mesbooks 0001 Miss Mira
0001 Miss Mira
On Wednesday, the day before Crazy Thursday, the sun rose a little later than usual.
Li Ai walked into the building called Gumei Network.
As the top producer at this game company, he created the Soulslike match-3 game Painful Match, which became an overnight sensation across the country and a favorite among many middle-aged and elderly people.
This also gives the company, Gumei Networks, the possibility of becoming a top-tier game company.
Amidst a chorus of greetings, Li Ai arrived unimpeded at the top-floor CEO's office.
The boss, CEO Zhang Daifu, stood up with a smile to greet him.
"Li Ai, is the contingency plan for the new project complete?"
"Hmm, let's take a look."
Li Ai handed over the folder and portable hard drive she had brought.
Zhang Daifu connected to the computer, sat down, and opened a folder.
"A new project, a Monster Hunter fan game. The game's name hasn't been confirmed yet. Its biggest feature is that the monsters retain their original designs, as well as having both monster girl and monster form. The protagonist can either fight and capture them, or follow a strategy route to make them partners..."
The files on the hard drive had been copied to the computer. Zhang Daifu double-clicked to open them and continued browsing.
"The original artwork for these monster girls is of a very high artistic standard."
Zhang Daifu picked up an original illustration of a monster girl labeled Mirapolias and couldn't help but praise it.
"Good eye, that's the final boss from Monster Hunter. We paid a lot of money for this piece."
Zhang Daifu carefully examined the rudimentary prototype of the game for about five minutes before placing the file on his desktop.
He leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply.
"This development plan isn't working?"
Li Ai discerned the other party's attitude from their reaction.
"There are too many problems, Li Ai. We need to discuss the copyright, and Tencent's competitor is also launching soon. Most importantly, why doesn't your game framework have any monetization points? Divide the monster girls into grades according to their combat power, put them in the gacha pool, and draw them out one by one."
"I did consider a gacha system, but the problem is that the essence of this game is interacting with monster girls, increasing their affection to make them partners. If you can just pull them out by spending money, then the player's strategy process becomes meaningless."
Li Ai explained her reasoning.
"The player's gaming experience is important, but games ultimately need to be profitable. Even if I can pass this proposal, the shareholders won't approve it. I boasted at the shareholders' meeting that Gumei Network's new game is comparable to Genshin Impact and Glory of Heroes, which is why they were willing to invest and support its production and marketing at the highest level."
Zhang Daifu tried to persuade her, clearly hoping that Li Ai would give in.
"You weren't optimistic about Candy Crush at first, but now it's become a mainstay of the company's revenue, hasn't it?"
"It's different. Match-3 games are low-budget productions, so you can experiment and make mistakes."
"So this plan is the one that can't be approved no matter what, right?"
"right."
Zhang Daifu confirmed this.
Li Ai's face darkened, and she pushed back her chair and stood up.
"Calm down."
Li Ai did not respond, but stood on the floral pattern in the center of the carpet in the president's office.
Zhang Daifu sensed something was wrong and quickly got up and ran to the door, locking the office door tightly.
"Many years ago! On a forum!"
Li Ai was passionate and spoke with conviction.
"Someone once commented that one day everyone would be controlling the giant mushroom! Because of that sentence, I thought I had found a kindred spirit, so I followed that person and made games for four years. That person is you, Zhang Daifu!"
"Li Ai, please stop going crazy!"
Zhang Daifu clasped his hands together, looking helpless.
"We made a promise that once the Mushroom Network we built grows, the first thing we'll do is to create the games we each envision."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Daifu lowered his head dejectedly.
"I understand you, but people change as they grow, and sometimes you have to succumb to reality in order to move forward."
"So, for the sake of the company's development, my ideal game has to be put on hold, right?"
"May I ask a more personal question?"
Zhang Daifu put his hands into his suit trouser pockets.
"ask."
"Why are you so obsessed with turning the monsters in Monster Hunter into female characters? Even if the marketing for this kind of game is done well, the audience is still relatively limited."
"Because a monster girl saved my life when I was little."
"what?"
"Just kidding. The reason is the same as your longing for the giant mushroom. In a harsh ecosystem, you can form a partnership with monster girls and help them grow stronger. That's what I want to present to the players."
Zhang Daifu pondered for a moment and replied, "Okay, I will try my best to persuade the shareholders, but we must not compromise on the monetization points."
"You agree?"
This time, it was Li Ai's turn to be surprised.
"Well, if you're not willing to design the monetization aspects, I'll hand it over to the newly hired numerical planner."
"I'll handle it myself. I'll give you the detailed plan tomorrow."
"Okay... let's not bring up those things from the past anymore. After all, I'm the president of the company."
"Understood, Mr. Zhang."
Back in his seat, Zhang Daifu looked at the computer and immediately spotted the giant pufferfish among the many plants on the familiar wallpaper.
The bright, reflective purple mushroom caps, the resolute and unyielding gaze, and the perfectly pursed lips made it impossible for Zhang Daifu to look away.
Aside from Li Ai, probably no one in this world can understand how he felt when he first saw the giant mushroom on the computer when he was young.
"It's been three months since the last collaboration between Candy Crush and Plants vs. Zombies, let's do it again..."
Zhang Daifu muttered to himself as he dialed the company's business manager's number.
At 7 p.m., Li Ai returned home, changed into a bear-patterned pajama, and sat down in front of the computer.
His expertise lies in game concept design, not in building monetization structures.
However, in order to ensure that the game experience remains true to its original purpose, I had to personally handle this aspect.
Therefore, during his daytime hours at the company, he collected a lot of professional advice and commonly used strategies in the industry.
After printing out a stack of documents, place them next to the monitor for easy reference.
"If a game centered around monster girls doesn't monetize them, then the only way to monetize it is by enhancing the player. The combat difficulty is already quite high, so players shouldn't object... But how can this be implemented reasonably? After all, the Monster Hunter universe is relatively hardcore and doesn't have a strong element of magic or superpowers."
As Li Ai spoke, she inserted a straw into the Hahawa AD calcium milk in her hand.
After tasting a refreshing sweetness in his mouth, he picked up the green bottle of AD Calcium Milk and examined it carefully.
"Since the protagonist is a transmigrator, why not create a shop where he can strengthen himself by eating snacks?"
Leoli sandwich cookies, Old Brown Bear crispy noodles, Shameful Shaved Ice, Poli seaweed...
Many well-known snacks have been added to the game's in-game store.
To prevent whales from spending all their money in the game and to keep character progression within a reasonable range, Li Ai added a daily purchase limit.
Next comes the star rating, which represents the hunter's strength. After advancing, you can unlock more items.
One star, two stars...
By the time this pay-to-win system was initially formed, it was almost midnight.
"I was planning to finish Rataen in the DLC, but I simply don't have the time."
Since acquiring the Golden Tree Shadow, Li Ai has been tortured to the point of near death by Rataen.
The thought that once the new project starts, there won't be time to challenge myself anymore makes me feel somewhat disappointed.
I washed my face and went back to the computer.
Li Ai checked the kryptonite architecture she had designed and felt that it was still lacking.
After rummaging through the scattered manuscripts for a while, he picked up a sheet and examined it carefully.
"Replacing the system interface with a better-looking one can also be used as a way to make money. Is the industry really that crazy now? Oh well, after all, it's the valuable experience of our predecessors, so I'll do it too."
To enhance realism, the game's main character's system interface is implemented using a mobile phone.
Even after changing the icons on the phone screen, the overall look doesn't change much.
Li Ai then focused on the appearance, designing five different phone designs that could be upgraded based on the amount of money recharged.
The player initially wields a shattered POOPa5.
Next are the intact POOPa5, POOPa5pro, POOPa5proMax, and the triple-folded POOPa5.
Next, we tested the results.
Although the initial phone name was Shattered Screen POOPa5, Li Ai dared not let the screen crack effect actually extend to the center of the screen, affecting the player's viewing experience.
Otherwise, once the game is released, the entire Mushroom Network risks being bombarded with criticism.
The screen-broken version was tested and confirmed to be working fine. The total recharge amount reached 68 yuan. When the new POOPa5 was supposed to have its model replaced, a bug occurred.
The shattered screen version did not disappear; the two phone models were superimposed on each other and began to shake violently in the hand of the white model protagonist.
swoosh~
The shattered screen version of the POOPa5 flew out of the sky after being subjected to high-frequency compression and impact.
"The physics have exploded... If we really get into development, we might have to change the engine, but it doesn't matter."
128 yuan, 328 yuan, 648 yuan.
Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh~...
Each phone flew into the test map, into the black clouds above Shudre City.
Only the final POOPa5 triple fold was preserved.
"After you get the triple-fold item through cumulative recharge, please also increase the daily limit for claiming items. Otherwise, just having a phone design won't motivate players to keep buying it."
After making these changes, it was already past 2 a.m.
"That's about enough."
Li Ai stretched and lay down on the table.
I don't know how long I slept, but a foul, burnt smell filled my nostrils.
Stimulated by the smell, Li Ai opened her eyes and found herself lying on a broken stone pillar, with a circular plaza beneath her feet.
The sky was obscured by dark red clouds, and the surrounding area was filled with the ruins of a castle.
The scene before me was exactly the same as the ruins of Shudre Castle in Monster Hunter.
Even more horrific than in the game, a corpse with armor and bones fused together sat piled up next to a stone pier not far in front of it.
"You really can't work overtime too late."
Li Ai rolled up the sleeves of her bear-patterned pajamas, spread out her hands covered in black ash, and began pinching her exposed wrist skin hard.
"Ugh~ That feels good... Why isn't he awake yet?"
Seeing that her skin had been pinched until it turned bluish-purple and she showed no signs of waking up, Li Ai realized something was wrong.
First, he took a deep sniff, then touched the ground covered with charred and burned marks with his palm.
I discovered that both the smell and the touch were completely real.
"I've been transported to the city of Shudre... What's this? I haven't even finished the tutorial, and I've already been thrown into the final boss room?"
Throughout its history, only one type of monster has been able to inhabit Shudrei.
That was the war of destiny, the war of the black dragon Mirapolias.
"That's fine, at least for now, she's not in the lair."
Li Ai, who is always optimistic, comforted herself.
Boom!
The ground trembled, and the stone archway outside the castle suddenly collapsed.
Amidst the rising dust, a black dragon head with four symmetrical horns emerged.
Its four legs and two wings were soon revealed.
A terrifying pressure instantly swept across the square.
Not wanting to say another word, Li Ai glanced at the ground.
Beside the corpse, where bones and armor were fused together, he saw a molten short sword, only half of it remaining.
"This hunting weapon is kind of a one-handed sword..."
Although he knew it wouldn't work, his survival instinct still drove him to go inside.
"Excuse me, brother, may I borrow your weapon?"
Li Ai gripped the hilt of the sword, but only after two attempts with all his might could he barely lift the broken sword slightly off the ground.
Its weight is so exaggerated that it is difficult to even drag it, let alone pick it up and swing it.
"I've come all this way, and there's been absolutely no physical enhancement...?"
Li Ai was certain that it wasn't because her body was too weak, but simply because the broken short sword was too heavy.
"Forget it, I'll just strike a cool pose and wait to die. That way, when Azure Star and the others come to subdue the Black Dragon, no one will even guess about my past... But with my bone strength, the Black Dragon could just breathe fire and turn me into ashes."
Although her thoughts were rather negative, Li Ai did not completely give up on survival.
Li Ai gently put down the short sword, pushed the corpse to the side, and used the stone block as cover to hide behind it.
Thump~ Thump~...
The sound of the dragon's feet stomping grew closer and closer, then suddenly stopped.
The city of Shudre fell silent immediately.
Li Ai noticed a flickering dark purple light projecting onto the ground.
Li Ai had no recollection of the black dragon exhibiting such ecological behavior, and peeking at it from the side with a puzzled expression.
At this moment, the black dragon had transformed into a dragon-shaped outline that shimmered with a dark purple light.
The outline quickly shrank, transforming into a humanoid form with limbs and dragon wings.
Call ~
The light spots dissipated.
A girl with black hair, purple eyes, dragon horns on her head, and black scales covering her body landed in the center of the square as her tattered dragon wings slowly flapped.
"Miss...Miss Mira?"
Li Ai could confirm that this was the first form of the Black Dragon Monster Girl in her game design.
"This scene combined with this transformation is perfect! I wish I could include it in my game..."
Li Ai's parents tragically died in a high-speed car accident when he was a child.
Aside from his close friend Zhang Daifu and the unfinished game, he didn't actually have much attachment to his original world.
"What a pity, the chance is gone."
Li Ai's despair did not change even after the black dragon turned into a monster girl.
The Black Dragon Monster Girl is not only consistent with the Black Dragon, but is also a completely evil dragon who has no pity for human suffering.
For him, smelting hunter armor and weapons to forge and strengthen his own scales was just routine.
As for Li Ai's additional personal settings for the Black Dragon Girl, there are two in total.
One of them enjoys traveling to different worlds and experiencing life in other worlds in human form.
Another one is that the Black Dragon is actually the ancestral dragon monster girl Miraruz, a separate aspect of herself.
"Don't come any closer, don't come any closer..."
Li Ai's inner turmoil had no effect.
Ta-da~
The sound of footsteps gradually approached until they reached the stone block, at which point it stopped.
Faced with the human-shaped shadow cast upon her, Li Ai could only press her back against the stone pillar to minimize the exposure of her body as she made her last struggle.
Dengdeng!
A phone notification tone suddenly sounded.
Li Ai's mind went blank, and her trembling hand reached for her pajamas pocket.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a POOPa5 phone with a cracked screen edge.
"Hello, I'm your hunter instructor. Are you ready to familiarize yourself with your hunting weapons? Complete the beginner quests to earn hunter badges and roam freely across the vast world to hunt."
A beginner's tutorial created by Li Ai is currently playing on the screen.
The long, slanted shadow cast on the ground above the stone pier had shifted and was now looming over Li Ai's head.
He knew there was nowhere to hide, so he clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and turned around.
He looked into those bright purple eyes that seemed to reflect everything in the world.
Even though his attire was strange and his appearance was so abrupt, the black dragon monster girl's eyes remained completely unmoved.
At this moment, for some reason, Li Ai's emotions began to surge violently, and all her senses and desires were amplified like never before.
The gaze, which had been moving downwards, finally settled on the gaps in the black scales forming the skirt armor.