Ash's previous company was named Aurora.
Aurora had launched several popular mobile games, including "Aurora's Dungeon Fortress" and "Aurora's Exotic Domain," and "Aurora's Mage Manual" was a new mobile game the company was testing.
Ash wasn't part of the new game development team; he was in operations. However, he had heard the new game was promising and expected to be a big hit. The planning department head intended for him to lead a small team to handle the marketing strategy for the new game, so Ash downloaded the demo of the Mage's Handbook to research it, preparing to contribute to the company's remaining value more quickly, better, and stronger in the future.
However, before Ash even opened the game, he suddenly found himself transmigrated while working overtime.
How did this mobile game transmigrate with him? And it automatically installed itself into his consciousness's light screen?
Ash was shocked and suspicious, but thinking that in a few days he'd become fodder on the chopping block, he no longer had the leisure to explore the game's origins. He could only hope it would bring him a miracle!
"Aurora's Mage Manual is starting up..."
"Checking/updating game resources for you... Unable to connect to the network, automatically switching to LAN mode."
"Warning: Image system lost... Repairing..."
"Warning: Instance system lost... Repairing..."
"Warning: Data system lost... Repairing..."
A series of red warning prompts flooded across the light screen until a green prompt appeared, finally stopping—
"System search started normally."
"Recharge system started normally."
"Welcome to view the Mage's Handbook."
The whole game successfully started with only the card-drawing and in-app purchase systems working—no surprise for my company!
Ash entered the game with a face full of dark lines.
Eighty percent of the light screen was blank, with only two rainbow-shimmering options in the upper-right corner available for interaction—
"Material Procurement" "Operator Search"
Opening "Material Procurement," there were options to purchase Source Crystals—one crystal cost 6 points, a set was 30 points, a pile was 98 points, a bag was 198 points, a box was 328 points, and a crate was 648 points, each with a first purchase double bonus...
Even Ash's toenail could guess these points were money, but without Alipay transmigrated with him, where could he get the money for a recharge?
What was the company thinking? Testing Demo for internal staff, and you include a microtransaction system? Planning to reclaim our wages, perhaps... This company really would do such a thing.
Opening "Operator Search," due to various missing resources, the operator search interface was also blank, with only two dry options: "Search Once" and "Search Ten Times."
Ash wanted to play draw cards, but it actually took three Source Crystals for one draw! Where did he have the money for that?
I mean, you need money even for the first draw in the test demo? What kind of shameless mobile game is this... Oh, ours. Alright then.
Just as Ash was crestfallen, the light screen suddenly popped up a notification: "Sign-in system successfully repaired, connecting to main server... Unable to connect to the server, switching to LAN mode."
The light screen displayed a third option: "Log In and Sign In."
Clicking it opened a calendar, where Ash saw a check automatically placed in the box for April 11th.
"Regular Supply: 1 Source Crystal."
"Newcomer First Sign-in Supply: Operator Ten-Time Search Voucher."
"Operator Ten-Time Search Voucher: An Aurora Investigation Department-issued permit for batch searching of high-value targets, allowing a ten-time search. A guaranteed operator will be found."
Although he couldn't understand the jargon in the introduction, it was irrelevant—all Ash knew was whether he could escape the upcoming Blood Moon Judgment depended on this unknown game that transmigrated with him!
Opening the "Operator Search" interface, Ash chose "Search Ten Times"!
There was no fancy, luxurious card-drawing animation. Instead, a simple, straightforward card list appeared!
"Energy Potion," "Energy Potion," "Experience Potion," "Experience Potion"... "Death Mad Sword Maiden," "Basic Combat Experience Card," "Training Wooden Sword"...
Then a message popped up: "Operator system repair successful, you can now manage your owned operators."
Ash immediately checked the cards. The card featured a red-haired girl in a black camisole dress, with the girl-next-door purity smile on her face. Her hands were behind her, with long legs in black silk stockings and small leather shoes, tilting her head inquisitively, her pale red eyes full of curiosity.
"Death Mad Sword Maiden."
"Human Race · Female · 18 years old."
"Bonds Level: 0 (30% Experience Sharing)."
"Profession: Mage Student."
"Professional Characteristics: Learning Efficiency +5%."
"Innate Talent · Sword Maiden (Lower): Gains 100% extra swordsmanship experience, with a low chance to gain 10,000% swordsmanship experience (Talent level can be unlocked as strength increases)."
"Personal Skill · Blackhearted Intuition: Stop potential dangers in their infancy. When an enemy intends to attack, there's a probability of automatically retaliating based on the strength disparity between both parties."
"Controlled Spirit: None."
"Water Technique Faction: Not initiated."
"Training Strategy: Not set."
Ash stared at the character for a long time, not seeing anything indicating death or madness, becoming enraged—aside from the cool, explosive name, wasn't this just a plain beautiful girl illustration?
Don't think you can scam money by making a nice illustration, you bastards!
The starting character given away can't be immediately useful and players have to gradually raise them? Modern life's rhythm is so fast, you won't let players enjoy from the start and still need them to spend time? What garbage game is this, truly disgraceful!
I should be the one doing the planning. I could do just as well!
Plus, it's one thing for the first card character to be trash, but if the operators can't be summoned into the real world to help me fight, what's the point of drawing cards?
In a few days, I'll be heading to the execution stage to be an Executioner's KPI. If this mobile game can't help me escape, should I be signing in every day before I die just to boost the traffic for this dumpster game? Truly worthy of being my company.
With his last hope extinguished, Ash felt even more disheartened. Exiting the operator's personal interface, he saw a red dot on the newly appeared "Operator Management" in the upper-right corner of the main interface, which his slightly OCD nature compelled him to click.
In the next moment, he abruptly sat up from the bed.
Because in "Operator Management," there were two operators.
Besides "Death Mad Sword Maiden" he just drew, there was a slender young man in a black trench coat—
"Human Race · Male · 25 years old."
"Profession: Cult Leader/Ancient Historian."
"Professional Characteristics: Being blessed by the Gods of Four Pillars, Luck Check +10; Easier identification of ancient artifacts, Ancient Artifact Identification Ability +5."
"Innate Talent · Mage's Handbook (Lower): Logs other operators in the handbook, sharing their experience proportionally according to Bonds Level with the role. Current handbook pages: 0/1 (Talent ceiling can be unlocked with strength increase)."
"Personal Skill · Exotic Wandering Soul: Effect unknown."
"Controlled Spirit: None."
"Summoning Faction: Not initiated."
Ash turned his head towards the single mirror embedded in the cell wall and compared it with the illustration on the light screen for ages, finally confirming the 'Final Observer' was himself, Ash Heath!
Both the innate talent 'Mage's Handbook' and personal skill 'Exotic Wandering Soul' were metaphorically pointing to his current situation!
Moreover, Ash remembered the term Final Observer—that was precisely the reverent title the Gods of Four Pillars' believers had for him.
Sounds impressive, but ended up being overrun by a group of Hunters, like a quintessential example of rebellion squashed by the police.
Turned out to be his code name within the game, it was more insulting than harmful.
But what's up with this black trench coat? Ash couldn't recall ever wearing it. He mused it might be Heath's taste in attire? If so, his taste wasn't exactly stellar.
Ash reviewed the Death Mad Sword Maiden's screen again, scrutinizing the '30% Experience Sharing' under Bonds Level for a long time, knowing in his heart this might be his only chance to escape!
If his guess was right, as he nurtured the "Death Mad Sword Maiden" in-game, he himself could receive 30% of the experience points she'd gain! The stronger the Sword Maiden became, the stronger he would be!
Hope reignited, Ash grew determined and checked the other junk drawn from the card: two Energy Potions, four Experience Potions, one Training Wooden Sword, one Basic Combat Card, and one Trial Card.
"Energy Potion": In cultivation actions, grants an operator one action point, lasting seven days.
"Experience Potion": During cultivation actions, operators gain a 10% increase in skill experience, lasting seven days, with a maximum of 50% boost per operator.
"Training Wooden Sword": When equipped by an operator, increases swordsmanship experience gained by 15% during training.
"Basic Combat Card": Grants operators organized battle training, leading to substantial experience gain over seven days (Risk level: low).
"Basic Trial Card": Grants one trial to an operator, yielding varying amounts of experience, limited to once per week per operator.
All designed for cultivation, exactly what Ash needed. If items to increase combat power were pulled, they'd be useless to Ash.
Though, why does the combat experience card have a low-risk warning...
He opened the Death Mad Sword Maiden's training strategy, discovering a slew of intricacies:
"Death Mad Sword Maiden."
"Current Mood: 5 (Experience Bonus 0)."
"Available Actions: Rest, Entertainment, Training, Trial."
"Rest: Spends one action point, restoring a certain mood."
"Entertainment: Spends two action points, greatly restoring mood."
"Training: Consumes one action point, undergoing specific faction training."
"Battle: Consumes one action point, requiring specific items."
"Trial: Consumes no action points, requiring specific items."
"Weekly Daily Action Points: 2 points (can use one Energy Potion to gain an additional action point)."
"So that's it, I have to consider the operators' mood factors—the better mood they are in, the better their training effects. You must balance tension and relaxation, the core of education..."
Ash appreciated this humanistic cultivation system, then decided to equip the Death Mad Sword Maiden with the "Training Wooden Sword," spending 1 Energy Potion and 4 Experience Potions, maxing out 3 action points!
"Training Strategy: Training, Training, Combat!"
"This week's trial subject: Swordsmanship!"
"I'm about to be executed, where would I have time to worry about the mood of a paper person?"
When Ash clicked send in the "Training Strategy" interface, the light screen popped a prompt: "Would you like to activate Final Observer's innate talent, logging Death Mad Sword Maiden in the Mage's Handbook?"
"Ah right, almost forgot to bind the Sword Maiden. Thankfully the game reminded me, or wouldn't all the training be in vain?" exclaimed Ash, relieved by the reminder. Now with his life akin to a flickering candle in the wind, he couldn't afford to waste any time, needing to squeeze every last bit of return.
"Confirm to log Death Mad Sword Maiden in the Mage's Handbook? Note: This action is irreversible."
"Operator bond successfully logged. Cultivation ongoing, scheduling in progress..."
"Building trial scene... Scene materials missing, auto-completing... Found available scene, occupying..."
"Trial subject missing, auto-completing... Found available subject, extracting..."
With such game messages appearing, Ash found himself momentarily unoccupied. Perhaps from the excitement and stress of the day, when relaxed, Ash felt bouts of drowsiness, as though his energy was completely drained, with his eyelids constantly battling.
Before his head touched the pillow, Ash sank into a deep sleep.
In a distant place three hours from Ash's location by time difference,
A girl who had gone to bed early for beauty sleep suddenly found herself awakening in a dream.