"Episode Two of the 'Apocalypse' series?"
Julian Thorne cycled through his Ripple Breathing Technique several times before he managed to calm his racing heart. A wave of confusion washed over him. If his memory served him right, the second episode of the "Apocalypse" series wasn't due for a few more days. After all, the protagonist, Leandro de Pesa, hadn't even enrolled yet.
The Apocalypse AI produced these episodes not just to promote the game, but also to introduce players to the important factions and characters they'd encounter in the early to mid-game.
In his past life, the second episode focused on the "Chosen One," Leandro de Pesa, and the Life Alchemy Society. The third episode then introduced the official faction, the Sun Wardens.
But now, episode two was airing several days early. Was this some kind of butterfly effect caused by his own actions?
Julian accessed the game's forum through the interface. Thanks to the increased promotional efforts, the number of posts had exploded. To his surprise, because of his center-stage appearance in the first promotional episode, he found a dedicated sub-forum named after him, complete with its own moderators.
Since the forum was managed by the game's developers and not the AI, Julian figured even they probably thought he was the main character now.
But the posts in his sub-forum... something felt off.
A quick glance revealed a sea of posts with identical formatting: [Wayne - Here for Wayne #Wayne Stilwell], giving off some serious fan club vibes.
And then there was the fanfiction. Since the first episode provided so little information, the writers had to rely heavily on their imaginations. After clicking through a few of these stories, Julian felt a chill run down his spine.
The female fans were obsessed with shipping, and most of them paired him with Chris Bridon Razor. The other pairings were far more bizarre: some shipped him with Leandro de Pesa, others with the little fatty, and some even went as far as to pair him with Marien or, even worse, the cultists...
"What the actual f*ck!" Julian shuddered.
He navigated to the pinned post. The episode's title was "The Alchemist Phantom."
Julian's lips twitched. "Figures."
He started the video.
The episode opened on a snowy morning. Julian, dressed in a white shirt and black vest, stepped out of his apartment.
The AI was clearly playing to the audience, giving Julian a long, drawn-out close-up that immediately set the comments ablaze.
The plot unfolded quickly. Julian discovered a murder scene in the woods. Sherlock, a member of the Bryston Kingdom's official Sun Wardens faction, made his formal entrance, engaging Julian in conversation.
Sherlock's name popped up above his head: Sun Wardens Third Squad Captain, Meteorologist - Sherlock Moriarty.
Through their conversation, Julian informed the audience that the culprit was likely a member of the Life Alchemy Society.
Over the next few days, Sherlock conducted his investigation. He first identified all teachers and students from Ruins at the academy, then questioned them about any recent unusual behavior. He then meticulously investigated each individual, eventually narrowing down the suspect to Horvath Guy.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Sherlock's investigation revealed that Horvath had a girlfriend named Maggie who had mysteriously disappeared. He had also been seen growing close to the victim, Sharon. He was the only one who fit all the criteria. It took only two days to identify the killer.
The video fast-forwarded to a dark night inside the Alchemy Building. Sherlock, accompanied by two other Sun Wardens, cornered Horvath Guy.
A fierce battle was imminent.
The two sides clashed. Initially, under the suppression of Sherlock's weather-based abilities, Horvath struggled. But when he activated his invisibility, the battle quickly turned one-sided.
The two Sun Wardens were swiftly killed by Horvath's air bullets, and Sherlock's situation grew increasingly precarious.
The players watched with bated breath, the comment section falling nearly silent.
This tension was abruptly broken when the camera switched to Julian, instantly reigniting the players' excitement.
"Here it comes!"
"High-energy warning! Fasten your seatbelts!"
"My hubby's about to save the day!"
"Damn, the protagonist is the protagonist for a reason. His IQ is clearly on another level. Sherlock spent days investigating, but this guy seemed to know who the killer was from the start. He went straight to the Alchemy Building."
"No doubt. I bet Wayne suspected the killer from the very beginning."
These commenters were, of course, those who had skipped ahead and were now returning to leave their mark.
Julian: ...
He wished he could tell them they were reading too much into it. If it weren't for the system prompt and the sounds he'd heard, he wouldn't have had a clue the killer was in the Alchemy Building...
For some reason, the AI had omitted the scene of Julian gliding in his Phoenix Battle Suit. Instead, it showed Julian, in formal attire and holding an umbrella, walking towards the Alchemy Building.
Even Julian had to admit he looked incredibly cool. The scene was practically wallpaper-worthy. His 99-point Charisma stat was no joke.
The episode continued...
Julian pushed open the door, just as Sherlock fell down the stairs. He rolled and ended up kneeling before Julian, pointing his gun at him. The comments exploded with the same line: "Shall I say 'no need for formalities' or should I just surrender now?"
A barrage of air bullets flew towards Julian, which he dodged with incredible speed. Then, as he leaned back to avoid a bullet from behind, Sherlock unleashed his lightning. The AI gave Julian a wide-angle close-up as he twisted his body mid-lean, an ivory-handled revolver appearing in his hand as if by magic, spinning it around his finger.
The entire sequence was crystal clear, and it looked absolutely badass.
Before the players could even react, the next scene sent them into a frenzy.
A burst of flame erupted from the muzzle of the revolver. The AI provided a detailed close-up and slow-motion shot, allowing players to see the revolver's mechanism in action: the finger pulling the trigger, the hammer being cocked, and a blazing bullet spinning out of the barrel with astonishing speed. Due to the slow motion, players could even see the ripples around the bullet, as if it were tearing through space itself.
"Holy sh*t! What kind of skill is that?!"
"Goddamn, that's so cool!"
"Holy crap, he's got it all figured out..."
"F*ck, I want to learn that skill too! It's too awesome!"
With Julian's appearance, the number of comments surged.
When Julian started fighting, the number of comments quintupled compared to a few minutes ago, showcasing his immense popularity.
Based on the two episodes aired so far, Wayne's character perfectly aligned with the players', especially the female players', preferences.
He was devastatingly handsome, intelligent, powerful, had a good personality, and was even occasionally humorous.
He was the perfect protagonist template.
Two minutes later, when Julian, with Sherlock's help, forced Horvath to reveal himself and then coolly pulled the trigger, killing the fully-monsterized Horvath, the comments reached their peak.
"Holy crap! That was so badass! Cool, collected, and decisive. I'm in love!"
"Claiming my hubby once again..."
"Stop being such a fangirl, upstairs. But damn, even I, a guy, like him! Forget it, gender doesn't matter anymore. Claiming my hubby..."
"Be careful out there, guys. These zero-overflow events are getting more frequent. Even boys need to protect themselves."
Julian: ...
The first half of the episode had been quite tense, like watching a detective drama where the detective was getting his ass kicked. It was only now that it finally felt satisfying.
Finally, when Julian picked up the diary from the ground and began to read, the AI helpfully added subtitles.
The players finally understood the motive behind the murder and gained a deeper understanding of one of the major NPC factions in the game: the Life Alchemy Society.
