Chapter 114 – Drama Series Episode Five
Zhou Ning was briefly stunned before quickly realizing that, knowing the AI's personality, he was probably going to make another guest appearance in the series. After being milked for content for an entire month, he had developed a strong sense of being a designated tool character.
That said, he was genuinely interested in the final episode of the series before the server launch. As expected, the AI was likely to compile a summary of the current in-game developments and edit it into a full promotional video to prevent new players from feeling completely lost upon entry.
This also presented an opportunity for Zhou Ning to gather intelligence. The only question was how exactly the AI would handle the editing.
He opened the forum and found the pinned thread for the drama series on the homepage before clicking into it.
One couldn't help but marvel at the popularity of Apocalypse—it had been out for less than five minutes, and the video had already amassed tens of thousands of live comments.
"It's finally updated! I've been waiting so long my eyes nearly dried out."
"Here we go! Where's my husband?"
This episode was unusually long—almost two hours, essentially the length of a movie.
The opening shot was of boundless darkness, in which a book lay open. Though no one was flipping it, the pages turned on their own. The camera slowly panned down, giving a close-up of the pages.
The text was written in the game's unique Bryston language, but the AI had thoughtfully provided subtitles translating every line.
Thanks to the subtitles, viewers learned that the contents were presented in the format of an opera recounting everything that had happened thus far.
The opera consisted of four acts:
Act I, Scene I: "Fated Death"
Main characters: Wayne Sturwell, Alan West, Richard Pessa, etc.
Plot summary: In a dark prison cell, Wayne Sturwell and thirty-one other prisoners await their fated deaths. Though this sacrifice may fail, the destined outcome remains unchanged.
The AI then presented a series of montage shots. After the summary, the scene shifted to the prison cell, where Zhou Ning, the chubby Alan, Richard Pessa, Luke Shaw, and others were shown.
The view then returned to the book, displaying the first line of dialogue:
Alan West (crying): "It's over, it's really over this time…"
Then, it cut back to the prison cell, where the weeping Alan nearly echoed the line word-for-word.
…
At first, viewers were a bit confused, but as they kept watching, a chilling realization dawned on them: the book wasn't merely recounting events—it felt more like a prophecy.
Zhou Ning: ??
As someone directly involved, Zhou Ning instantly grasped the AI's intent. Recalling his previous dreams, he began to formulate a theory: perhaps the strange coincidences he'd encountered were all tied to this mysterious book.
Like how he just happened to get involved in investigating the Alchemical Phantom, or how he just happened to hear the whispers of an ancient god and then woke to gunfire from the alchemy building. How he conveniently joined the battle—which, without his presence, would have ended with Sherlock being killed by Holwig, preventing all future developments. Then, he just happened to discover Holwig's diary...
And in the end, he just happened to purchase a rare ancient text on Wendegoon from the underground market.
Moreover, Zhou Ning was not usually a reckless person, yet he'd acted like he'd lost his mind when he infiltrated Harrison Rivers's old mansion alone. What was even scarier was that, at the time, he hadn't sensed anything wrong at all!
Only now did Zhou Ning finally feel a delayed sense of dread. Goosebumps ran down his back.
In other words, this book likely possessed some peculiar power—anyone whose name appeared in it would become a character in its opera, unconsciously following the script.
The video continued using the same filming method, with the events in the opera gradually being confirmed. The audience felt as if they were watching a performance that was both eerie and familiar, and even the flood of comments slowed considerably.
The Holwig Incident from Episode 2, the Alchemy Bombing and Charles VI Assassination from Episode 3… The video's perspective kept shifting, reviewing all the way to Episode 4's Elvis Assassination attempt. The book described the scene as a failed performance, which finally gave viewers a sense of relief.
"LMAO, Elvis is still the GOAT!"
"Come on, if the protagonist could be manipulated that easily, he wouldn't be the protagonist anymore!"
"Even the book probably didn't expect Wayne Sturwell's close-quarters combat ability to be this strong—it actually used the phrase 'unexpected result' in the failure description."
Amid the jokes and laughter, the plot continued. The camera returned to the book in the darkness.
This act was titled: "Fated Death."
From the new opera summary, viewers learned that of the two survivors, Luke Shaw would begin hearing the whispers of an evil god and go in search of the Sunwatcher for help. Upon meeting the Sunwatcher, he would suddenly go mad and transform into a monster, only to be killed on the spot.
The other survivor, Richard, would lose control and his sanity, becoming a monster who killed nine people. Then, lured by some unknown summoning, he would seek out Wayne Sturwell and ultimately die by his gun.
The video resumed switching perspectives.
Just as written in the book, Luke Shaw went mad after finding the Sunwatcher and died a tragic death.
Meanwhile, Richard Pessa, as written in the opera, killed nine people before coming to Zhou Ning for help, and just like in the script, ended up dying at Zhou Ning's hands—leaving viewers feeling incredibly stifled.
One had to admire the AI's editing skills—what were originally four scattered episodes had been masterfully tied together using this book as a narrative thread. Viewers unconsciously became immersed in the story. It could easily be seen as a brand-new film, leaving them filled with anticipation for what would happen next.
Moments later, the view returned once again to the book in the darkness. This time, the opera's title was especially chilling: "The Death of Wayne Sturwell."
The following shot featured Harrison Rivers, with text above his head reading:
Bryston Kingdom Noble Family Code / Legislative Committee Chairman / High Priest of the Curse God Cult: Harrison Rivers
Soon, through his conversation with several others, players learned that Harrison Rivers had orchestrated a plot to ambush Wayne Sturwell.
The camera then locked onto Zhou Ning, and the comment section noticeably surged.
"Here comes the main event!"
"Whoa, it's been over half a month, and my hubby looks even hotter!"
"WTF, XB, you good? Aren't you a dude?"
"So what if I am? Can't a guy fanboy a little?"—clearly a comment from XB.
Seeing XB's questionable comment, Zhou Ning, secretly watching, couldn't help but feel a chill.
The video continued.
Upon returning to his alchemy lab, just like the opera's script foretold, Zhou Ning received a letter delivered by a mailman, inviting him to 52 Wood Gate Street to discuss the purchase of an ancient tome.
The footage fast-forwarded slightly, skipping to the following night, when Zhou Ning arrived at 52 Wooden Gate Street as agreed.
When Zhou Ning entered the living room and saw Alva Roskin sitting on the sofa, along with Harrison Rivers blocking the door, the viewers couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Was the protagonist really going to be killed off by this stupid book?
But then—almost in an instant—a suit of gold-and-crimson armor materialized on Zhou Ning's body. Helmet, armguards, torso, back, and leg armor snapped into place.
In that moment, the players collectively lost it.
"Holy—?!"
"Holy crap, is that… is that power armor?!"
"Just like a real protagonist—always full of surprises!"
"The dumb little book: Why do I suddenly feel nervous?!"
The comment section exploded, completely flooding the screen.
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