“That’s why, please be my game’s first NPC, Rina-chan!”

“NO! Never!”

This situation had been going on for some days.

The beastkin’s race had many good things, one of them being beautiful avatars that fitted Earth players’s aesthetics. Still, the faith for the God of Beastkin had died out with zero worshippers left, so I could not summon any living souls to assume the role of my in-game NPCs. 

You there, tell me, what is the one element that good ol’ Earth games could not miss?

That’s right! Well-design artificial intelligence! Or in more simple terms, non-playable characters (NPC)!

They would guide the players in their early stages, selling them items and equipment as merchants and smiths, whilst priests and priestesses could heal the player’s wounds or give them blessings before an important boss fight. Sometimes, they could be a crucial element to advance the game, as in the case of story-rich titles.

Without good NPCs, an RPG loses much of its charms.

The original plan was to devise a special NPC system and let the inhabitants of Maldea assume this role, but that failed spectacularly since no member of the faith was left. Creating souls from thin-air, as we have discussed before, is totally out of this question. I’m now officially broke. Maybe just a tiny step away from homelessness.

That’s why, I’m desperately begging the only other intelligent being I knew, Rina-chan, to be my first in-game NPC.

She resisted.

“I don’t want to mingle with dirty mana in the mortal realm! I was created within your god space, so if my soul left your domain, I would be poisoned!”

“Ehhh?! Is there such a thing? Are you sure you’re not fabricating stuff? Lying is bad you know~”

“Yes, I’m saying the truth! That’s why, stop begging me! I will never leave this god space even at the cost of my life!”

Rina tightly held onto nothing but thin air. She was desperate.

Ya be (Oh no).

Rina-chan (Mom) is turning into a NEET.

What a dangerous evolution.

“But then, where should I look for in-game NPCs? I haven’t thought about this at all...”

I put a finger on my chin.

“Also, Rina-chan, this has been on my mind for a while, but there are no worshippers left from the God of Beastkin’s faith, shouldn’t that corrupt her soul orb immediately? Why was it still intact back then?”

Rina, who was still role-playing a NEET being forced out of her bedroom, now turned back to look at me.

“Now you bring that up … it’s indeed suspicious.”

“Right? There’s no way her soul remnant could survive without faith.”

“Hmm-hmm.”

Rina put on her imaginary glass. Her expression is now more serious, it reminded me of a university professor.

Reliable Mom (Rina-chan) is back!

“I don’t know exactly why, but based on what we have discovered, I could propose two hypotheses. One, there were still worshippers left, it’s just that they went past your radar, which is unlikely since you had access to the Inner Palace and thus, all your worshippers’ whereabouts.”

“Rina Rina, then what’s the second hypothesis?”

“The second hypothesis, which is also very unlikely, is that there is some bigger force at play here, one that has enough power to keep her soul from total degradation. As far as I know, you’re the only one capable of doing that.”

“Ehhh~, if both of your hypotheses are very unlikely, could they even be considered hypotheses? Maybe you should use another word, how about ‘guesses’, Rina Rina?”

“If you have something better then spit out, stupid goddess!”

Rina slapped me with her hand muff again, seemingly angered at my words.

It was soft.

“Okay, okay, leave this aside, if I don’t get someone to play the role of NPCs before the release date, my game would be ruined! Rina Rina, save me!”

I tugged at Rina’s shirt corner, which only served to earn me another eye-rolling from her.

“Why am I not surprised to hear that again? You never learn, do you?”

“Rin-cha...”

“Okay, okay, I know! I will just cook something up for you, just as I have always done! No need to thank me since I’m stuck here with you for eternity anyway!”

“Hihi, you’re the best!”

“Ugh...”

Rina tried to hide the obvious disgust in her eyes, then she started with her suggestions.

“How about getting some more souls from your place … what it is, Earth? Then you could just make them into NPCs the same way you made the players.”

“Ehhh, but then I have to break up and reconstruct their soul to fit an NPC’s personality. That would be equal to a homicide in Earth’s law, Rina-cha...”

Sometimes my doll said the cruelest of things.

“You’re a literal god, and that’s what you’re afraid of? Some written text from mortals?”

“That’s not it, Rina-chan, you see… I...”

“Forget what I said, if you don’t feel right about it, that plan could be thrown away. I’m not that interested in killing innocent mortals.”

"You don't!?"

I gasped.

"Of course! What do you take me for!"

Rina kicked me again.

“Okay, I know, I know, then, do you have another idea?”

Still not letting all her anger dissipated, Rina let out a sigh and fixed her imaginary glasses.

She looked around my god space, and suddenly, her gaze landed on me.

It was like that of a carnivore.

I could feel, Rina is not holding any good intentions right now.

“Wh-what?”

I shuddered in fear.

“Heyy~, you have been forcing a lot of things on me lately, don'tcha think?”

“No...what’re you saying, Rina Rina? I’m a good boss who cares a whole lot for my employees~”

Rina’s mouth curved into a smirk.

“I’m not the only intelligent being here, ya know. There is another one that you can use for your game.”

I don’t like where this is going.

Rina looked too dangerous right now.

“C-could I know who that person is, Rina-chan?”

“Ehhh, who is it, I wonder~”

Rina approached me with a glint in her eyes.