In the conference room, Chen Xu explained the concept and development plan of Under the Legend to Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue.
There were no major issues with Magic Mirror. Based on the previous structure, all that remained was to add vertical character illustrations and some additional plot text.
The real focus now was the development of Under the Legend.
This was a work originally created by an independent game developer, yet it had touched countless players around the world. It was considered a classic of the meta genre.
However, unlike games like Pony Island, OneShot, or The Stanley Parable, Under the Legend combined meta-narrative elements with traditional RPG systems in a way that fundamentally subverted how players perceived RPGs.
Its core appeal lay in its narrative reversals and meta-features. The gameplay itself was more of a vehicle to carry these ideas.
Still, Chen Xu planned to improve on certain aspects compared to the original. One key area was the art style.
In its original form, Under the Legend used simple pixel art and rough hand-drawn sprites—not because it was a stylistic choice, but due to budget constraints. After all, it had been an indie project made by a single person.
While critics and media praised its "unique aesthetic," Chen Xu believed much of that praise was a post-hoc rationalization. Pixel games weren't inherently cheap, as shown by titles like Octopath Traveler or retro-style remakes.
The decision for Under the Legend to use pixel art had nothing to do with gameplay synergy—unlike Minecraft, where the blocky pixel look complemented the mechanics.
So for this remake, Chen Xu intended to enhance the visual quality significantly. He was confident it would only improve the experience.
Beyond visuals, the game's plot and music were what truly made it special. Iconic characters like Sans with his ironic coolness, and Undyne, the warrior with a true hero's spirit, were unforgettable.
After introducing the basic storyline and concept to the others, Chen Xu showed Ruan Ningxue early design drafts of the core characters: the gentle, motherly Toriel; the king with a trident who exuded both kindness and majestic power; and the two skeleton brothers—one short and jokey, the other tall and slightly goofy.
Chen Xu would personally oversee the design of the major characters. Minor enemy sprites and filler content would be outsourced as long as they met quality standards.
As for the plot, there were multiple narrative branches: neutral, pacifist, genocide, and even hypocritical endings. Chen Xu used the memory capsules from the system to outline the story structures. Yang Xin would handle the detailed dialogue and scripting.
Once roles were assigned, Chen Xu got to work. He sat at his desk, opened the game engine's backend, and began constructing the framework for Under the Legend.
"Ningxue, was game development this smooth back when you worked on Magic Mirror?" Yang Xin asked, staring at the polished documents Chen Xu had produced.
Ruan Ningxue, already sketching character designs, looked up in surprise. "Yeah, why? Isn't this normal?"
"The problem is it's too smooth!" Yang Xin whispered, wide-eyed. "This level of clarity makes it feel like even a dog could make this game."
She couldn't help but reflect on the chaos of her previous job—missed deadlines, vague plans, and endless revisions. Compared to that, Chen Xu's operation felt surreal.
As she reviewed the branching story arcs and narrative beats, Yang Xin was genuinely impressed.
Meanwhile, Chen Xu didn't waste time thinking about anything outside the game.
At the moment, he was experimenting with the game engine. His current computing resources had expanded dramatically—he now had over 1024MB, about 1GB by the standards of his past life. In this parallel world, that was more than enough for what he needed.
To get even more resources, he would either need to level up his designer rank, win golden awards, or contribute meaningfully to the game industry. Magic Mirror's success had helped push the boundaries of adult game innovation, but it wasn't enough on its own.
Still, Chen Xu didn't dwell on it. His mind returned to Under the Legend. From a development standpoint, it wasn't a difficult project for him.
The true challenges lay in three key areas: writing, art, and music.
The music in Under the Legend had been nothing short of iconic. Many successful indie titles shared that trait—memorable soundtracks that elevated the entire experience.
Plot, music, and gameplay creativity were the pillars of indie game development.
Suddenly, Yang Xin's voice broke the concentration.
"Sister Xin, who's this guy calling us out?"
"Some troll, probably jealous of Magic Mirror's success," Ruan Ningxue muttered, passing her phone to Yang Xin.
Seeing Chen Xu approach, Yang Xin handed him the phone too. "Look at this. A professional clout chaser."
The video showed a middle-aged man condemning Magic Mirror. The visuals displayed an in-game scene—thankfully, with clothed characters.
"In today's world, game designers will do anything for attention," he declared self-righteously.
"Vulgar! Shameful! This is a disgrace to the art of gaming."
He claimed that if his upcoming game Blooming included such elements, he'd be ashamed to call himself a developer.
He ended by urging game creators to focus on real quality instead of gimmicks and sales tricks.
The video was full of sanctimonious criticism—but the comments section told a different story.
While a few fans agreed, the majority mocked him.
"Zhong Dabao's at it again!"
"Vulgar? You gotta say it louder—I'm not offended yet!"
"Everything he makes is art. Everything else is vulgar, huh?"
"You promoting your game again?"
"He already name-dropped Blooming mid-rant. Classic Zhong Cannon."
Chen Xu chuckled as he scrolled through the responses.
The man in the video was Zhong Mei, a game designer and head of Hepai Style Studios. Though he had released a few decent titles in the past, he was now known more for attacking popular games to hype his own.
He wasn't just targeting Chen Xu—many developers had been slandered by him.
But Chen Xu wasn't worried.
Let them bark. He had a world to build