[Failed personal beginner level detected, rating: D. Entering the opening ceremony of the game "One Billion Humans World"...]
[An unknown error has occurred; regression is paused!]
[...]
[...]
Suddenly, he heard a startling notification sound. Unlike the previous cold system notifications, this was a gentle male voice.
[Determining the world line... Planning the world ending...]
[Planning complete, game begins.]
[Welcome back, Dawn Chaser, player BE3030.]
The power to defy death has been placed in your hands; the world awaits you.
[The only one standing on the edge of the river of time, please do everything in your power... to end this game that humanity has staked everything on.]
["From now on you will experience constant despair and constant hope."]
["—You will lose everything, and you will gain everything."]
["—You will redeem everyone, and you will kill everyone."]
["—You will write down every name."]
["—You will erase every name."]
"—You will become the kindest version of yourself." ["—You will become the most evil version of yourself."]
["—You can learn about anyone's interests and hobbies, cater to their preferences, and become lifelong friends with anyone."]
["—You can also learn anyone's weaknesses, hurt them, even kill them, and become anyone's mortal enemy."]
["—Experience all destinies, bury the failed timelines with your own hands, and make everyone forget."]
["Experience all destinies, create a successful timeline with your own hands, and make it unforgettable for everyone."]
["—You will experience a long period of time filled with blooming flowers and bearing the weight of countless graves. Painful yet beautiful, wonderful yet monotonous."]
"But you'll choose this path of salvation from which there's no turning back... won't you?"
...
What's the meaning?
Von Ryker found these words difficult to understand.
...
You will have a bright and promising future.
The sound disappeared.
...
[—You are dead. Would you like to reload your save file?]
—Am I dead?
Von Ryker's heart was still pounding, and the feeling of powerless death lingered. He found himself floating in a void.
"I just heard a phrase—'The game begins'?" Von Ryker muttered to himself, "What's a game?"
Clearly, the moment he stepped out of the coffee shop, he was pulled from reality into a game. He wasn't sure of the game's objective, but his victory condition should be "avoiding Sera Frost's attacks" or "killing Sera Frost," or at least ensuring his own survival.
Logically, he should have been killed. But now that he is dead, two images appear before him.
One is a scene of him standing on the street in the afternoon, with the text on the scene being [Save Time 1 - Afternoon Street].
One is a scene of a dark room at night, with the text on the screen reading "[Save Time Point 2 - Night Room]".
Von Ryker tentatively tapped on [Save Time Point 2 - Nighttime Room]
...
He opened his eyes. His vision was still a little blurry. Sera Frost was smiling at him, holding some pastries in her hand. This was half an hour ago, when he was in Sera Frost's room.
He seems to have the ability to reload his save file after death; by choosing a specific point in time, he can return to a previous point in time.
He didn't understand why his daily life had turned out this way, but he had to survive to find out more—he needed to avoid this girl who was always trying to kill him.
"A game?" Von Ryker took the snack and whispered tentatively, then heard the system notification: ...
[Hint 01: You are currently in the Genesis Online - Beginner Level.]
[Hint 02: Current objective: Survive]
[Hint 03: You can look for clues, change your actions, and achieve different story endings!]
[Hint 04: Currently achievable story endings:]
HE (Happy Ending): Angel's Heart
True Ending (TE): The Vanished
NE (Normal Ending): Two Hearts ...
...It really is just a game.
According to the description, this is a "beginner level".
So, once the "beginner level" is over, it should be the so-called "opening ceremony of the game for a billion humans," where the specific rules will be explained. There should be an explanation for why he inexplicably started a game.
"Have some snacks, come on, ah—" Sera Frost said with a smile.
But when Von Ryker looked at her, he saw the words appearing in his field of vision:
...
[*Clue 1 obtained: Strange protrusion]
[(Strange bulge): I noticed a bulge in the hem of the girl's skirt... What could she be hiding? I was curious.]
[Customs clearance progress: 10%]
[The clue has been recorded in the clue log and can be viewed at any time.]
...
A[Clues] section appeared in the lower right corner of Von Ryker's field of vision. He could click on it with a thought and see the clues displayed inside.
He put down his snacks and said, "I'm going to the restroom."
First, Sera Frost's skirt was bulging, clearly concealing a sedative spray. Second, her relative, Anna Vane, was still in the kitchen, putting him at a disadvantage. He needed to find a space where he could be out of her sight.
He got up, and as he passed the coat rack, he saw a snow-white work uniform hanging on it with a tag on it.
...
[*Clue 2 obtained: Anna Vane, Vice President of the Academy of Military Sciences]
[Name tag: "Anna Vane, Principal Person in Charge of the Dual Heart Surgery"]
[Customs clearance progress: 20%]
...
He suddenly smelled a strange odor that was wafting into his nose.
...
[*Clue 3 obtained: Formaldehyde]
[Formaldehyde: Why does Sera Frost's house smell like formaldehyde? Could it be... that she also likes to use formaldehyde in her cooking?]
[Definition: A 35%-45% formaldehyde aqueous solution, colorless and transparent in appearance, corrosive, with a wide range of uses, including for the preservation of corpses.]
[Customs clearance progress: 30%]
...