I open my eyes and my dizziness gradually fades. The familiar sights of Realmshaper III's starter village appear. My heart skips a beat with the sudden realization that I am literally in the game right now.
"Calm down," I say to myself.
WAIT. WHY IS MY VOICE SO SOFT AND THIN?
I run to the closest pond and see my reflection – I AM A CATGIRL. My large eyes, pointed ears, and most importantly, the furry tail behind me are all too real. This is exactly the character I customized when I set my account up in Realmshaper III.
I look around the village, seeing NPCs walking their usual coded routes and other players going about their own business. No one seems to mind my unusual activity.
A dangerous thought arised in my head.
Since I am now inside my own character, I can do all sorts of movements that weren't coded in the game. What if I use my cat girl form to my advantage by seducing other players to help me grind for resources..?
Anyways, I'll think about that later. For now, I need to know how to open the personal game system first.
I close my eyes and try summoning the personal game system in front of me, and when I open my eyes again, there it is. That was easier than I expected. I click "Profile" on the system, and it shows my username is still "UwUE-kitten," confirming that I am living inside my own account.
Username: UwUE-kitten
Role: Assassin
Talent: SSS Rarity (Enslaver of Shadows)
Yep, everything seems normal to me.
I keep scrolling down until I reach "Level," which shows…
Level: 1
…
ONE????
I panic as I keep scrolling down until I reach "Equipment," which shows…
Equipment: No Equipment Unlocked Yet
NO EQUIPMENT UNLOCKED YET???
The reality is all the progress I made in my account is now reset. This is the worst news I could have ever gotten. Not only do I have to live as a catgirl now, but my level and my equipment are all gone. All my hard work spent building my account is now pointless.
I lay on the ground for 30 minutes and stare at the sky, going through all the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance).
At one point, I see a level 15 flying boss fly in the sky. If my account hadn't been reset, I could have one-shot it. But now, what can I do other than cry?
Wait, a level 15 creature??? The level limit for mobs in the starter village is 10, so how is there a level 15 flying mob? The game has run for years, and it is almost impossible for such bugs to occur now.
With my confused thoughts, I open the global chat to see players buzzing about the features of Realmshaper III. They discuss exploring the features of the game and how visually stunning the map is.
It hit like a lightning bolt. My account isn't reset. I AM TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE BETA VERSION OF REALMSHAPER III. That explains the level 15 mob. In the beta version, the level limit in the starter village was 20.
Alright, time to make up for all the regrets in my previous life on Realmshaper III.