. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In contrast, games such as ¡®Fatal Frame¡¯, ¡®Siren¡¯, ¡®Clock Tower¡¯, and ¡®The Evil Within¡¯, while excellent in their own ways, remained obscure to all but dedicated horror game fans, failing to break into the mainstream.


    This need to break out of the horror niche also applied to movies as well, as the majority of yers and viewers simply weren¡¯t hardcore horror enthusiasts.


    They were simply curious about how a game or movie could possibly scare people so much.


    And while it was umon for movies to offer refunds, games did it all the time, yet yers usually do not choose to go for the refunds, even if they did not continue ying.


    After all, once a game is purchased and sitting in your collection, maybe you will y and finish it one day


    This is one of the reasons why many games have a lowpletion rate, horror games especially.


    As of now, Chen Xu¡¯s ¡®Oust¡¯ was two days post release, and it already hit 130,000 copies sold. This was impressive, but he knew this was only the beginning.


    Over time, as influencers and content creators realized what a goldmine of content this game could be, sales would elerate.


    The buzz on video and streaming sites had yet to reach its peak.


    ¡­¡­..


    As predicted, while the spark was lit, it took some time for the craze of ¡®Oust¡¯ to spread.


    On several streaming tforms, the game rose in the ranks to be a hotspot for audiences who loved watching their favourite streamers descend into madness.


    Many unsuspecting streamers were bombarded with requests and rmendations to y the newly released title.


    Donation message:


    [ Hey! Try ¡®Oust¡¯! It¡¯s a new game by the same guy who made ¡®To the Moon¡¯. It¡¯s a heartwarming experience! You¡¯ll love it! ]


    [ Why not y ¡®Oust¡¯? It¡¯s super popr right now! ]


    [ It¡¯s great for content! Someone streamed it and hit 3 million views! Let¡¯s go grind! ]


    [ ¡®Oust¡¯ or riot ]


    Even streamers who didn¡¯t usually do gaming content were ¡°gently coerced¡± by their own fanbases to try the game out, ultimately agreeing due to simple curiosity or a need to keep up with trends.


    Some were attracted by the reputation of To the Moon and wondered what its creator was up to. And some wanted to replicate the sess they saw in their peers and build theirmunities.


    Regardless of the reason, more and more hapless streamers willingly jumped into the hungering maw that was ¡®Oust¡¯.


    The resulting storm of chaos and excitement that followed would leavesting waves in the world of streaming. <ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


    </ul>

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    On the popr streaming site SharkTV, there were initially only a few streamers trying their hand at ¡®Oust¡¯. These were people who were familiar with Chen Xu and his previous works.


    However, the staff at SharkTV began noticing something strange. The game¡¯s poprity was growing at an incredible rate. Viewer engagement metrics for channels featuring the game soared to record highs, and chat boxes were experiencingg due to overload.


    By all metrics, the game was a hit with audiences.


    Perhaps noticing the amount of engagement happening with other streamers, many more were prompted to join in the frenzy. For them, streaming was a full time job, and ¡®Oust¡¯ was an incredible piece of content.


    For a time, whenever you looked into the ¡®Oust¡¯ section and randomly entered channels, you¡¯d hear the wails of the damned.


    ¡°I¡¯m done! I¡¯m out! Fuck this game, man! Whoever rmended this game, ban him!!¡±


    ¡°The closet just moved!! Why did it move?!¡±


    ¡°No! Please! Lemme go!¡±


    ¡°How is this fat guy running so fast?! How do I get out of here?!¡±¡°Chat! Help! I¡¯m out of batteries, just tell me the way, chat!¡±


    ¡°I need a gun! Just give me a gun! Chat, where¡¯s the gun?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I swear if this asshole in the wheelchair jumps at me I swear to god, chat¡­¡±


    The channels became a cacophony of horror, wonderfully showcasing the thrill and dread of ¡®Oust¡¯. Every clip was worthy of a highlight reel, the captured moments feeling as if they were straight out of the best horror movie no one had ever seen.


    This growing craze naturally piqued the interest of viewers who had previously never heard of the game. Like the snowball effect in the forums before, they were driven by the same curiosity: Is this game really that scary?


    Those poor souls quickly sumbed to the truth¡ªthis game was likely the most terrifying piece of media they had evere across so far.


    If a ssic jumpscare could be described as shocking by bearable after repetition, ¡®Oust¡¯ went far and above what was necessary to strike fear in the hearts of those that yed it.


    The gamebined visuals, atmosphere, and psychological pressure into a seamless nightmare.


    The jumpscares were universal horror elements, but used in just the right amount to keep the yer from being desensitized.


    The visuals, reminiscent of western media, showcased grotesque and disturbing imagery, such as the enemy design or the notorious finger removal moment.


    The psychological elements preyed on the fear of the unknown, creating lingering self-doubt and unease. For example, the basement segment, the women¡¯s ward, and the sewer segment were all highly stressful due to the nearplete darkness and unseen enemies.


    These were just some examples of the techniques used in ¡®Oust¡¯ to amplify the terror of its premise. The yer, being a journalist, could only run and hide, unable to fight back against his horrific foes.


    The sense of helplessness hits its peak whenever yers find themselves hunted by monsters in the darkness, out of batteries and scrambling to survive. The resulting despair and desperation was truly indescribable for a lot of people.


    The shadow of Mt. Massive Asylum would loomrge over countless yers for some time.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡®Oust¡¯ gained significant traction as more streamers and yers tried the game out, spreading quickly out of the niche horror forums to major gamingmunities and boards.


    yer discussion filled the sites:


    [ I am cutting ties with my friend. He told me it was just a little bit spooky. ]


    [ Ashamed to admit, but I quit the game the moment I saw the entrance. ]


    [ Same bro, I walked around the gate, peeked inside and saw the bodies, then quit. I went to watch other people y it instead XD. ]


    [ Hmph! Cowards, I¡¯ve already beaten the game. ]


    [ Yea, what¡¯s so scary about it? The game is simple. ]


    [ I just checked both your profiles. 7 minutes and 5 minutes of y time. Shut the fuck up lmao. ]


    [ Well¡­ I bought the game, didn¡¯t refund it, and watched a ton of videos and streams, so now I know the full story and saw the ending. Isn¡¯t that basically beating the game? ]


    [ Can¡¯t argue with that logic. ]


    While refunds weremon, ¡®Oust¡¯ continued to surge in poprity and sales, experiencing a breakout period and gaining many new yers and watchers.


    A sizable yer base were unwilling to part with their purchase despite not ying the game, indirectly supporting the developers.


    As the numbers grew, themercial sess of ¡®Oust¡¯ was soon guaranteed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    During this period, a new meme was born when someone posted a prior interview featuring Chen Xu. It was captured during the time he won the Sci-Fi adventure award.


    ¡°After all, I consider myself a warrior of love.¡±


    The statement went viral among ¡®Oust¡¯ fans.


    [ How the hell did he say that with a straight face? ]


    [ Genuinely can¡¯t believe this is the same guy who made ¡®To the Moon¡¯ ]


    [ This guy really went out of his way to tug at our heartstrings, then turn around and maul us with a monster. ]


    [ Where¡¯s the love? I might have felt it if I wasn¡¯t stuck in the dark all the time! ]


    [ Do you think he dares to y this game himself? ]


    [ Fat Bastard: Aw yea you gon¡¯ feel that love tonight, video boi ]


    yers flooded Chen Xu¡¯s social media ounts, posting memes and joking around.


    The stark contrast between his ¡°warrior of love¡± statement and the pants shitting horror of ¡®Oust¡¯ was palpable.


    While everyone was having fun, nobody expected Chen Xu to actually respond.


    But, he did¡­<form /wpments-post.php" method="post" novalidate="">


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 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Afternoon, in the offices of Neb Games.


    Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were loafing about on their phones, sinking into the fancy massage chairs Chen Xu decided to purchase more of.


    ¡°The yers have started messing around and tagging you in their posts, Chen Xu.¡±


    The person in question was currently lying almost horizontally on his own massage chair. A plush eye mask made it difficult to know if he was awake or asleep.


    ¡°The official page for ¡®Oust¡¯ also got a huge engagement boost. Thements section jumped from almost a thousand to 20 thousand, and it¡¯s still climbing!¡± Yang Xin added in amazement.


    ¡°Huhu¡­ What can I say? Who told you to make that warrior of lovement in that interview? You¡¯re gonna be a meme for a loooong time,¡± Ruan Ningxue chuckled as she browsed, pressing like on every single ¡®Oust¡¯ rted meme she came across.


    Like a zombie, Chen Xu slowly adjusted his seat and took off his eye mask. ncing at his phone, he spoke in anguid tone, ¡°Who says this game has nothing to do with love?¡±


    Savoring the confusion in their eyes, he went onto thepany¡¯s social media ounts, ¡°We can work with this, watch and learn.¡±¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Online, the yers were still passionately discussing the game when Chen Xu¡¯s wall of text hit the web and caused a bit of a stir among the boards.


    Especially among those who actually experienced the game in person.


    Looking at the content of his words, which one could mistake at a nce for some kind of incoherent rant, people felt a strange sense of contradiction. It made sense, but it didn¡¯t seem quite right either, many were rendered speechless at the sheer gall.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [ My dearest yers, it pains me deeply to see my dedication to love being questioned.@@novelbin@@


    Why do you make these false ims about ¡®Oust¡¯ beingcking in love?


    Truly, this piece of work embodies my burning passion towards you, my beloved yers.


    Take the storyline, for instance, see how it brims with love.


    Our protagonist, Miles Upshur, heads off alone into an asylum funded by a giant corporation to investigate the dark secrets within.


    What kind of mindset does a normal person have to be willing to risk their lives to expose such a conspiracy? To defy such a powerful and evil conglomerate? The answer is simple: Justice! And what is justice, if not a universal love?!


    In the asylum, what does he face? Uncooperative lighting, uncooperative patients, and uncooperative doctors who constantly work to obstruct him.


    But what does he do? Hebors to restore power while never looking to actively harm the inhabitants, only defending himself when needed.


    In the face of hardship, the protagonist continues his investigation, ultimately uncovering the truth and giving up his own life for the cause.


    What kind of spirit is this? Isn¡¯t this the very definition of courage? Of passion?


    Being a ¡°Warrior of Love¡± isn¡¯t just about romance! It¡¯s about a mighty, selfless love that benefits the world!


    In conclusion, ¡®Oust¡¯ is a piece of work that is filled to the brim with love, both inside, and out.


    I hope you all feel the burning love while enjoying ¡®Oust¡¯. Thank you! ]


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Back in the office, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were scrolling through the post withplicated expressions. They took asional nces at their boss, wanting to say something but not knowing the right words.


    They looked at each other and shook their heads in resignation.


    Forget it, It was their own fault for expecting this entric individual to respond sincerely with some long-winded exnations or official sounding rhetoric.


    Isn¡¯t that whatpanies or game designers were supposed to do when faced with simr ¡®criticism¡¯?


    They certainly never expected Chen Xu to give such a bizarre answer.


    And the worst part is that he was technically correct, which is the best kind of correct.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Meanwhile, most yers on the forums weren¡¯t even expecting a response from Chen Xu at all.


    After all, this was just a big meme and everyone was having fun with it.


    But now, they were stunned to see that he had, and the contents left them speechless. The situation was about to turn into an even bigger meme.


    [ Chen Xu, you¡¯re killing me here! ]


    [ What do you mean he doesn¡¯t actively harm anyone? You never even gave him a weapon! You prick! ]


    [ Miles: Where¡¯s my gun? Where¡¯s my gun? Isn¡¯t this America? Where is my gun?? ]


    [ Sorry, here¡¯s a camcorder, good luck out there. ]


    [ I swear this post is bullshit. But I¡¯m also kinda seeing the point. ]


    [ Based on his logic, the asylum patients seem super friendly too¡­ ]


    [ Exactly! How could anyone call those patients dangerous? They¡¯re so incredibly kind! ]


    [ During the investigation, the patients and doctors enthusiastically interacted with the protagonist. They invited him to do indoor parkour, y hide-and-seek, and even arranged a quick manicure for hygiene purposes ]


    [ Let¡¯s not forget the chubby security guard, who was so concerned for the protagonist¡¯s safety, that he kept close and even gave him a cute little nickname. In the end, he bravely sacrificed himself in front of the protag. ]


    [ RIP uncle security guard, he was such a good person. In the sewers, he helped separate my head from my body to prevent me from bumping it, so considerate. ]


    [ The nail-care doctor was so worried about me eating with dirty hands that he decided to trim my fingerspletely. What a pal! ]


    [ The protag captured so many heartwarming moments with his trusty camcorder. As thanks, he bravely extinguished many fires and even helped the doctor with some abdominal exercises. ]


    [ <em>sob sob, </em>¡®Oust¡¯ is such an extraordinary tale of human kindness. Such boundless love! The only downside is the new pair of underwear I need every time I feel the ¡®love¡¯ ]


    [ Suddenly, I can¡¯t look at ¡®Oust¡¯ the same way¡­ But I also can¡¯t quite tell what¡¯s wrong¡­ ]


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    And thus solidified another solid entry of Chen Xu¡¯s contribution to this new world. His response quickly snowballed into a spammable copypasta that was adapted into many othermunities.


    Going viral gave ¡®Oust¡¯ an additional boost in sales and poprity, pushing the numbers up beyond Chen Xu¡¯s initial estimates.


    Meanwhile, in the internal world of the gaming industry, other developers and designers were paying close attention to the statistics of ¡®Oust¡¯, trying to glean whatever information they could out of the recent hype and how it tranted into profits. LikeLoading¡­<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


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 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    The poprity of ¡®Oust¡¯ continued to rise on live streaming tforms, video sharing tforms, and major gamingmunities.


    While video game journalists and media sites began publishing their reviews and scores for the game.


    On the critics¡¯ side, ¡®Oust¡¯ received a positive average rating of 8.5 out of 10. It also received a high average user score of 9.1 out of 10.


    Amongst the 3 games developed by Neb Games so far, it had the lowest scores.


    (For obvious reasons, ¡®Mirror¡¯ is not included)


    However, in terms of sheer poprity, ¡®Oust¡¯ stood head and shoulders above them.


    ¡®Undertale¡¯ opened up the concept of metagames and could be considered a pioneering title in the genre.


    So its poprity was understandable.


    ¡®To the Moon¡¯ gained significant attention by piggybacking off the Sci-Fi gamepetition. And both of them also received signal boosts when Chen Xu got heated against a few well-known figures in the gaming world.


    ¡®Oust¡¯, in contrast, received very little aid from external factors, but generated much more discussion among themunity. It was also the fastest to go viral among the 3 titles.


    (Again, ¡®Mirror¡¯ is excluded because gentlemen games is a strange and mysterious genre)


    But what truly sparks discussion among Chen Xu¡¯s peers is the sales figures.


    Only Chen Xu has the actual sales numbers, but numerous 3rd party organizations were providing their estimations.


    ording to them, ¡®Oust¡¯ is expected to have sold around 250k copies within the week ofunch.


    In terms of horror games, this was a triumph.


    Before ¡®Oust¡¯, the sales record of horror games was held by an old IP, sitting at 120k copies sold in the first week. It was priced at 149 yuan and had an established fan-base to lean upon for nostalgia driven support.


    But in terms of the wider gamingndscape, many found this sales performance surprisingly underwhelming. Especially considering its current poprity.


    This led to many heated discussions among industry insiders.


    [ Chen Xu really missed an opportunity this time. How can the sales be so low when it¡¯s going so viral? ]


    [ Mmm,pared to ¡®Undertale¡¯ and ¡®To the Moon¡¯, it¡¯s not particrly close. ]


    [ I guess that¡¯s just the curse of horror games, it¡¯s such a niche market. ]


    [ I just don¡¯t get why he would choose this genre, imagine what else they could have spent their time and effort on. ]


    [ Horror games are such a tough sell. If he had just stuck to making fantasy and sci-fi stuff, he would have been on a hot streak. ]


    [ Maybe he wanted to challenge himself. Traditional RPGs are toopetitive right now, so he wanted to stand out? ]


    In ck chat groups and game dev forums, a group of designers were sharing their thoughts on Chen Xu and ¡®Oust¡¯.


    But as they were in the middle of theirments, a newment made them rethink their stances.


    [ So 250k copies sold in 1 week at 65 yuan per copy. ¡®Oust¡¯ has already recouped its development costs in full. With the current trajectory and social media poprity, it should hit 1 million copies sold easily. So whatever Neb Games rakes in from here on out is pure profit, they could make over 100 million yuan from this game alone. ] ???N¨®¦¢?£Ó


    Oi now, mind the mood. Who invited this killjoy?


    As fellow game designers, they understood that this game was a sess.


    They just wanted to shoot the shit and act like this game wasn¡¯t such a big deal. It was basic, self-soothing etiquette.


    Tch, some people just can¡¯t read the room¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Back in the office, Chen Xu was leaning back on his fancy chair with a sour expression on his face.


    The system UI only visible to him was showing him the effects of the special item he used. 6 million points were disyed on his tally in converted form, not the raw value.


    Still, 6 million was equivalent to 50 pulls of the gacha, not a bad haul overall.


    The only problem was that after hitting the conversion cap, the umtion rate slowed down significantly. Even worse than the time with ¡®To the Moon¡¯.


    Plus, after getting this 6 million, he hadn¡¯t been able to umte enough for an extra 10 pull, even with help from ¡®To the Moon¡¯ and ¡®Undertale¡¯.


    Reflecting on the situation, Chen Xu realised that he had been too aggressive this time.


    Using fear-based collection, the amount generated per individual was high, but the total number of active yers fell short.


    Too many were trying it for a short time before shelving it forever, preferring to watch other people suffer in their stead.


    Too many were getting scared into refunding the game.


    Too many were buying it as a show of support for Neb Games but never actually intending to y the game.


    How could this generate enough fear points?


    At the end of the day, Chen Xu was suffering from sess. ¡®Oust¡¯ was simply too immersive and scary.


    ¡°A miscalction on my part, I was too short sighted,¡± Chen Xu sighed.


    The original n of striking it rich using the <strong>[Fear Converter]</strong> had fallen through, and judging by how things were going, it would be a slow grind to the finish line. @@novelbin@@


    Bah! No use thinking about it now! He had pulls to spend!


    He stood up and took in a deep breath before heading to the bathroom.


    After relieving himself and washing his hands, he closed all the curtains in his room and turned off his monitors.


    He then lit up a few auspicious candles he bought online to add to the atmosphere.


    After all, sessful pulling requires <em>ceremony.</em>


    The familiar golden lights flickered before him as he used all his pulls in one go.


    <em>Terrible</em> luck as usual. He would ask Yang Xin to get him a refund on those fake candlester.


    50 pulls and not a single special item like the <strong>[Fear Converter]</strong>. Tsk tsk.


    But on the bright side, he got plenty of <strong>[Memory Capsules]</strong>. Those were always useful.


    As for skill books, arguably the most important aspect of the gacha, he got 2 rare pulls. One for <strong>[Level Design]</strong>, and another for <strong>[Game Bnce]</strong>.


    Maybe washing his hands before pulling was the issue.


    A final tally of his pulls:


    <strong>[Concept Art]</strong>: 17 books


    <strong>[Level Design]</strong>: 11 books


    <strong>[Game Bnce]</strong>: 9 books


    <strong>[System Bnce]</strong>: 9 books


    <strong>[Narrative Design]</strong>: 3 books


    <strong>[Music & Sound Design]</strong>: 3 books


    <strong>[Cinematography]</strong>: 4 books


    The rest were all <strong>Memory Capsules</strong>.


    Chen Xu let the capsules sit in his inventory forter use. Ultimately, they were the key to bringing his favorite and most memorable games to life in this new world.


    As for the skill books, he used them all immediately.


    ¡°Time to think of a new direction¡­¡± Chen Xu mused as he leaned back in his chair, letting the mysteries of the skill books seep into his mind and body.


    Overall, ¡®Oust¡¯ was undoubtedly a sess, making hispany a hefty return on investment.


    But it was still peanuts in the grand scheme, and after eliminating costs and other fees, he was left with an avable capital that wasn¡¯t massive, but enough to be flexible and effective.


    The real concern was the future of Neb Games. Chen Xu would need to flesh out the strategy of thepany, direct the development of new projects, figure out the time management, and do something about his online gaming tform.


    Chen Xu absentmindedly scrolled through his newsfeeds while pondering his next move¡­


    Truly, he was a busy man. LikeLoading¡­<ul data-sharing-events-added="true">


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