[ Have you ever witnessed a group of crow flying above a person?
Yes, I have, it was hauntingly beautiful. The way they flap their wings above a dead body captivated me.]
As I read that line, I could feel the chilks in my skin. A line coming from the game I'm developing right now.
I sighed as I reached for my mousepad. Here I am again overworking myself.
Looking at the mirror beside me, my eyebags are the same size of my eyeballs. It's really hard when you have no choice but to work your ass off.
Then a mail popped on my screen:
[ user@336: This game is shitty, after clearing the level my character died just like that?? How the hell?? The developer must be a shithead!]
Reading the mail, it was just one of those countless trash comments I receive once a day.
I admit it was pretty ruthless of me to design in that way but, it was also those fools who kept on playing even after knowing the outcome.
Not my fault the higher ups like it this way, but they kept on pouring those comments to me.
Remembering how trashy this life is, I redesigned each level. Since they kept on saying I'm a shithead, I'll show them how a real shithead works.
While drinking my coffee, I made each level harder than usual, each story quests, hidden quests, even the events and daily quests.
"Now let's see if the players can still clear the game~"
Just when I was about to end things, a strange pop-up notice appeared in my screen.
[©^§w: Thank you for updating the game! I sent a present for you as appreciation ❤️ ]
Strange...
'Ding! Dong!'
Huh? I got up from my seat and went at the door. A strange delivery man was standing out there carrying a huge box.
Maybe it was the gift mentioned from the mail.
With tired eyes in a cold night, I opened the door welcoming the deliveryman. However, the moment I stepped outside, the man vanished in thin air only leaving the huge box dropped on the floor.
I must be seeing things.
I picked up the box thinking how heavy it must be, but to my surprise it was light.
Dropping it to my chair, I reached for my
cutter to open it. It contains a crow mask and a card.
[Ticket |||| 00003646]
'A ticket with a strange crow mask?' This must be sent by a kid who played the game. Kids these days.
When suddenly the game flashed on my screen. It was the opening surface where a Crow eats the dots as a loading sign.
Then a redeem box appeared,
[Please enter your ticket number: <>]
It gave an eerie feeling, yet my hands typed the ticket number like I am being controlled by some unknown force. "00003646"
After it was typed, the loading music was played, a soft chuckle escape my mouth as the sound was cute contrasting to the feeling it gave me earlier.
Then a crow appeared. It looked quite majestic aside from it being drawn from pixel. The crow is wearing a suit and a hat, even a monocle.
I don't remember designing a crow like this.
[Welcome to 'Beyond the Tale']
I felt proud as a developer of this game, it was cute, however, the feeling of strangeness never left me. How was it loading when I never opened the game.
[As a special chapter we kindly invite you for a tour on our world!]
The note appeared with the crow smiling on the screen. I can't bring myself to be scared because of its cute appearance.
[Would you like to continue? YES / YES]
Do I even have a choice in this, I removed the box from my seat and sat comfortably as I chose 'Yes'.
What could go wrong, it's just a game...
--------------------
Oh how I wish it would be just a game. In a blink, I was gone from the office, instead I found myself lying in a dirty alley.
I was just in the office a whike back, then my sight became fuzzy. All I know, was the sound of the crow played and I was transported here.
Looking at both of my hands, and in a puddle of water. My reflection shows a scrawny child.
How... in the world is this possible???
I asked myself in my head a hundred times. While looking at the puddle, a blue notice popped in front of me.
'I'm doomed.' I softly whispered as I read the notice showed in my eyes.
[Welcome to 'Beyond the Tale' may your journey be full of tales!]
Then, it vanished into thin air, leaving a crow mask beside me.