A Guide's Darkening, Twisted Love Triangle

The sentinels in the Tower are all S-rank, fearless warriors. Only an S-rank Guide can soothe their volatile minds.

For some reason, an E-rank Guide came to the Tower that day. Gentle and patient, she was like a little sun, melting the glaciers in their hearts.

Her name was Nai Miao, and her spirit form was an adorable kitten.

Being healed by Nai Miao felt wonderful, but her mental power was too weak. Each session ended far too soon, leaving the sentinels even more unsettled and volatile, like wolves who had tasted meat but hadn't been fed their fill.

It wasn't enough.

They weren't satisfied.

How could they keep that tenderness all to themselves?

They lowered themselves, acting weak to win her favor; they learned all about her and stayed by her side, trying to reach her heart; they reached out with their tentacles, hoping to bind her to them. Their pathological love grew ever more frenzied. No matter how they expressed their feelings or how desperately they pleaded, all they got was a cold reply:

"Healing you is just my job."

So they turned love into hate and tried to end her life, wanting her to belong to them alone. But when she really died, they broke down and went mad, offering up everything they had just to hear her voice again.

Frenzy and torment, again and again.

An endless, crushing love.

[Harem-Romance Pre-Release] Players, Please Don't Try to Romance the Guide

"Sis, why are all these strangely dressed people always coming to our house to see you, bringing you gifts, asking you questions, and making you do quests... while muttering that weird phrase 'affection points'?"

In response to NPC [Village Chief's Daughter, Xie Li], NPC [Guide, Mi En] replied:

"...Because they're too lazy to look it up online."

The Guide is the game's encyclopedia, the first NPC players meet, and the first target of their harassment.

Got a question? Find the Guide. Have a "kill an NPC" quest? Find the Guide.

Zhou Mi'en was a former player of the full-dive game Scarlet Wasteland. After beating it using a bug, she transmigrated into the game and became a Guide in charge of every item recipe.

Then players harassed her nine times in a row.

Once your affection rating reaches 50, you can kill the Guide by giving her poison. The Guide cannot refuse.

...Yes, the game really is designed that absurdly.

After dying ten times, a Guide is replaced by another Guide.

Mi'en didn't want to die. She still wanted to find a way back to reality.

So she absolutely, absolutely couldn't let anyone's affection rating reach 50!

...Who knew these players were all friendly as could be on the surface, but had who knew how many wicked ideas behind their backs?

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A rumor has been circulating through the top guild lately:

No gift or quest will raise this Guide's affection rating anymore.

Keep pestering her, and you might even trigger a rude response!

The strongest mercenary, who traveled between countless guilds: "What's the point of raising the Guide's affection rating?"

The veteran swordsman who pioneered a new playstyle and founded the top guild: "...I'm not interested in NPCs."

The only necromancer on the server, who unlocked a hidden dungeon: "That does sound as fun as fighting a boss. But I have a quest to do, so I don't have time for that..."

A few evenings later, the three of them ran into each other outside Guide Mi'en's house...

The only thing in the air was awkwardness.

The mage gave an embarrassed smile. "What a coincidence. Are you here to raise her affection rating too?"

The mercenary: "I just came to ask about a relic recipe."

The swordsman: "...I was passing by on my way to fight a boss."

Mi'en shoved open the window and threw out the gifts the two had secretly slipped inside. "Thanks, but I don't accept gifts. Send me more and I'll tell you to get lost!"

No one is raising her affection rating!!

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* Full-dive game; most of the story takes place inside the game.

* No picking favorites. All in, and there are more than the three men in the blurb.

* A hot-tempered Guide who has to act like a friendly little sun because she's an NPC, but actually practices the Dao of No Emotion and loves no one x various male player characters.

* The harassment squad will grovel for forgiveness; the score-grinding squad will turn into lovesick puppies. Duels and PvP, every day is a battlefield of romantic rivals.

* But Mi'en doesn't care. The harder the players fight, the louder she laughs.

Theme: The human journey