Chapter 10: The Video

  The forum's layout was identical to the one he remembered from his past life, even down to the specific sections.

  [Daguerre's Medal (Newcomer Zone)]

  [Daguerre's Banner (Recruitment Zone)]

  ...

  Numerous posts had already sprung up, buzzing with comments.

  Among the trending threads, he even spotted a few familiar IDs. There was 'Emperor Griefblade,' and the renowned strategy guru, 'Whisperwind,' among others.

  The Recruitment Zone was already bustling with activity, as various professional guilds established their presence and began seeking new members.

  A wave of nostalgia washed over Julian Thorne, a strange sensation of how things have changed.

  Wait a minute...

  A sudden question struck Julian Thorne. Even if he had transmigrated into the game world, did he still exist in the real world?

  He recalled the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Because of time travel, two Harry Potters existed in the same time-space; thus, young Harry Potter discovered that the older Harry Potter was spying on him, and the older Harry Potter cast a spell to save the parallel-universe young Harry Potter.

  At the time, the film left him a bit confused, but now that he was in a similar situation, he understood instantly.

  With a flicker of hope, he attempted to enter his old username and password.

  [This user is not registered. Please try again.]

  He tried to make a post.

  [Unregistered users are not permitted to perform this action.]

  Then he attempted to register.

  [User IP not detected. Unable to complete identity verification. Please check your network connection.]

  So much for movies being helpful, damn it!

  After a series of failed attempts, Julian Thorne finally gave up.

  It seemed he was stuck as a lurker, only able to view posts but unable to post or reply.

  Whatever, let's check out the video first!

  He navigated to the pinned post on the homepage and played the first episode of the featured series—"The Offering."

  The video began with a rousing orchestral score.

  Opening Text: We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

  The scene opened with a panoramic view of Bryston's capital, Darklund. One half of the sky was blanketed in a blizzard of snow, while the other half was drenched in a torrential downpour.

  The camera zoomed in, starting from a towering clock tower that pierced the clouds, then sweeping across a bustling trade district. The streets were thronged with people, and one individual even paraded a leashed Thunder Lizard through the crowd.

  A picture of prosperity.

  The scene rapidly descended, plunging into the depths beneath Darklund, where a colossal ancient god was imprisoned, its body engulfed in viridescent, fel flames, roaring skyward from time to time.

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  "Clang..."

  The clock tower's bell tolled, and the camera abruptly focused on the statues of the Four Heroes, standing sentinel along the banks of the Seton River.

  A single tear of blood suddenly welled in the eye of the statue of Sir Archibald, the Flame of Justice, positioned at the very center, before trickling down.

  The scene shifted again, this time to a dilapidated mansion. A group of black-robed cultists were conducting a ritual.

  Julian Thorne: ?????

  Why does this feel so familiar? No, extremely familiar?

  The video transitioned to a dimly lit cell, crammed with people. The air was thick with the sounds of quiet sobbing.

  Through a series of quick cuts, the audience grasped the gist of the plot.

  A millennium ago, this monstrous ancient god was sealed underground by the mortal champions of the gods—four legendary heroes. With the aid of these heroes, a city was built above, which is now the city of Darklund.

  Centuries ago, the gods waged war amongst themselves for dominance and faith. The conflict ended in mutual destruction. Not only did the gods fall into a deep slumber, but even the elemental laws were thrown into chaos by the war, impacting the mortal realm. This resulted in Apocalypse's extremely erratic weather patterns. Acquiring supernatural powers had also become increasingly difficult. Moreover, numerous areas of elemental instability appeared across the continent on the battlefields of the gods, forming zones virtually inaccessible to humans, known as "Weather Tides."

  A thousand years later, the stories of the war of the gods could only be found in ancient texts, and the ancient god sealed beneath the earth had long been forgotten, with only the statues of the Four Heroes remaining by the Seton River.

  A group of cultists, seeking to bring about the end of the world, attempted to use a sacrificial ritual to summon a demon from another dimension. This is where the story began.

  The scene noticeably sped up, showing a sequence of people being taken away for the sacrifice.

  Then, the hexagram array in the ritual chamber lit up point by point, and a gigantic, bloated, spider-like female demon was summoned. The cultists erupted in cheers.

  It really is this place...

  Julian Thorne felt the urge to facepalm. What's going on? Why am I suddenly about to be on stage?

  The video's pace was rapid, showing one young person after another being fed to Marien as offerings.

  Suddenly, the perspective shifted to Julian Thorne and fixed on him, with the name "Wayne Stilwell" appearing above his head, catching even Julian Thorne himself off guard.

  Simultaneously, a flurry of comments scrolled across the screen:

  "High-energy warning!!!" "Ahhh, so handsome! He looks a bit like Bieber, what do you gals think?" "Bieber, my foot, don't be silly." "Everyone, pay attention, don't fast forward, high energy throughout!" "Look at how calm he is, he's definitely got something up his sleeve!" "Wayne is my hubby!!!"

  Julian Thorne: ...

  While it was nice to be complimented, being compared to Justin Bieber wasn't exactly something he'd be proud of.

  The video version of himself was indeed quite handsome. He was currently resting with his eyes closed. Beside him sat a chubby young man, his face streaked with tears and snot.

  Well, his looks were originally a 98 out of 100, but with the little fatty as a foil, it instantly became a 120, undoubtedly delivering a critical hit to first-time viewers.

  Indeed, a beautiful woman often has an ugly best friend. Sorry, little fatty!

  Suddenly, the door opened, and three black-robed Curse Cult members entered, taking both Julian Thorne and the chubby young man away.

  Julian Thorne frowned slightly, and his hands, hidden behind his back, began to work at the ropes. The video even provided a close-up of his hands. Despite being bound, it was clear that his fingers were incredibly nimble, a blur of motion. The tightly tied sailor's knot quickly loosened under his efforts.

  Even with the ropes loosened, Julian Thorne's expression remained impassive. Only when the sacrifice began and he was pushed towards the spider demon did he brazenly draw his gun, revealing his fangs!

  The comments reached a fever pitch at this moment!

  "Strong, strong, strong!" "Damn, low-key, patient, then BAM, I'm hyped!" "Beautiful, strong, and tragic, this guy is definitely the protagonist, who agrees, who disagrees?" "Agreed!!! Totally badass!"

  From an outsider's perspective, even Julian Thorne had to admit that he looked really cool.

  In the video, as he pulled the trigger on Marien, the director included a long shot. The scene resembled Don Quixote charging at a windmill, creating a powerful visual impact.

  Then, facing the combined assault of Marien and a group of Curse Cult members, Julian Thorne calmly spun the cylinder, completing a reload. He pushed off the ground with his right foot, executing a diving roll to evade Marien's heavy strike, leaving a long fissure in the ground where he had been standing.

  He completely toyed with the massive supernatural creature, playing it like a fiddle.

  Then came Julian Thorne's rapid advance, perfectly timed to exploit the blind spots in the charging warriors' formation. He even managed to fire two shots with effortless grace while running, taking down a cultist and interrupting the mini-boss's Fireball incantation. He then performed another diving roll, preemptively predicting the Fireball's trajectory, causing the mini-boss's spell to slam into the pursuing Marien.

  Then, after landing from the roll, the hem of his black academic robe billowed in the wind, the entire sequence executed with breathtaking fluidity.

  Countless Players expressed that they were completely blown away.