Broken

Sizzle—

The brief hum of electricity faded, and Chen Zeyu’s vision cleared, revealing the white ceiling above.

She felt no concern for Evetti, who sat beside her, instead wearing a smile as if observing a fascinating spectacle.

“Tei Lai, your senior in the backend, forcibly logged you out.”

“Oh…”

Chen Zeyu removed her helmet and sat up.

She was utterly unaware of how long her body had been asleep, as if her entire experience in the fishing village had been nothing more than a vivid dream.

“Witchy~ sister, does that sound nice when I call you that?”

“Huh!”

A shiver ran through Chen Zeyu at Evetti’s playful call, and she immediately cast a bewildered glance her way.

“You know?”

“Hmph, how could I not know? I’m a witch, after all!”

“I saw and heard everything clearly.”

“You suddenly accepted the quest, were forcibly teleported to that sealed fishing village, and single-handedly fought a massive demonic beast.”

“Even if it was just a remnant soul, you did remarkably well!”

Evetti gave a hearty thumbs-up, praising her without reservation.

“A remnant soul? So the plot and characters were pre-set?”

Chen Zeyu felt a little confused.

To be honest, she had been deeply immersed in that storyline, and the characters had left an overly profound impression.

“There was no design. The characters’ souls were real; they had simply reached their final moments.”

“Both the demonic beast and those villagers were likely on the verge of fading away.”

“The players who arrive next will probably encounter their replacements, the NPCs.”

Evetti explained, while Chen Zeyu furrowed her brow.

She recalled the village chief’s eyes in their final moments—that blend of terror and regret.

Was it for the owner of that corpse?

“Evetti, do you think the village chief’s soul will find peace?”

“Oh, you mean that foolish yet dignified old man?”

“He’ll likely be consumed by endless remorse, and his soul will linger far longer than the others before dissipating.”

“Will he become a lingering specter, unable to fade?”

“If he can’t let go of his obsessions, causing hauntings in Dawn’s Prayer, we’ll simply have to follow regulations and ‘invite someone’ to lay him to rest.”

Evetti used the phrase “invite someone,” rather than implying the witches would handle it personally.

“Hmm… that’s a bit sad.”

Chen Zeyu glanced at the gaming helmet.

The vivid villagers she had interacted with seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Whether it was Yuli, who had called her ‘Witchy Sister,’ or Goway, who had lent her his sheepskin coat, all traces of their lives now existed only in her memory.

“It’s natural to feel sad.”

“After all, to think they were swallowed whole by the Fallen Abyss Whale so early, without even time to fear in their souls… but your white flames have given them a chance to return to the cycle of reincarnation.”

Evetti reached out, pulling Chen Zeyu to her feet from the floor.

“My white flames gave them a chance at reincarnation?”

“Yes, demonic beasts are different from ordinary creatures.”

“They don’t just devour flesh and blood; they also consume souls.”

“To be completely digested by a demonic beast means facing true [Death].”

“Even if a soul miraculously survives partially, it will be corrupted, unable to enter reincarnation, doomed to eternal suffering.”

Evetti paused at this point, then placed both hands on Chen Zeyu’s shoulders, continuing with a grave and meaningful tone.

“Chen Zeyu! Your white flames purified their souls!”

“This is equivalent to granting them a second life.”

“You saved them! You are a witch of great merit!”

Evetti’s eyes were sincere, her smile reflecting her joy for Chen Zeyu.

Chen Zeyu blinked, momentarily stunned, as a subtle sense of honor and belonging swelled within her.

“I’m a good witch… even though I was human just before.”

Chen Zeyu rubbed her eyes, her mood significantly brighter than before.

“Oh, right, I also brought you some good news! Guess what it is?”

Evetti feigned mystery, deliberately hiding her hands behind her back.

“Emmm, have I found answers about my past?”

“No, it’s this! Look!”

Evetti held up her pink-cased phone.

The top trending search result on the browser blared: “Game: Dawn’s Prayer Easter Egg CG — The White-Haired Girl is Actually a Real Player!”

“Huh?”

Chen Zeyu rubbed her eyes, re-reading it several times, still not quite believing it.

“Congratulations on making it to the hot searches, Chen Zeyu!”

Evetti clapped her hands a few times, as if applauding.

Only then did Chen Zeyu realize.

She picked up her own phone from the table and meticulously scrolled through the comments section of the hot search.

It was almost entirely filled with comments from newly-minted Dawn’s Prayer players.

“The players are quite enthusiastic about you! Let me pick one to read to you, oh! This one! Hehehe!”

“’White hair, red eyes, plus jade-like feet and a dress, everyone! I need this player’s ID! Contact me if you have any info…’”

Evetti read a comment aloud, her voice ringing out without any restraint.

“Ah! Don’t read it so loudly!”

Chen Zeyu’s face flushed crimson as she covered her ears, unwilling to engage with Evetti’s teasing.

But Evetti merely glanced at her, her mischievous grin widening.

“You can’t handle this? There are even more outrageous ones, like ‘I just happen to have a mouth, and the white-haired girl just happens to have a pair of jade-like feet,’ and so on.”

“Stop talking! I’m not listening!”

Chen Zeyu shook her head vigorously, her silver hair fanning out like a small umbrella.

“Hehe, you’re really afraid of what others think of you, aren’t you?”

“Everyone seems to really like you—beautiful and powerful.”

“Who doesn’t love a pretty girl who’s also a gaming pro?”

“I’m not a pro! I just used the witch’s power.”

Chen Zeyu knew deep down that if it weren’t for the white flower given by that woman, she would be no different from an ordinary person.

“At least your performance was that of a pro. Guess what Feng Yan, from your class, did?”

Evetti smiled, as if anticipating a good show.

“Uh, she shouldn’t have said anything about me.”

Chen Zeyu had a bad feeling.

“Feng Yan and I certainly didn’t say anything about you, but everyone around us saw that we were in a group!”

“Our friends lists are about to explode!”

“And it seems some people recognized Feng Yan—they might be classmates. You understand what I mean, right?”

Evetti winked playfully.

“Classmates?! Doesn’t that mean it’ll spread to everyone in class very quickly!”

Chen Zeyu’s eyes widened in shock.

“Exactly! And it’s probably already spread, something like, ‘The quiet beauty in our class, her true identity is the Dawn’s Prayer CG promotional player, and a pro at that.’”

“This… I’m afraid that being famous will attract trouble.”

Chen Zeyu voiced her concern.

She had seen too many internet celebrities ‘collapse,’ and she didn’t want to end up labeled as an anomaly, especially with so many eyes on her.

“That’s a rather unique realization you have, but this matter can’t be stopped now.”

“It’s the official Dawn’s Prayer team that stepped in to clarify the situation.”

“What? It couldn’t be that serious, could it? I just took down one demonic beast! Wasn’t it a one-hit kill?”

Only then did Chen Zeyu feel a sense of oddity.

When she fought the Fallen Abyss Whale, she should have dealt with it swiftly and cleanly.

Why would there be a long CG sequence?

“Do you know about exaggerated cinematic presentation?”

“The seniors added a lot of dramatic flair for you, even if it was temporarily synthesized and simulated.”

Evetti raised her phone again.

The scene, which had originally been Chen Zeyu ending the battle with a single strike, instantly transformed into a raging storm and torrential rain, with constant flashes of lightning and thunder, accompanied by intense collision sounds.

“Is this still a game?”

Chen Zeyu couldn’t help but feel skeptical about Dawn’s Prayer.

“Of course it is. Mana simulates bodily sensations, with machinery as the vessel.”

“I’m sure any player who personally experienced that CG will be deeply impressed by you.”

“Prepare yourself for how you’ll face everyone from now on.”

Evetti took Chen Zeyu’s hand, offering encouragement, but Chen Zeyu herself was already retreating mentally.

‘Damn it, I’ve become famous because of a CG scene.’