The Game of Modifying Reality

The night was cool, like water.

Soft moonlight streamed through the window into the bedroom, like a thin layer of silver sand.

Yan Anqing sat before his computer, clutching his phone, lost in thought.

All the apps on his phone's desktop had vanished, leaving only a program he'd never seen before.

He casually tapped it open, and a round, plump, black and white panda cub logo appeared on the screen.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a cute panda, incredibly adorable.

[Moderate gaming benefits the brain, excessive gaming harms the body.]

After a string of official-sounding prompts, the program's main interface loaded.

[You are the sole player in this game across the endless dimensions. We wish you a pleasant gaming experience.]

Seeing this, the corners of Yan Anqing's lips curved upward slightly.

"This is somewhat interesting."

He briefly studied the software, which claimed to be a game, and found it was actually a photo editing program, similar to PS.

However, its functions were more concise and clear, with fewer complex buttons.

After importing his graduation photo into the "game," Yan Anqing made a few minor modifications to himself in the picture before hitting the "Complete" button.

In an instant, Yan Anqing felt the world before his eyes...

Change!

His clothes seemed a bit tight.

He noticed that his pant legs had suddenly become shorter.

Yan Anqing walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, finding that his face also seemed to have changed slightly.

After graduation, he spent his days typing in front of the computer for work. His radiation-exposed face had become somewhat rough, his skin remarkably pale, like a vampire in many movies, lacking color.

But now...

The skin on his face was smooth and delicate, like the finest white jade!

This made him, already somewhat handsome, instantly elevate his appearance by several notches, even stronger than during his peak youthful years.

"This so-called 'game' can alter the real world by modifying photos?"

Yan Anqing raised an eyebrow, his thoughts drifting.

A moment later, he found a tape measure and measured his height several times.

The result was—180 centimeters!

Senses can deceive, but data does not.

When he went for a physical examination half a month ago, his height was recorded as 174.5 centimeters!

Given his age, his epiphyseal plates had long since fused completely, and he wouldn't grow even a single centimeter taller!

Using a photo editing software to influence reality...

The power of this "game" was incredibly heaven-defying!

Yan Anqing decided to try a few more times, to delve deeper into its potential.

Explore, discover, think, understand, apply!

This was a behavioral pattern he had developed during his time in medical school.

Yan Anqing took off his red and gray hoodie and took a selfie.

After some modifications, he pressed the complete button.

Without any sound or light effects, his physique underwent a earth-shattering transformation in silence!

Full pectoral muscles like armor, eight complete and symmetrical abs, well-defined and smooth biceps, and clearly visible V-lines!

"This is unscientific," Yan Anqing frowned.

The "unscientific" he spoke of wasn't about the game's photo editing affecting the real world, but about something else...

Yan Anqing had made a habit of exercising since high school. Although it was on and off, he had reached peak physical condition at times.

When his body fat percentage was at its lowest, his abs were clearly visible.

At that time, he had six-pack abs, and their shape wasn't perfectly symmetrical!

Many people believed that the number of abs could be changed through training.

They thought that asymmetrical abs were due to insufficient training! Unscientific! Random training!

In reality, that was a completely wrong idea!

A fallacy.

The number and shape of human abs are determined by the tendinous intersections of the rectus abdominis.

In other words, it depends on the traits expressed by genes.

Whether or not a person's abs could be displayed as "present" or "absent" was simply a matter of body fat percentage.

Everyone has abs; it's just that some people's abs are covered by a layer of fat, making them invisible.

Moreover, after undergoing physical training, Yan Anqing discovered that the muscles on his body were not just for show.

Explosive power surged within him.

"So, this game can not only alter reality, but it even has a certain degree of 'reasonable embellishment' effect!"

An inexplicable light ignited in his eyes.

After calming himself down a bit, Yan Anqing clicked on the [Little Helper] option and typed in a string of text.

"If my phone is accidentally lost, is there after-sales service?"

Regarding the software on his phone, Yan Anqing didn't want to ask where it came from.

He only wanted to know how to ensure it would always belong to him alone.

The Panda, which had appeared once before, suddenly popped out, its chubby body pushing the main screen interface aside.

It blew out a string of text bubbles from its mouth: "Please retrieve it yourself, host. This software does not provide binding functions during the trial period."

Yan Anqing's eyes curved into crescents, and his amber eyes seemed to hold a warm spring.

"Trial period? Binding function?"

The game's little helper seemed to have given him a significant hint...

Before Yan Anqing could think further, the Panda blew out another series of text bubbles from its mouth.

Vermilion background, deep blue text.

[Game Main Quest - First Stage Released!]

[Quest Content: Obtain 3 achievements. Current progress: 0/3.]

[Rewards: ① Trial period ends, the game will be soul-bound to the host. Only the host can see and use this game. ② Unlock new game options.]

"How do I get game achievements?"

Yan Anqing typed his question again.

[Please explore on your own.]

"That's fine too."

Holding his phone, Yan Anqing modified all the ill-fitting clothes at home to be perfectly tailored.

With the help of this software, wealth, fame, and everything a normal person desires were within easy reach.

But Yan Anqing was not interested in those things.

Money?

Enough to get by was sufficient.

He had just finished writing a novel, and after deducting daily expenses, there was some left.

In this insignificant county town, there was no immediate need for money.

Women, or rather...

Beautiful women?

His heart had withered away on the day his girlfriend, Li Wan, committed suicide due to depression.

Many men are like the Mighty Lion.

They can love many women simultaneously without any discomfort, considering it only natural.

And a very small number of men are like badgers.

When one gets lost, the other will spend their entire life searching for them.

Unfortunately, Yan Anqing belonged to the latter.

Li Wan was a very ordinary girl.

She was plain-looking, not particularly intelligent, a graduate of a third-rate university. She could be temperamental, occasionally thoughtful, and apart from painting, she had no other special talents.

But Yan Anqing loved her.

As an orphan, Yan Anqing had no one to support and no obligation to procreate.

Therefore, Yan Anqing had no intention of finding another girlfriend to replace Li Wan.

Living alone was also quite good.

So, the question arose.

What should Yan Anqing do when he obtained an item that could alter the real world, a heavenly gift?

He inexplicably thought of a cold joke his classmates used to tease him with.

"Even if you won five million in the lottery, you wouldn't know how to spend it!"

Yan Anqing pondered for a long time, then suddenly let out a light chuckle.

He raised his phone, aiming it at the moon in the sky