Chapter 1: Reborn in a Combined World of Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai: Star Rail
"So, the system only shows up now, just as I'm about to give up on my youth?"
In a rental apartment somewhere in Arc City.
Su Mu looked at the "Game Producer System" that had suddenly appeared in his mind, and it took him a long while to come to his senses.
[This system contains various game source codes to assist the host in developing games. As the host develops games, the higher the host's popularity as a producer, the more source code will be unlocked, and various additional ability rewards can be obtained! Current Host Rating: Nobody Please work hard to produce games and dominate the gaming world!]
"I... transmigrated?"
Standing in the rental room, the system in his mind made Su Mu question his reflection in the mirror.
Twenty-three-year-old Su Mu fell into deep thought.
Rather than transmigrating, it was more like he had awakened memories of his past life.
As his past life's memories resurfaced, Su Mu finally realized what kind of world he was in.
The city he lived in was named Arc City.
Su Mu had transmigrated into the world of Honkai Impact 3rd.
But this world was not exactly the same as the one Su Mu knew. At least, searching through his mind, he found that there had been no strange tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes destroying parking lots, or "gas leak" explosions in recent years.
In other words, he was in a world similar to Honkai Impact 3rd, but without the erosion of Honkai energy.
This allowed Su Mu to breathe a sigh of relief. As a veteran Captain, he knew all too well.
The world of Honkai looked beautiful on the surface, but it was actually a high-risk world. If a Honkai eruption occurred, he could be eroded by Honkai energy and die on the spot.
"The world-renowned Schicksal organization has announced that its star idol, Magical Girl Teriri, will hold her 120th concert tour in Arc City."
"The ME Corp Arc City branch is currently holding elections for the position of Sovereign, with Raiden Ryoma and Cocolia emerging as the leading candidates."
"According to reports from enthusiastic citizens in Arc City, strange fires have been seen passing by their doors. After a stakeout, the Arc City police successfully caught the disturbing street racers and have revoked their licenses..."
"Elio, CEO of Stellaron Hunter Technology, announced that the new project 'Hunter Space' has been greenlit and is expected to debut next spring."
"The Interastral Peace Corporation's Herta studio was recently completed. It is reported that the studio will hire Madam Herta of the Genius Society as a nominal consultant..."
Su Mu scrolled through the news on his phone. Looking at the headlines, his mouth couldn't help but twitch. He felt a sense of absurd unreality...
It seemed he had transmigrated into a combined world of Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai: Star Rail!
Did that mean?
Kiana! Mei! Bronya! Elysia! Firefly! Kafka! Fu Xuan!
Wuhu! There has never been such a wonderful start! Su Mu was almost ready to celebrate on the spot. Being able to see his favorite Valkyries with his own eyes was truly the best start possible!!
However, he wondered what those familiar old actors from the MiHoYo universe would be like in this world.
Thinking of Raiden Mei switching between "Storm! Surrender to me!" and "I weep for the departed" while alternating between being a "Rice Cooker" and a lost traveler, Su Mu couldn't help but find it hilarious!
Su Mu quickly accepted the facts. After all, he wasn't a soul who had just entered this body; he had lived as a native of this world for over twenty years before awakening his memories.
Therefore, although he realized he had transmigrated into his dream world, he calmed down quickly.
After cooling off, Su Mu analyzed his current situation and couldn't help but sigh.
The reason was simple.
Su Mu's university major was Computer Science and Technology—in one word, a "programmer."
He had chosen this major back then because he wanted to enter the game production industry.
Coincidentally, in his previous life, Su Mu was an avid game enthusiast, but due to various reasons, he eventually compromised with reality and failed to enter the industry.
In this life, the entertainment industry in this world was quite developed. As an important region of Shenzhou, it was no exaggeration to say that Arc City was a pillar of the Shenzhou entertainment empire.
The entertainment industry created staggering wealth every year, and countless people tried to squeeze into the industry to get a piece of the pie.
Among them, the game industry was a definite "sweet spot." But the limited market share also made competition extremely fierce.
Ironically, the industry never lacked programmers like Su Mu.
Good games certainly needed excellent programmers, but what was more important was game design technology—that was the soul of a game.
Therefore, for a fresh graduate like Su Mu, graduation meant unemployment. He was urgently seeking a job that matched his major.
During this period, Su Mu had been going from one interview to another.
But...
"Sorry, we are looking for programmers under 24 with five years of work experience..."
"If you are scouted by a bigger company in the future, will you abandon your current company?"
"There are four leaders, but you only have three bottles of water. What do you do?"
After interviewing at many companies, Su Mu silently put on a "mask of pain."
Under 24 with five years of experience? At 19, he was only a freshman!
And those later questions?
Weren't they all just intentionally making things difficult?
If you don't want to hire, just say so. There's no need to be so disgusting, right?
Damn it!
But fortunately, he had finally obtained the transmigrator's "Golden Finger"!
Su Mu excitedly opened the system panel and tinkered with it for a while before finally finding the Newbie Gift Pack in a hidden corner.
"Congratulations! You have received the source code for 'Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy' x1 and Basic 3D Modeling Proficiency x1."
Is that it? Nothing else?
You gave me this source code? System, are you okay?
You didn't give me Miyazaki Hidetaka's Souls trilogy, Sekiro, or Elden Ring! Even a Nintendo "Family Bucket" would be fine. Even Ubisoft "Canned Games" would do—I'm not picky!
But "Getting Over It"? What kind of trash is "Getting Over It"?
If you had at least given me "PUBG," I'd say you tried!
But soon, the knowledge in Su Mu's mind told him that in this world, there really hadn't been any games produced specifically to make players suffer and drive them crazy.
For an industry dominated by "reskinned" gacha mobile games, this might actually be a "dimensional reduction strike."
Maybe it could actually work.
Su Mu knew well that in the industry, you have to have a "gimmick." For a game producer, if you don't have a hook, you'll be eliminated sooner or later!
After making up his mind, Su Mu no longer hesitated. He opened his computer and began producing the game that once drove countless players crazy: "Getting Over It."
————————————
Arc City, MiHoYo Game Company.
"Ding-dong! You have a new email!"
A beautiful woman with silver hair, dressed in a standard professional suit, put down her coffee cup. The ID card on her sizable chest revealed her identity.
"Bronya Zaychik."
"HR Department Manager."
Bronya moved the cursor. It was graduation season, and as the HR manager, she had seen countless resumes during this time. Unfortunately, finding gold in the vast ocean of applicants was not an easy task.
[Name: Su Mu Age: 24 Major: Computer Science and Technology]
After carefully checking the resume, Bronya was somewhat surprised. Su Mu was not applying for a programmer position, but for a game design position.
She opened the attachment. MiHoYo had strict requirements for applicants; the ability to independently produce games was a must. Therefore, those applying for game design positions had to include a demo.
However, the slight interest she had managed to muster was quickly extinguished by the crude game graphics.
"Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy? What is this?"
She stared at the crude 3D model on the screen: a man with his lower body stuck in a cauldron, wielding a large sledgehammer, with eyes that emitted a strange, dead-fish-like light.
There was no prologue, no extra introduction, and not even a tutorial level.
How do you play this?
Bronya's mouth couldn't help but twitch. She hadn't seen poorly made works before, but she had never seen anything this ridiculous.
"Maybe the gameplay is different?"
Bronya stayed patient and began to control the little man in the game based on experience. She soon discovered that using the mouse to control the sledgehammer, along with the WASD keys, could make the character move.
It didn't seem difficult.
Looking at the rocks ahead, Bronya understood that the task of this game was probably for the player to control the pot-man to climb to the highest point.
A game with no originality—she could clear it easily...
"Manager Bronya, it's almost time to get off work. Are you not going back?"
"Oh, you guys go ahead. I'll finish this little game first."
With that mindset, Bronya prepared to play casually.
However...
"Do you know how to be pleased? You must be happy when playing games. You must play with a smile; don't look miserable."
"Like this, play with a smile."
"Play your a!!"
Watching the little man she had worked so hard to move fall back to the starting point in an instant, Bronya looked at the "Down syndrome" pot-man at the beginning. She felt that his face was mocking her.
"I don't believe it!"
Once.
As a hardcore game enthusiast, Bronya was a star player, invincible on the internet!
But today, for the first time in her life, she encountered an unprecedented setback!
Extremely poor performance, no tutorial, no save function—only the sudden mocking BGM whenever she fell, the sarcastic text, and that bystander narrator...
Everything was filled with the game producer's malice!!
"Hmm? Bronya, it's already ten o'clock. You haven't gone home?"
At some point, a white-haired woman appeared behind Bronya, her beautiful face filled with slight curiosity.
If Su Mu were here, he would definitely shout out:
"Holy crap! It's the super incredibly giant-sized cute Kiana!!"
The dark-faced Bronya silently moved her seat so that Kiana could see the screen clearly.
"Hmm, a new game design applicant? Let me see, Su Mu... Game? Getting Over It?"
As she looked at the screen, a voice sounded inappropriately in Kiana's mind.
[Ding! Please find a manager to bind with as soon as possible. If the manager's project loses money, the host will receive ten times the rebate!]
END OF CHAPTER