This was also an important reason why she confidently participated in the mission at the beginning, but who knew that this damned instance was so unfair!
[Sister, stop talking. Can you imagine me, a healer, fighting monsters? (ㅍ_ㅍ) If it weren't for a lucky encounter with a friend, all the effort I put into leveling up would have been for nothing.]
Player Yi Ke Xing posted two crying emojis under the thread, and also @ed her friend to express her gratitude.
[Sisters who didn't participate in this instance, this is definitely the wisest decision you've ever made. The damned instance doesn't allow mid-way exits, otherwise, all our levels will be wiped clean, and items will drop randomly. (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)]
Solid Proof: [Screenshot] [Screenshot] [Screenshot]
Below were a lot of posts about who had it worse, like how many levels they had lost in this game.
A post suddenly appeared, [There truly are no free lunches in this world. The Boss's missions are as difficult as ever.]
...
Qing Yue browsed the forum for a while, then opened the game pod and ordered takeout for herself.
She sat on the sofa, hugging a pillow, lost in thought. She was a game designer, one of the creators of the wildly popular full-immersion virtual reality game. Each designer had their own area of expertise.
And this Boss, named Goddess, was created by her own hands.
A while ago, many data points within the game began to exhibit anomalies, deviating from the original design. The Boss's reactions were the most prominent among these. After the company discovered that the data could not be modified, they assigned her, who was responsible for this part, to find the problem.
As the saying goes, to design a good game, one must first understand it.
Qing Yue was one of the earliest players of this game. As a game designer, she easily obtained access to the game's beta testing. Even when she was busy with work later, she still made time to relax in the game for at least an hour a day.
By now, her game level had reached eighty-two.
As both a player and a game designer, she was one of the first to notice the game's issues. The NPCs they designed were becoming increasingly lifelike.
Although they had infused the NPCs in the game with a lot of situational context during its design to support their corresponding reactions, there was no situation where a game NPC would have a special liking for a player.
She had reported this to the company, but they dismissed it, thinking she was just feeling this way due to overwork. Qing Yue could only accept this explanation.
However, this time, Qing Yue felt it might be an opportunity.
During the game's design, player agency was paramount, so it was impossible for there to be a restriction against exiting an instance. She suspected that this game Boss had developed a stronger self-awareness than other NPCs.
It might even possess some administrative rights within the game. Thinking this, Qing Yue's brows furrowed, filled with worry.
A melodious ringtone sounded, and Qing Yue answered the call.
"Sister Qin, yes, I saw the forum. Are there any anomalies in the backend data?"
"No, Li told me you went to participate in that mission. Did you find anything?" Qin An Qian inquired.
"No, it seems no different from a regular instance, just hunting monsters. There are two more stages, perhaps I'll find something later," Qing Yue replied.
"Alright, be cautious and notify me immediately if you find anything unusual. You have paid leave for these few days. Spend more time in the game. If this bug isn't resolved, the company will face many troubles later," Qin An Qian urged, her brow furrowed, suppressing her unease.
Logically, with such significant issues in the game, it should have been temporarily taken offline. However, the company's investors were unwilling.
When there were no problems, they acted as if the game was perfectly fine. But if problems arose, they would all shift the blame, leaving the programmers to bear the brunt of it.
Qin An Qian sighed deeply and, after hanging up, said to others in the office, "Everyone, stay sharp and find the problem as quickly as possible."
"Yes."
Under everyone's "anticipation," the second stage began.
[System Prompt: This stage is called 'The Actor'. Players will randomly assume an identity within the instance. The game duration is five hours. During this period, players must not act contrary to their persona. The one with the highest status will receive an additional reward.]
[Note: One hour in the game is equivalent to one day in the instance. Once a player dies within the instance, it is considered a failed attempt.]
Qing Yue blinked, not quite understanding what it meant, when she found herself in a different place.
It was a military camp. Yellow sand filled the air, and the soldiers were gaunt. In contrast, the general's tent was filled with music and dancing, a scene of peace and prosperity.
Qing Yue opened her character information to check her identity.
[Player Name: Qing Qing Ru Yue]
[Level suppressed to initial level thirty. Character identity: Dancer. Origin of identity unknown. Next mission: Assassinate the General.]
Qing Yue: ...
She, a dancer, was tasked with assassinating the General? Let alone whether she could succeed, even if she did, she would surely die.
Fortunately, the mission did not specify a time limit. Qing Yue observed that there were dozens of dancers like her, but none of them were players. Clearly, the instance they entered was likely not the only one.
Qing Yue's mind raced. It was evident that the treatment of the General and the soldiers differed greatly. These soldiers must have been dissatisfied with the General for a long time, but for some unknown reason, they dared not act.
Therefore, the first thing she needed to do was to understand the reason.
"Ru Yue, why are you awake so early?" A dancer beside her, with her clothes partially undone, groggily sat up.
"Can't sleep," Qing Yue coughed softly and replied.
"Oh~ You're worried about being chosen by the General, aren't you! Don't worry, the General only favors one dancer every five days. It's Xiao Yu for these five days, so you don't need to worry." Xue Lin said with a suggestive smile, her eyes full of allure.
"That's good. I'm new here and don't understand the rules yet," Qing Yue pretended to be shy and lowered her head.
Xue Lin smiled knowingly and yawned sleepily, "Don't worry, you'll learn the ropes later."
Xue Lin fell back asleep, but Qing Yue couldn't. Her mind was frantically searching for a way to break through.
The next day, Qing Yue found an opportunity to meet the dancer named Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu walked through the crowd with her head held high, her face full of arrogance, like a proud rooster surveying its territory.
Qing Yue found an opportunity to interact with her when they were receiving their rations at night. However, Xiao Yu at that time was completely different from before.
She lowered her head, curled up in a corner. When she heard a sound, she merely glanced at Qing Yue numbly, then sank back into her own world.