Two heavy dark circles hung almost to her chin, making her look like a decadent wreck who had been completely drained of energy.
With lifeless, dead-fish eyes fixed on the bubbling swamp before her, Evelira opened her mouth…
…and yawned.
Eve had a standard heart-shaped face, with slightly drooping outer corners to her eyes. Whenever she looked up at someone, she carried the pitiful expression of a lost puppy.
Despite this youthful, almost harmless appearance, she frequently committed acts of violence that were entirely at odds with it.
And After every act of violence, she would always apologize with a deeply sincere expression.
And then she would do it again next time.
A colleague she was fairly close to once whispered to her, "Eve… have you ever taken a psychological evaluation or something?"
Evelira would scratch her head and explain earnestly, "I really didn't mean to do it this time…"
Yet strangely enough, thanks to her frequent "outbursts," the atmosphere within Evelira's team was excellent. They had produced several hit games in a row.
The company's newest project, Gods' Law (working title), had also been handed to Evelira's team to plan the main storyline, an extremely arduous task.
Of course, the rewards were just as generous.
According to Manager Zhang, if the project progressed smoothly, every member of Evelira's team could receive a bonus in the 5-figure range.
So, chasing this tantalizing pie in the sky, Evelira devoted herself wholeheartedly to the worldbuilding of the new game.
Gods' Law was a traditional Western fantasy RPG.
The protagonist would descend upon a vast fantasy continent as a gifted "Outworlder," establishing their own territory, mastering various professions, founding a kingdom, and eventually joining the struggle between the continent's many powers.
They would contend with both native forces and other players for the right to commune with the gods themselves…
By the end of the main storyline, players would take part in a God-Slaying War, ultimately ascending to godhood and establishing new laws for the world.
The premise was admittedly cliché. To make the game stand out, they needed a wealth of side quests, hidden storylines, and deeply buried Easter eggs.
To produce a solid main outline for upper management, Eve led her team in working day and night for an entire month.
After typing the final word of the email and scheduling tomorrow's report with her boss, Evelira dragged her nearly lifeless body home and collapsed onto her bed.
So tired.
So unbearably tired.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
…Hm?
Someone was speaking.
That voice—she hadn't heard it in a long time.
Not since that incident.
"J..!" Eve jolted awake.
An endless expanse of dark green filled her vision.
By instinct, she reached for her glasses, only to find that the familiar weight on the bridge of her nose was gone.
She rubbed her eyes and squinted.
The world before her was unbelievably clear.
No more nearsightedness?
Her suddenly healthy vision felt strange, but what she was seeing was even stranger.
A seemingly endless forest stretched out before her.
The scent of plants lingered in the air, mixed with damp mist and the sticky sweetness of flowers yet to bloom.
It was rich, pungent, and brimming with vitality so overwhelming it felt as though it might swallow her whole.
As she breathed, her rhythm unconsciously synchronized with the forest. Her chest rose and fell in time with the vegetation.
Close your eyes…
Stay here…
Remain…
"…Eve."
Evelira snapped her eyes open.
She tore herself free from the purple flowers winding around her ankles and stared at the forest in horror.
[Ding! Congratulations to Player Evelira Reinhart for entering the Bolo Continent! Player data visualization in progress…]
A dream.
This had to be a dream.
The strange purple flowers beneath her feet quietly crept closer, attempting to drag their prey back into hallucination.
"Fu..!"
A surge of hostility, one she hadn't felt in a very long time, erupted from her chest and then she stomped down hard.
Snap.
The flower shattered beneath her foot. Bright red sap, almost like blood, spilled from the broken stem, making her stumble back in shock.
This thing.
This creature.
This monster.
It was something she had written before.
An elite mob: Dala Flower, recorded in the monster setting archive of Gods' Law.
It must be a dream.
She must have worked too hard, so hard that her mind was replaying her own ideas at night.
Evelira shook her head and scanned her surroundings with a cold, controlled gaze.
[Data visualization complete. Please enter the system interface to view your data.]
"This dream is disturbingly realistic," she muttered, pinching her thigh without expression. "Heh."
[Please enter the system interface to view your data.]
It hurt.
[Please enter the system interface to view your data.]
This wasn't a dream.
Panic crept into her chest as Evelira asked the empty forest, "How do I enter the system interface?"
Emotions she'd buried stirred in her. Ever since that incident, she had hidden them carefully, forcing herself to act like a normal person.
"…Calm down," she whispered.
[Simply think 'system interface' to enter. Before Level 10, game time will pause while inside the interface.]
The pain in her thigh still lingered.
Evelira took a deep breath.
"System interface."
Don't lose control.
You can handle this.
The world froze instantly.
A massive interface composed of countless familiar terms, icons, and UI elements unfolded before her eyes.
The eerie forest had transformed into a game.
And she..
She was a player inside it.
Absurd. Ridiculous. Like a joke from a late-night comedy show.
Yet it was happening.
[Player Name: Evelira Reinhart
Class: None
Level: 1
HP: 70/100
MP: 90/100
Stamina: 50/100
Attack: 50
Defense: 40
Equipment: None
Skills: None
Quest: Complete the Beginner Tutorial
EXP: 0/100
Inventory: None
Status: Weakened
Location: Dark Swamp]
Not full health.
A permanent weakened status.
And spawned in the Dark Swamp.
Gods' Law had only defined the broad strokes of its main storyline. Detailed systems, class paths, and balance work hadn't even begun.
Evelira couldn't be certain whether this world truly was Gods' Law.
But whether it was or not, the character she had been assigned was dangerously weak.
"Restart," she called out.
[This character is uniquely bound. Please take the game seriously. If the character dies, you will not be able to re-enter the game.]