Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts Chapter 378: One Little Hit Probably Won’t Hurt, Right?

(TL: Spoilers for Undertale this chapter and probably the next one too)

To unlock the fervent spending potential of dostic ani-style ga fans, Yuanxi Interactive Entertainnt’s Sakura Gas publishing plan is gradually rolling out. This year, their biggest goal is the simultaneous global launch of a new ani-style mobile ga in collaboration with Type-Moon. At present, they have already secured the localization partnership agreent.

This yet-to-be-crowned king of ani gas is still in the swaddling clothes of its closed beta. Aside from i Fang, no one knows what kind of storm this title will unleash upon the dostic market in the future.

At the sa ti, Yuanxi Interactive Entertainnt’s Series A funding round is nearing its conclusion.

Led by international investnt giants Pengcheng Ventures and Red Cedar Capital, the round secured a total capital injection of approximately 300 million yuan. In exchange, i Fang relinquished only 5% of the company’s shares.

For most startups, 300 million would be an astronomical sum, but for a unicorn like Yuanxi Interactive Entertainnt, it isn’t particularly high.

Due to i Fang’s personal insistence, he was unwilling to cede too much equity. After all, an IPO was still a long way off, and excessive dilution at this stage could destabilize the company’s decision-making.

His decision to let Pengcheng Ventures take the lead in the funding round was also deliberate—to strengthen ties with Pengcheng’s local ecosystem, solidify his standing in the city, and ensure his new company could firmly establish its roots.

Pengcheng Ventures is the strongest dostic venture capital firm, with deep, intertwined connections to nurous state-owned enterprises in Pengcheng. As a stakeholder, their involvent would help Yuanxi Interactive Entertainnt grow even further.

Yet, behind these turbulent battlefields of corporate warfare, Yuanxi Interactive Entertainnt’s supre leader, CEO i Fang, was pouring his energy into a much smaller-scale project—

When Xia Yuan returned ho after her afternoon classes, she found i Fang tinkering with a pixel-art ga on his computer. Curious, she set down her bag and leaned in.

“Ah Fang… what are you playing? The art style’s so old-school—are you reliving your childhood?”

“This isn’t exactly childhood material… and didn’t we play Bubble Bobble together as kids? When did you ever play pixel gas like this?”

“Oh right, I think I played with Xiao Ya—that one where two people shoot guns and fight aliens…”

“That’s Contra.”

“Yeah, yeah! Contra! This ga kinda looks like that.”

“It’s the adventure puzzle ga I showed you guys before, rember?”

“Now that you ntion it, it does seem familiar… but I didn’t pay much attention. Wasn’t Youxi the one playing it with you?”

“She only tested the gaplay chanics back then. You really didn’t look at it at all, huh?”

i Fang pinched Xia Yuan’s cheek. Puffing up her face, she plopped down in front of him with an indignant huff.

“Gas like this are just walking around and talking, right? How hard can the gaplay be?”

“There’s so bullet-hell dodging involved… Anyway, it’s fully localized now. Give it a try—I’ll watch you play.”

“It doesn’t look like a big ga. How long’s the playti?”

“For an average player, about six hours.”

“That’s not bad!”

Xia Yuan turned to i Fang with a mischievous grin. “If I can finish this ga, do I get a reward?”

“Finish it?”

i Fang pondered Xia Yuan’s skill level.

“If you can beat it within a week, I’ll go on a date with you. Just the two of us.”

“Pfft, that’s not a reward!”

Xia Yuan pinched his cheeks in mock disdain, then thought for a mont. “If I finish it this week, you have to call ‘Mommy Yuanyuan’ for the entire next week.”

“So… is this ‘Mommy Yuanyuan’ thing the sa as guys who say ‘call Daddy’ when they win a ga?”

“What do you think, naughty boy—?”

Xia Yuan tweaked his nose and was about to snuggle closer when Lin Youxi walked over, smoothing her hair.

“What kind of mother-son ga are you two playing? Count in.”

“W-what mother-son ga?! We’re playing that pixel ga from before!”

“Oh, the localization’s done?”

“Yep.”

i Fang massaged Xia Yuan’s shoulders and smiled at Lin Youxi. “Want to… give it a try too?”

“Seems like you really do want to be a baby.”

Lin Youxi chuckled as she settled in front of her computer. “Send a copy.”

“It’s already officially released. Buy it on TabTab Desktop.”

“…We have to pay for our own company’s ga?”

“Of course. Otherwise, how would we maintain fairness and integrity?”

i Fang grinned. “It’s 24 yuan. Thanks for your patronage.”

“…”

Lin Youxi grabbed i Fang’s phone, scanned the QR code, and deftly entered his paynt password.

“Give it here, Youxi! I want to buy it too!”

Xia Yuan clamored to scan and purchase the ga as well. “Alright, ti for a speedrun… Oh, Ah Fang, anything I should know before starting?”

i Fang thought for a mont, then smiled. “There’s a lot, but… just follow your heart.”

“You’re making that face again! Is this a horror ga or sothing?!”

[Long, long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS.]

[One day, war broke out between the two races.]

[The monsters were defeated and sealed underground by a magical barrier.]

Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi began their playthroughs, with i Fang sitting between them, alternating between massaging Xia Yuan’s back and kneading Lin Youxi’s shoulders.

Nothing brought him more joy than watching his beloved girls play his favorite healing ga!

“The opening seems pretty normal, but this kid looks… oddly unsettling.”

Lin Youxi remained expressionless.

“This goat mom is so cute! Let see…”

“She’s definitely evil. The atmosphere’s setting it up.”

Lin Youxi remarked, “Don’t you think the background music’s kinda eerie?”

“Huh? I think… it’s fine?”

“Heh, hehe… I’m gonna keep flirting with her, keep calling her ‘Mom.’ Ah Fang’s into this kinda roleplay, right?”

“Uh, sure…”

i Fang noticed Xia Yuan was engrossed in charming Toriel, while Lin Youxi was speedrunning—she’d already solved all of Chapter 1’s puzzles and was back in front of the goat mom.

“Ah Fang.”

Lin Youxi turned to him. “What’s the difference between ‘Act’ and ‘Fight’?”

Oh, the difference is HUGE!

“They’re both ways to interact. Either can be used to ‘defeat’ enemies.”

“But what do these ‘rcy’ options do?”

“Depends on how you perceive the character.”

“Can I avoid killing them?”

Xia Yuan nodded. “The monsters all seem so cute—none of them look like bad guys.”

“Pretty sure they’re faking it. Anyone who’s rude to is getting killed.”

“Wait, do I have to kill the goat mom in the end? Is she actually evil?”

Lin Youxi nudged Xia Yuan away. “No spoilers. Play your own ga.”

Then she initiated the battle with Toriel, though Xia Yuan couldn’t resist peeking.

“These dodges… are way too hard.”

i Fang watched as Lin Youxi frantically maneuvered to avoid Toriel’s attacks.

“You don’t have to try so hard, Youxi.”

“Are you trying to spoil it for ?”

Lin Youxi hesitated before selecting her next move. “This feels impossible to dodge. Bad design. Unless… it’s a scripted loss? A scripted loss?”

She continued maneuvering.

“…Why’d her attack pattern change?”

Noticing the bullets actively veering away from her—even retreating when she moved closer—Lin Youxi mused, “Interesting… is she adjusting because I’m about to die?”

“So? Still gonna fight her?”

Lin Youxi shook her head. “I think I get it now…”

She had initially struck Toriel a few tis but switched to sparing her after realizing sothing was off.

“But selecting ‘rcy’ doesn’t seem to do anything.”

“It does.” Lin Youxi pointed out to Xia Yuan. “Look, Toriel’s dialogue changes every ti.”

“Oh, you’re right! Maybe we really can make peace? If I have to kill Toriel, I’m quitting. What kinda trash ga did you pick, Ah Fang?!”

When Lin Youxi finally spared Toriel into reconciliation, Xia Yuan cheered.

“YES! Such a sweet character—I knew she was good! See, Youxi? Told you—”

“Wasn’t that obvious at all…”

Lin Youxi frowned. “If she hadn’t started holding back to avoid hurting , I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“She was already showering you with love earlier!”

“Could’ve been a trick…”

“Ugh, whatever! I’m gonna go finish my playthrough.”

Having seen Lin Youxi’s route, Xia Yuan breezed through to Toriel.

She didn’t attack even once.

Since she already knew the story beats, her progress was swift.

[Act – rcy]

[Act – rcy]

Just as Toriel began to relax at the protagonist’s kindness, Xia Yuan also let her guard down—and accidentally selected “Fight.”

“Oops, wrong button… but one little hit probably won’t hurt, right—?”

SLASH!

Xia Yuan’s attack dealt 22,043 damage.

“…Huh?”

(To be continued—next chapter incoming!)