[...Twist it. If you want to kill me.]
The sword lodged in the man's heart throbbed violently.
At the ragged edge of his life, not far from its end, the man arrogantly urged on his own death.
[...]
The woman gripping the sword said nothing. She twisted it.
His chest warped, blood spurting forth, but the man didn't let out even the smallest groan.
[You are still... so beautiful because you cannot have me.]
The man's hand rose slowly, touching her. The bloodstains on his fingers smeared across her cheek.
Her face held no expression. Ice-cold and resolute, just as he had fallen for her. It was beauty befitting the finale of his life.
The man wore a faint smile.
At last, his final words surged back like bloody vomit.
[Damned bitch...]
Damned bitch, he said.
"Phew. It's not crashing anymore..."
I let out a sigh of relief at the normal screen. Then I double-checked the character's settings.
Deculein von Grahan Yukline
Alignment — [Evil]
Initial Job — [Chief Professor]
Initial Mana — [3,357]
Talent Grade — [Grade 6]
Talent Type — [Magic: Manipulation Series / Earth, Fire Attributes]
Traits — [6]
Personality — [13]
Deculein. One of this game's mid-bosses, a named villain.
With so many branching paths as a key villain, he'd been full of bugs, but fortunately, this scheming bastard who'd pulled off dirty deeds throughout the game died without a hitch after just 11 hours of playtime.
Cause of death this time: sword wound from his fiancée.
"Um, Woojin-ssi?"
I was about to resume playing when a familiar voice called my name. I turned toward it.
"Ah, yes. Yuarra-ssi."
Even without makeup, her eyes were still strikingly large, and her long hair cascaded with a natural sheen, no special care needed.
This woman, whose features could pass for an actress's, was named Yuarra. Her role: team leader.
The one who'd dated me before—no, the one who'd graciously dated me.
"How's the testing going?"
I shrugged at her question.
"Yes. Doing it~"
Yuarra nodded silently. As I glanced at her, I spotted a new accessory around her neck.
My lips unwittingly pursed.
"Looks like things are going well with your some these days?"
"Huh? Ah... well?"
Yuarra shrugged too.
The similar gestures were something we'd picked up from each other during our time together.
"Seems to be going well."
"Hmm~"
I idly dragged the mouse, click-click-click.
I'd heard the rumors, but hearing it straight from her twisted something inside me.
"But why do you ask?"
"...Why do you think."
Our breakup was already six months old.
There was no blame in how it ended. We'd simply stopped understanding each other.
I was a born slacker, and she was a born workaholic.
Her ambition had dragged my laid-back self into scraping by somehow, but in the end, she couldn't accept my personality.
...No, I couldn't change.
"Wishing you two all the best, even marriage~"
"...Haa."
"Aigoo. Was that too pathetic?"
I waggled my eyebrows mockingly.
She didn't take the bait.
"Get ready to work. There might be setting changes, so we may need to tweak the modeling."
"Again? Come on... Does the writer change stuff every day?"
I sighed and checked the clock.
9 PM. Night had fallen, but quitting time was still far off.
"Ah. You were looking at Deculein, huh?"
Yuarra peeked at my monitor and chuckled.
"Yeah. Died in 11 hours. But with some exploits, you could kill him right at the start. Is he really a mid-boss?"
"That's our game's charm. Leave Deculein alone, and he turns into an even bigger villain, so killing him early makes the game easier. Difficulty changes based on player choices."
"...True."
The whole company, me included, had run tests dozens, hundreds of times. I'd done up to the fourth playthrough.
Probably replayed about 1,000 times total, and this mid-boss Deculein died every time except once.
"But did you know? This character's model is based on you, Woojin-ssi."
"...Deculein?"
"Yeah. That's why I kill him first thing."
"What?"
I furrowed my brow.
On the monitor, the line "Damned bitch—" still lingered.
"Hehe. Didn't notice while modeling? The looks are similar."
"No way, I've only met the writer twice."
"Must've seen you passing by the office. Anyway, look—the personality's similar too."
"...Similar personality? His dying words are 'damned bitch'?"
"Similar."
"Tsk... That's why you dumped me."
Yuarra's face stiffened. I raised both hands in mock surrender.
"Aigoo, sorry. Too pathetic again?"
Couldn't help it. Once labeled pathetic, I became it, and couldn't stop.
Finally, even Yuarra took the bait.
"...You're really pathetic."
"You think I'm pathetic, so I feel pathetic. What are you, paranoid? Only I put up with it."
"Shut up and look at the game. How's the testing feel?"
I went along with her topic change. My eyes returned to the monitor.
"The game itself is fun."
The setting was a fantasy blending 14th-20th century cultures.
A massive RPG framework, but focused on storytelling.
"The problem is, if this flops, the company flops too."
REW, the mutant console success in console-less Korea.
Success after success since founding, now a global name. This AAA game poured in all profits and investments.
Fail, and we're fucked.
Literally fucked.
"Don't worry. It won't flop. Didn't see the playthrough reactions? The world's going nuts."
Story and difficulty shift with player actions. Single-player, but with highly AI-driven named characters.
That freshness, plus REW's rep, had gamers domestic and abroad, even webzines, calling it a GOTY contender.
"Build IP fame with single-player console, rake in cash online later. We're guaranteed success."
As she said, tons of appealing characters and jobs.
Knight, mage, demon, demon hunter, administrator, adventurer, mercenary, king, noble... Players could be anyone.
"Yeah. Fine by me. Bonus time."
I smiled faintly and looked out the window.
"...Ah, there he is."
My desk by the window overlooked the street. Near the entrance, a shiny foreign car waited for her.
"But isn't that guy less pathetic than me?"
I pointed outside with a grin.
Now, I could even say that casually.
She let out a small "pfft" laugh.
"...He's a good guy, in a different way from you."
That was enough. I was a good guy too.
Even if she didn't mean it that way, I'd take it as such.
"Good. Glad to hear it."
Of course, it still stung a tiny bit, but not like before.
As she said, the guy in that car was good. If he were a thug, I'd be pissed.
"Yeah. ...But, um... you know. That..."
Yuarra started to say something, then hesitated, lips twitching.
She'd fidget alone, then turn away with "never mind."
I knew her habits too well.
I knew what she wanted too.
"Yuarra-ssi. We first met three years ago, right? What were you going to say?"
Office romance was secret.
We'd started before I joined, but still secret.
"...Yeah. What was I going to say..."
Yuarra smiled weakly.
Tick, tock, tick.
The short silence between us made the second hand obnoxiously loud.
...In these awkward moments, she always spoke first.
"Well, Woojin-ssi. I'm heading out."
"Yeah. Rest well."
"Yes. You too, Woojin-ssi."
Clack-clack—
Her heels faded away. Her back was more perfect than anyone I'd seen, but her inner beauty outshone even that.
She was that amazing.
The greatest luck of my life.
The benefactor who first convinced me people can change people.
"...Take care."
Words that wouldn't reach her. Just for me.
Pathetic in itself. I sighed and refocused on the monitor.
"But man, the writer went too far."
Staring at the already-dead Deculein made my hair stand on end.
This scum is me? Ridiculous.
...Though he does look like me.
Yeah, the base model was me. Someone said it looked familiar during modeling—guess it was me.
"Gotta upgrade the looks at least."
Gold master was out externally, but company and writer greed lingered. They gave me master access for final tweaks.
"Let's see."
No one hates a handsome character.
Villain or not, since I'm the model, fix the face proper. Never been called ugly.
"...Done."
Quick edits done, my eyes caught the character's Traits.
"Hmmmmm..."
This game had two traits defining character uniqueness.
Traits directly affecting base specs, and Personality indirectly.
Named characters had more.
Traits
: Intimidation and Dignity
: Prodigy
: Magic All-Rounder
: Bend Not Break
: Aesthetic Sense
: Villain's Fate
Deculein's six traits above.
A Prodigy and Magic All-Rounder combo? Pure evil, the worst.
Personality
: Chosen People Complex
: Perfectionism
: Routine Habits
: Competitive Drive
: Noble Etiquette
: Sensitivity
: Authoritarian
: Bluff and Composure
: Iron Will
: Culture Obsession
: Atheist...
And many more personalities.
"Personality's shitty."
Even I don't have chosen complex, perfectionism, bluffing. No authority to be authoritarian.
I glared at the monitor, then glanced at the trait/personality codes beside.
"...Hmm."
Empty office. I sneakily scrolled other trait/personality codes.
Not trolling, just for fun... then spotted one.
Understanding
"At least don't be pathetic."
Like empathy. Classified as trait, not personality, whatever.
I added Understanding to Deculein's traits.
Next, mega-rich heir... gotta have money.
Click—click—click—
Added others for laughs: Midas' Hand, Naked Eye, Iron Man, etc.
"What the hell is this."
Added five unobtrusive ones, then snapped out of it.
I released the mouse, leaned back.
A hollow laugh escaped.
"...Ha. Seven years."
Seven years.
Too long for you, for me.
Too long to end in a moment.
No, maybe only I felt it that way.
You just gradually tired.
Slowly prepared the farewell.
I just... didn't notice your changes.
Ding-dong—
"Ugh!"
Loud alert. Nearly fell from my chair.
REW (5/107) Rain: Woojin-ssi, still working?
Company messenger.
Sender: Rain, the game's writer and AI department head.
Foreigner, as the name suggests.
Ah, yes. If you want any modeling changes, say now. I'll fix right away. Rain: No... not that. I'm just waiting to see.
I froze.
See what?
Me?
Looked around—empty.
What? Me?
I blinked at the monitor.
Then came a grinning emoticon reply.
Rain: Pohang Harbor^-^ No~ Look out the window!
Casually looked outside.
"...Huh?"
Through the clear glass, in the sky beyond.
Light was born.
A streak plummeting, illuminating heaven and earth.
A flash etching the air like human veins.
Lightning.
The blinding beam flooded my wide-open eyes.
A massive shock rocked the world.
The light engulfed the office, drowning my vision in darkness, followed by thunder crashing at my ears.
Rumble—!
...No memory after that.