"Does the player wish to log in?"
Beneath this question, there were two options: "Yes" and "No."
Zhang Xin's heart raced as he gazed at these unexpected words. He wondered to himself, "Is this real? Or am I just imagining things?" But his curiosity got the better of him, and he focused his thoughts on selecting "Yes."
In an instant, Zhang Xin felt a strange shift in his consciousness, as though a bright white light engulfed his vision. When the light faded, he found himself in an unfamiliar place resembling a straw hut.
The hut wasn't large, but it was filled with items that crowded the room, which was over 10 square meters. Right away, Zhang Xin took note of his surroundings: a straw-covered wooden bed, a simple table, four modest chairs, an old wooden cabinet, and a set of small stoves.
What truly caught his attention, though, was the presence of something strange beside the bed, something he hadn't expected to see here at all.
There was a device that looked like an old arcade game machine, but it was different somehow. It had only a display screen, with no buttons or joystick.
Then, a monotonous voice echoed in his mind, like a programmed announcement: "Fantasy Garden program activated. Current level: Level One. You may plant crops, harvest them, and develop the garden to increase your resources."
"Fantasy Garden!" The name echoed in his mind. "Isn't that the name I chose for the game I was designing?"
Zhang Xin stood silent, and despite lacking a proper background in game design, he could remember the details clearly. This place was the main station in the game he was working on before his transition to this world—a game called The Eternal Garden.
While Zhang Xin stood there gazing forward, a floating virtual screen appeared in the air displaying various data, along with an image of a child dressed similarly to him, looking remarkably like him.
Name: Zhang Xin
Race: Human
Age : 7/47
Profession: None
Skills: None
Seeing this screen in front of him, Zhang Xin felt a mixture of amazement and confusion. It was a player data analysis panel, an essential element he had spent months designing as part of his project in his previous life. But now, there were clear differences; the floating screen wasn't just a static interface he knew, but it interacted with him in a dynamic way, responding to his new existence.
"Although it's different... isn't this the player data analysis panel? And it seems to recognize me as the player character in this current body," he muttered, staring at the floating screen in bewilderment.
How could this screen appear in such a strange world and recognize him as the player character in his current body? The idea of seeing such technology in this context seemed utterly illogical.
His heart began to race as he considered the possibilities. Could it be that he had actually been transported into the game he was working on? If so, did that mean that everything he had designed and programmed had now become real? Questions flooded his mind with no answers.
In an attempt to find answers, Zhang Xin decided to approach the arcade machine in the room. This machine was the only source that might help him understand what was going on. From his design, he recalled that this machine served as the game management tool, used by the player to manage resources and develop the garden.
Upon reaching the machine, he noticed that the screen was already on, displaying a menu with garden-related information, just as he had programmed it.
Zhang Xin eagerly looked at the screen as information began to unfold before his eyes:
Fantasy Garden (Level One)
Experience Level to Next Level: 7%
Available Tools:
Spiritual Shovel: Level 1 tool, capable of tilling the land automatically, covering ten acres per day. Can be removed from storage for external use.Pesticide: Level 1 toxic substance, kills pests automatically. Not for human consumption, can be dispensed in unlimited doses from storage.Herbicide: Level 1 toxic substance, used for automatically killing weeds. Not for human consumption, can be dispensed in unlimited doses from storage.Basket: Level 1 tool, automatically collects fruits and crops, covering ten acres per day. Can be removed from storage for use and transports the harvested income directly to storage.
Buildings:
Straw House (Level 1): Main station for managing and upgrading the garden, also providing a quiet place for meditation and focus.
Spiritual Domain (Ten Acres) (Level 1): Allows for faster crop growth, accelerating maturation speed tenfold
.Spiritual Well (Level 1): Contains pure, drinkable water that enhances the human body. Can be used for irrigation, doubling crop growth speed
.Animal Pen (Level 1): Used for training pets, increasing their loyalty and enlightening their wisdom.
Warehouse (Level 1): Facility for effectively and efficiently storing various items.
Lotus Pond: A pond for raising fish.
After taking a quick look at the information displayed on the screen, the situation began to make sense in Zhang Xin's mind. Before he found himself in this strange world, he had been working hard on his own game project. Now, standing in this new world, he started to realize that his body may not have withstood the stress caused by long hours and lack of rest. He might have died as a result, but instead of a tragic end, he found himself in a new world, along with the game he had been designing.
The game had transformed during his transition into a system akin to the cheat systems he had read about in novels in his previous life.
But what initially filled him with joy was the realization that he wasn't just a traditional protagonist granted a cheat by some superior being.
No, Zhang Xin had designed this system himself. There were no mysterious tasks, no harsh penalties, and no master controlling him. He had become the maestro, controlling everything.
In a moment of ecstatic realization, greed began to seep into his heart, only to quickly be replaced by deep regret.
"Damn it!" he muttered, clenching his fists, "If I'd known I'd end up in my own game, I would have designed a system that made me invincible over time. Or even a game that awarded me an array of starter gifts right from the beginning, like a group of beautiful, immortal fairies as loyal servants!"