theory time

I binge read this in one go, I blame the subreddit for posting a screenshot of this manhua and making me lose my sleep.

Anyways, so the theory is that this is a VR game, and not MC being reincarnated in the game world. The painting arc is the clue, going down further each level where it is difficult to differentiate fantasy from reality.

The painter got lost and got stuck for several years, who knows how long MC has been stuck in the game world for. Maybe she's in a coma/vegetative state, and the game is the life support?

Secondly, the parties involved. We got Qinqiu (MC), two Yue Kongmings with different eye colours and the admin who's a silhouette (detective conan style).

The poop colour eyes is a player trying to complete the game by farming the materials and speed running quests. MC is a...well, um...quest specific character. Her crimson weed thing is the quest item, seeing how she remembered how many times she was killed for it. There was no specific number for it on that red book, but the other items were numbered.

Then we got the jade eyes kongming, he has been observing this game world for a long time. Either he's originally part of the game, or is someone from real life. Though he showed no indications of any previous life or modern world knowledge, so highly unlikely he's someone from real life.

However, it does seem like someone is trying to save MC somehow as she's forced to be killed for materials. She too levels up and has the ability to do some mod commands despite her severe limitations. She gets sent back to the past after she dies, like a reset.

Then we got the admin guy who thinks mc is a big acting out and just wants to put her through suffering.

There are other details like how the npc characters try to gaslight her in her past life aka previous run that it is all her imagination and not a game.

The admin and poopming are in cahoots.

Edit: it's so late at night I forgot to tick the spoiler box. Sorry for that.