Mythic China: Gacha

This story is on hiatus. It will resume when it reaches 1,000 bookmarks!

Wang Kurong transmigrates to the future, where he has a younger sister. She raises her hand and says, "Big brother, time to get up and make a game!"

Wang Kurong, a former game designer, thinks it over. Okay, he'll get back to his old line of work. After checking out all kinds of games across the stars, he decides to make a character-collecting, character-development game.

Mythic China appears out of nowhere, and players who have grown bored with the many big-name games across the stars are stunned. They cry out, "This is way too fun!!!!"

The game's unique, story-driven gameplay opens their eyes again and again, and they fall helplessly in love with its characters. The tragic twists in the stories make them sob, and the moment they see the character banners, they start throwing money at them.

Ding! The following characters are about to debut: [Cold Moon, Pure Needle: Chang'e] [Sun-Shooting Flame Bow: Hou Yi] [Red Thread of Love: Yue Lao] [Lone Fire Lotus: Nezha] [Boundless Hero: Jiutian Xuannü] [Pure One Beyond the World: Sun Wukong] [Savior of the Suffering: Guanyin] [Order of Reincarnation: Houtu] [Guardian of Lonely Spirits: Yang Jian] [Rewarder of Good, Punisher of Evil: Xiwangmu] [Awakening Eyes of Truth: Fuxi] [Mother of Creation: Nüwa]

Players, get your wallets ready.

Story Event: Oath of the Moon and Sun

Chang'e is a divine healer, whose skills can bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bones. Hou Yi is a general who draws his bow to shoot down the sun, invincible wherever he goes. They are made for each other, deeply in love, but their respective duties keep them apart.

Alas, fate is fickle and people's hearts are cruel. The healer is bound atop a pyre, and the general races back, only to find a pile of charred bones.

"When you miss me, look up at the moon, Hou Yi. We will meet again one day."

No matter how long lovers are separated, those whose love endures will meet again.

[Suddenly I feel so unworthy standing before their love.]

[No! The couple I ship absolutely cannot have a bad ending!]

[They're so gorgeous together, I have to pull for them.]

Story Event: The Sinful Sea's Wayward Son Longs for His Lord

Nezha was the third son of Li Jing, an official in Qiantang. He spent three years in his mother's womb before being born, and was destined for greatness from the start. He killed the Dragon King's son and ripped out his tendons, took up his spear to kill a tyrant, and even severed ties with his father.

Nezha is unruly and sharp-tongued. Players have all suffered at his hands in previous story chapters, but they put up with him because of his androgynous face that charms both men and women.

Still, they have been waiting for the developers to give him a health bar so they can sharpen their knives and take him down. Then the event begins, and memories of the past unfold.

The boy raises his spear and rails against the injustice of the world. He takes up his sword only to defend the righteousness in his heart. In the end, his knees buckle and he collapses, his strength spent, the fire in his eyes extinguished. "Mother..."

[Ahhhhh, even as he died, he was still thinking about going home!]

[My Nezha, don't die, don't die!!!]

[Let him go home! Don't make him die out there, far from home.]

[You bastard developer, you're not human! Give me your address. I'll bring you a little present myself.]

Story Event: Blood in Hand, Tears of a Hero

His thunder shakes the eight directions, his might shines across the four frontiers. As the saying goes, killing one person makes you a criminal, killing ten thousand makes you a hero, and killing a million makes you the greatest of heroes! But there's another line: kill countless numbers, and you become one of the Nine Heavens.

Jiutian Xuannü became a goddess through war. The heroic spirit of heaven and earth still inspires awe through the ages. People revere and fear her, worshipping and praying to her on the battlefield.

The revelation that the hard-drinking big sister is a god of war leaves players stunned and trembling. They are lucky she hasn't killed any of them. Eagerly, they try to get close to Xuannü and raise her affection level.

But then she sheds tears, which become the blood in her hands. The blood becomes a river, and she closes her eyes after shedding her last tear.

[Ahhhhh, how did the God of War die?]

[What the hell, you bastard developer! Are you even human? You have to give Xuannü a tragic ending too? Ahhhhh, I'm going to kill you right now!]

[Xuannü, my Xuannü, sob sob sob.]

[She should've stayed a drunk. Damn it, damn it, sob sob sob.]

Story Event: The Peach Blossom Paradise of Mount Huaguo Is Lost

Story Event: The Laws of Qingyuan's Subtle Way Reach the Edge of Heaven

Story Event: Tears in a Loving Mother's Heart

The players sob their hearts out, while Wang Kurong grins. "Cry, cry louder! If you're this heartbroken, you'll all buy it, won't you?"

Games may become outdated, but your favorite character never will. Love them with your wallet (crossed out) with the burning passion in your heart.

Reader's Guide:

1. This is a novella, because I want to play this kind of game (a character-collecting and character-development game featuring figures from Chinese mythology. Why doesn't one exist? Sob sob sob!!!), but I can't find one, so I'm writing this for my own enjoyment. There is only one game throughout the story.

2. The protagonist doesn't get much screen time. The focus is on the game, the game, the game! Selling characters and the legends behind them. The story is about players getting moved to tears by a character's exclusive storyline and deciding to love and main that character for life.

The protagonist is just a tool. His role is to release new characters, make character PVs, publish character stories, act like a heartless developer, and dish out devastating tragedies. If you can't accept that, please don't read!

3. I'm a Nüwa fan, and in my writing she's always the strongest god. She often appears as the creator goddess. She was originally a creator goddess in the myths too, so this isn't a made-up change.

4. This is purely a self-indulgent work, with plenty of creative changes. The characterizations draw on all kinds of legends and fan-made interpretations. If you don't like them, that's fine, but please don't insult me!

Theme: Strive to run toward the future!