[SCENE 2: WARPED INTERFACE]
The screen shuddered.
It wasn't a programmed effect; it was an unsettling vibration, as if someone had grabbed the game interface and shaken it to see if it would break.
A hand appeared right before the camera.
Not the player's hand.
It was a hand clad in a black glove, terrifyingly familiar.
Fu Qingxue gripped the edge of the screen and yanked it down.
The UI emitted a faint rrip—the sound of tearing paper—and froze.
A textbox popped up.
But this time, the text didn't appear with the usual typing rhythm.
Fu Qingxue: "Wait a second."
She leaned in, staring directly into the textbox, her gaze piercing through as if looking... straight at the player.
Fu Qingxue: "You don't need to name yourself."
A strange silence followed.
Then, inside the textbox, a new line appeared without a fade-in effect.
[player]
Qingxue smirked.
Fu Qingxue: "Yeah, this works."
She let go.
The interface immediately repaired itself, as if it had been hot-fixed directly from the system core.
No warnings. No tutorial. No guide NPC.
Only the field ahead.
And... the sound of wheels.
[SFK: clack-clack… clack-clack…]
From the distance, a carriage appeared on the dirt road cutting through the field. Two horses pulled the coach with steady steps, wooden wheels grinding against the dry earth.
Qingxue tilted her head.
Fu Qingxue: "Oh."
She turned to the side, even though no one was there.
Fu Qingxue: "A mobile NPC."
She crossed her arms, her interest visibly piqued.
The textbox vibrated slightly.
Three choices appeared.
[CHOICE]
Eliminate
Inquire
Tail
Before the cursor could even twitch...
Qingxue sighed.
Fu Qingxue: "...Tail."
Click.
It wasn't a mouse click.
It was the world understanding on its own.
[EFFECT: STEALTH]
No light. No flashy effects.
Qingxue was simply no longer there.
The grass still swayed. The wind still blew. But the space where she had stood felt "empty" in a way that was fundamentally wrong.
Her voice echoed, low and close to the player's ear.
Fu Qingxue: "Going straight for elimination is fast, but it exposes the script too easily."
An invisible footstep.
Fu Qingxue: "Inquiring just drags us into a meaningless dialogue branch."
Another step.
Fu Qingxue: "As for tailing..."
She let out a soft chuckle.
Fu Qingxue: "...we get to watch the whole world pretend it doesn't know it's about to be overturned."
[SCENE TRANSITION: TAILING THE CARRIAGE]
The carriage traveled for a long time.
The background shifted with suspicious smoothness. Meadows gave way to farmland. Then villages. Then city walls.
Finally...
THE ROYAL CAPITAL.
A massive city appeared—crowded, noisy, and vivid to a point of being... too textbook.
Flags fluttered. People bustled. Guards stood in perfect formation.
Qingxue materialized on the roof of a low building, her dress undisturbed by the wind.
Fu Qingxue: "...Right."
She looked down at the city.
Fu Qingxue: "A bustling capital. Entry-level fantasy world."
She closed her eyes for a second.
Then opened them.
The color of her gaze shifted.
[ENERGY PERCEPTION]
A surge of energy that did not belong to this world.
Coarse. Out of sync. Like objects forced into a coordinate system not designed for them.
It was moving.
Heading straight for—
Fu Qingxue: "The castle."
The textbox began to shake.
New choices appeared.
[CHOICE]
Follow the event flow
Prepare to intervene
Observe further
CRACK.
A tiny sound.
Like a bone snapping.
The entire textbox shattered, the choices splintering into fragments of text that dissolved before hitting the ground.
Qingxue brushed her hands off.
Fu Qingxue: "I already know how this goes."
She stared directly toward the castle.
Fu Qingxue: "Don't bother pretending to ask for my opinion."
[EFFECT: TELEPORT]
No magic circles.
No light.
Just a hard cut.
[SCENE 3: THE CASTLE MAIN HALL]
A vast hall.
A King sat upon the throne, clad in a long robe, clutching a scepter.
Before him stood a group of people.
Their attire... did not belong here.
Modern jackets. Sneakers. One person even had headphones around their neck.
They stood there, faces tight with a mix of tension and excitement.
The King spoke, his voice booming.
King: "O Heroes summoned from another world..."
Qingxue stood at the edge of the hall, unseen by anyone.
King: "...you bear the mission to slay the Demon King and save my kingdom."
One member of the group clenched their fist.
Another swallowed hard.
One smirked, as if starting a new game.
The corner of Qingxue's mouth twitched.
Fu Qingxue: "...Heh."
She turned to look at the player.
Fu Qingxue: "I assume you already know the next plot point?"
She tilted her head.
Fu Qingxue: "Blessed. Granted skills. Flagged as the 'Righteous'."
A pause.
Fu Qingxue: "And then they either die beautifully or win like idiots."
She exhaled.
Fu Qingxue: "I don't know why."
Her gaze flicked over the group with utter disdain.
Fu Qingxue: "But I always seem to attract these brainless tropes."
She turned her back to the throne.
Fu Qingxue: "Forget it."
She began to walk away.
Fu Qingxue: "I have no interest in helping them."
One step.
Fu Qingxue: "What about the Demon King?"
She smiled faintly.
Fu Qingxue: "Let's go have a look."
The screen faded to black.
Only a single line of text appeared slowly.
[END OF SCENE 3]
CHOSEN PATH: THE DEMON KING
[SCENE 4: THE DEMON KING'S CASTLE]
The screen didn't open with a grand effect.
No earth-shattering tremors.
No boss music playing immediately.
Just... an excessive amount of silence.
[SETTING]
The Demon King's Castle sat in the middle of a dark land, but it wasn't "cheap evil" gloomy. Soaring stone towers were engraved with ancient patterns, pale purple light flowing along the grooves like the veins of the architecture. The air was thick and heavy, but orderly.
No corpses.
No swarms of monsters.
Everything was... too tidy.
Fu Qingxue appeared on a high terrace, her dress fluttering slightly, her scythe hidden. Her eyes observed the surroundings as if she were entering someone's house without having taken off her shoes.
Fu Qingxue: "...Oh."
She moved forward.
No guards blocked her path.
No traps were triggered.
It was as if she was expected.
[SCENE TRANSITION: THE DEMON KING'S THRONE ROOM]
The massive doors opened slowly.
Inside was a grand hall with high ceilings and soft, dim lighting. At the center stood an intricately carved black throne.
And upon it—
Qingxue froze for half a beat.
Fu Qingxue: "...Huh?"
The person sitting on the throne.
Long, cold silver hair.
A delicate face with sharp, refined features.
Deep blue eyes, so calm they made the onlooker doubt themselves.
That appearance—
Fu Qingxue: "...Ning Bing?"
No.
She knew instantly it wasn't her.
The aura was different.
The breathing rhythm was different.
The presence... was entirely different.
The other person opened her eyes.
And looked straight at Qingxue.
Demon King: "...So, it is you."
Not surprised.
Not on guard.
Just a statement, as if she had been waiting for a long time.
Qingxue narrowed her eyes slightly.
Fu Qingxue: "Oh, you found me out quickly."
She tilted her head, her tone still leisurely.
Fu Qingxue: "I wasn't even trying that hard to hide."
The Demon King stood up from the throne.
With every step she took, space seemed to stretch slightly, yet there was no killing intent.
Demon King: "You do not belong to this world."
A beat.
Demon King: "Nor do you belong to the summoned group."
Qingxue chuckled.
Fu Qingxue: "Yeah. I figured."
She turned her face halfway.
Fu Qingxue: "That's why I came to see you."
Right then—
The screen abruptly switched to a choice interface.
No music.
No smooth transition.
Just three lines of white text on a dark background.
[CHOICE - PLAYER DIALOGUE]
Attack.
Negotiate.
...Strike up a conversation?
The mouse cursor appeared.
It sat still.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then... it moved.
It hovered over "Attack."
Lingered for a beat on "Negotiate."
Finally—
Click.
"...Strike up a conversation?"
The screen returned to the scene.
Fu Qingxue looked straight ahead, then nodded very seriously.
Fu Qingxue: "Right."
She turned her head slightly, speaking to the player in a tone like she was analyzing a tactic.
Fu Qingxue: "Attacking is easy, sure."
A beat.
Fu Qingxue: "But it makes a loud noise. It's exhausting."
Another beat.
Fu Qingxue: "Negotiating sounds reasonable..."
She gave a mocking smile.
Fu Qingxue: "...but it doesn't suit my style."
She exhaled, her eyes lighting up.
Fu Qingxue: "Therefore."
She stepped forward.
Then—vanished.
[EFFECT: CLOSE-IN]
In the next instant—
Fu Qingxue appeared right beside the Demon King, her arm draped over the other's shoulder as if they were old friends.
Fu Qingxue: "Long time no see."
Demon King: "...?!"
Her mouth hung open, completely losing her composure for one rare second.
Demon King: "Who— who allowed you—?!"
Qingxue smiled brightly.
Fu Qingxue: "Oh, come on."
She tilted her head, her voice suspiciously innocent.
Fu Qingxue: "Didn't you see me coming from the start?"
The Demon King immediately jerked away, escaping the arm over her shoulder. She took a step back, her gaze both wary and confused.
Demon King: "Who are you?"
Just as Qingxue was about to answer—
Her expression changed abruptly.
The smile froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Fu Qingxue: "...Wait."
Space vibrated softly.
[SYSTEM: TRIGGERING FLASHBACK]
The screen began to blur.
The audio stretched.
Flashy images flickered by—
Silver hair.
Blue eyes.
A figure standing beside her... a long time ago.
A faint voice echoed in Qingxue's mind.
???: "...It's not me."
[FLASHBACK - LOADING...]
(TO BE CONTINUED)