Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1362: Chapter 1361: Truly Delightful

”Is this the workshop where games are made?”

Walking into Eagle Leap, looking at the programmers toiling away in the workspace, Lin Yueru couldn’t help but sigh, while Zhao Ling’er appeared somewhat worried.

”Master, why do these people look so tense and frail? Could it be that this game is draining their vitality?”

”No... let me see, oh...”

Fang Zheng opened his personal terminal, glanced at the date, and calculated the time.

”This is the post-production stage, right... it’s normal, it’s normal.”

”Normal... really?”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s calm response, Ling’er cautiously pointed to a woman slumped over her computer, pale yet working hard.

”Judging by her complexion, if she doesn’t rest soon, she might only have a few months left to live...”

”Then why not cast a Five Energies Returning to the Origin?”

Fang Zheng didn’t mind giving some benefits to his subordinates. After all, other game company bosses aren’t as kind as he is, giving employees a health boost when they work overtime.

After all, he, Fang Zheng, isn’t some devil.

Zhao Ling’er didn’t mind. In fact, she had little impression of this world, so after listening to Fang Zheng, she quickly cast a Five Energies Returning to the Origin. Soon, she saw spiritual energy gush out of the air like a fountain, covering the entire workspace in the blink of an eye.

As the spiritual energy dispersed, the previously half-dead employees suddenly felt invigorated, as if they’d taken a drug, and they typed on their keyboards with renewed strength!

Some even whispered to each other.

”Who used air freshener? What brand? I think I smell flowers!”

”Is this an illusion? I suddenly feel much clearer in the head!”

”Alright... I have to finish everything today!”

Hmm... it seems the effect is pretty good.

Satisfied with the sight of his fully revitalized slaves back in action, Fang Zheng nodded with satisfaction. Maybe Zhao Ling’er should visit more often? Or perhaps assign her a position here so she can come over to cast recovery spells whenever there’s overtime?

This would increase work efficiency and extend the programmers’ lifespans, wouldn’t that be great?

”Master, the spiritual energy in this realm is quite thin. Ling’er can only do so much...”

Though the programmers were quite pleased, Zhao Ling’er was clearly dissatisfied. In her own world, a single Five Energies Returning to the Origin would fully restore health and mana. But here, it couldn’t even match Qi Therapy, barely reaching the level of Ice Heart Technique...

This left Ling’er quite surprised. She had never thought the spiritual energy of a world could be so low. This made her gaze at the programmers with a bit more sympathy.

”What is it, Ling’er sister?”

Seeing Zhao Ling’er’s expression, Lin Yueru curiously asked, and Zhao Ling’er sighed softly.

”I finally understand why these people are so weak in vitality. The spiritual energy in this realm is thin, and this thing called a game, is so exhausting. These poor people are already frail in vitality, yet they work so hard... I never thought that creating a game could be so mentally draining.”

”......???”

Hearing Ling’er’s words, Lin Yueru hadn’t said anything, but Asuna beside them looked completely confused. Thanks to personal terminals, they could understand each other’s language without much issue. But Zhao Ling’er’s talk of spiritual energy and vitality... Asuna had no idea what she was talking about!

What is spiritual energy, what is vitality... what are these?

”Yo.”

Meanwhile, Fang Zheng had already brought the three of them to an inner cubicle, greeting a small figure hunched over a computer.

”Aika, how’s it going?”

”Father!”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s voice, Aika turned her head from the computer, and looked at Fang Zheng with a happy expression, but soon her face turned much gloomier.

”It’s not good... ugh... if I had known, I wouldn’t have come back. Earlier tests showed that seventy-five percent of the game’s code conflicted with the current system...”

Saying this, Aika seemed ready to curl up on the floor and weep. Aika never thought, despite successfully running the game seamlessly from start to finish in the Type Moon World with all her abilities, why did it fail to adapt once it came to another world?

Things were looking grim now. Not only did all the new work go to waste, but even the system parts done previously had to be readjusted!

It could be said it was completely ruined.

”Ah, boss.”

At this moment, a woman with white hair came out from another cubicle, looking at Fang Zheng. She was Shizuku Hazuki, the planner at Eagle Leap.

”You’re here.”

”I came to check on the development progress of the new game.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng took the development materials Shizuku Hazuki handed him and casually flipped through them.

In the game world, the Pokémon and Game King series planned by Fang Zheng had successfully launched, taking advantage of the AR glasses trend to become a big hit. Right now, Eagle Leap was thriving, and thanks to Pokémon and Game King’s Duel City card game series, Eagle Leap could rest on its laurels for a lifetime.

But this wasn’t what Shizuku Hazuki and others wanted. Although Pokémon and Duel Cards were very successful products, to Shizuku Hazuki, only pure, traditional games should be Eagle Leap’s focus. That’s why Fang Zheng casually recommended Aika to work at Eagle Leap alongside Shizuku Hazuki and others.

Of course, in this world, Fang Zheng also faked Aika’s age and identity. Strictly speaking, Aika was still middle-school aged, and revealing this... wouldn’t it be illegal child labor?

Fortunately, this world was filled with those who looked like middle-school students but were really adults, like Aoba Suzukaze, Aoba Suzukaze, Aoba Suzukaze...

”The new game’s development is a bit behind schedule. Miss Sajou’s system is fantastic, but I feel it’s too hardcore and challenging, which might not be conducive to the promotion and development among ordinary players.”

”Hmm...”

Fang Zheng flipped through the planning documents, and when he saw the knight image in the proposal, suddenly a light bulb went off in his head.

”Got it! Since that’s the case, let’s be more hardcore!”

”......???”

”There are too many games of average difficulty everywhere; it’s lost its excitement. Aika’s system and game engine excel in the physical aspect, being highly realistic. So why not design the next game with the aim of being so difficult that average people can’t clear it?”

Thinking of this, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but recall the painful memories of his time in Lothric King’s City... Indeed, sharing enjoyment is better than enjoying alone. If everyone experiences the same agony as he did, wouldn’t it be delightful!

With that in mind, Fang Zheng promptly picked up a pen and jotted down a few lines.

”Next, this will be our plan!”

”This is...”

Shizuku Hazuki took the proposal, looking at the big words on it, and froze.

”Dark Soul?”