Chapter 115: The Open Beta Begins
Zhou Ning's mouth twitched slightly, feeling quite annoyed. That damn AI actually exposed his Phoenix Battle Suit to the players just like that. What made it worse was that he hadn't even had time to dye the outfit yet. The current color was so flashy it was hard to pull off.
In the video, the two sides were locked in intense combat. Thanks to the AI's wide-angle lens, players could clearly see the overwhelming power of Alva Roskin. After transforming into a stone giant over three meters tall, every step he took left a crater in the ground. He could even summon massive spikes three to four meters long—an absolutely terrifying sight.
Then came the mysterious powerhouse, Harrison Rivers. His entrance was nothing short of epic. Without saying a word, he activated his clan's secret ability. To help players better understand what was happening, the AI provided a helpful label:
"Clan Rite — Willpower Judgment: Can impose judgment upon an enemy's will, altering their current state. Effectiveness depends on the disparity in willpower."
Working together, the two instantly overwhelmed Zhou Ning. In the video, Zhou Ning was seen rolling, sidestepping, diving forward—doing everything to dodge.
Even though his flashy gunplay added a +50% bonus to visual appeal, and he still looked calm and effortlessly cool, there was no denying he was getting thoroughly beaten.
At that moment, the AI thoughtfully displayed the three combatants' health bars above their heads. Zhou Ning was down to one-fifth of his HP, while Harrison and Alva were still at full health.
What had once looked like a possible comeback quickly turned into a disastrous downturn…
Zhou Ning's fans couldn't help but start worrying. As the situation became increasingly dire, Harrison Rivers used Willpower Judgment to trap Zhou Ning in a cocoon of glowing threads.
But just at this critical moment, the perspective suddenly shifted—returning to the dark book.
Lines of text began to appear once again.
"(Narration) Harrison Rivers has imprisoned Wayne Sturwell using Willpower Judgment… (details omitted) What follows is the climax of this act. As a devout follower of the Evil God, Alva Roskin showed no mercy. He charged at Wayne Sturwell with unstoppable force… The curtain is about to fall on this act…"
After reading those two narrated lines, players became even more frustrated and anxious for Zhou Ning. Even if they couldn't fully follow the nuances of the battle, they could at least read the health bars. Was this cursed book really going to have the last laugh?
But the silence lasted less than two seconds. Almost instantly, a flurry of snow-like comments began flooding the screen.
"Incoming epic moment!"
"Wayne is my husband! Get 'em, babe!!"
"Sh*t's about to get real! Counterattack incoming!!"
In the blink of an eye, the dense web of transparent threads binding Zhou Ning ignited with white flames. At the same time, a silvery-white divine beam slammed into the stone giant, Alva. His health bar plummeted at breakneck speed, dropping to half in mere seconds.
Immediately afterward, Harrison Rivers tried to use Willpower Judgment again, but it was negated. Thanks to a close-up, viewers could clearly see a flash of lightning shoot through Zhou Ning's eyes.
Before anyone had time to react, the next sequence of combat left everyone speechless.
Despite his health bar hanging by a thread, Zhou Ning remained as calm as an iceberg. It was as if he could predict every move his enemies made—moving with fluid precision and complete control.
The AI drew a circle to highlight Harrison Rivers' casting range: about 24 yards. Observant players noticed that three or four times, Harrison tried to cast a spell, but Zhou Ning would dodge just in time, staying outside the 24-yard mark. Each time, Harrison would raise his hand only to lower it again in frustration.
Thanks to the +50% visual flair from his gunplay skills, Zhou Ning looked absolutely badass on screen—his coolness dialed up to the max.
When Harrison Rivers finally lost his patience and tried to charge in from a side passage, he stepped right onto a bomb Zhou Ning had planted earlier.
In the video, Zhou Ning curled his lips into a smirk and snapped his fingers.
"BOOM!"
Harrison Rivers was instantly swallowed by the raging flames and falling debris.
"Damn… he's on another level. Cool and deadly—that's all I can say."
"Holy sh*t, he's too handsome! Even I'm tempted to lick the screen—and I'm a dude!"
"Insane!"
"This is pure skill domination! PURE. SKILL. DOMINATION. I've gotta @Grantham—what's your take on this?"
"Open beta's tomorrow! I hope I spawn in the Kingdom of Bryston—I'm going straight for the Wandering Gunslinger class!"
"Same here!"
After being disgusted by that creepy book for so long, the players were finally feeling vindicated.
Even Zhou Ning was quite satisfied watching it. This was his first public appearance after acquiring the Stylish Gunplay skill, and to be honest, even he thought he looked pretty cool.
The video continued.
Now fully in control of the battle, Zhou Ning dominated the field. The number of live comments surged to four or five times what they'd been earlier, as players poured out their excitement.
A few seconds later, the view shifted again. Harrison Rivers emerged from the rubble, transforming into a towering demon over two meters tall. Just as he raised his hand to cast another spell, Zhou Ning, as if anticipating it all along, unleashed an overwhelming aura that burst outward from him.
Harrison Rivers froze on the spot—stunned.
"Here it is—Conqueror's Haki! (deadpan tone)"
"Holy hell, that was cool. Harrison got completely shut down."
"Shouldn't we be praising the main character instead?"
And then came the moment that left players utterly stunned. Under a barrage from the mechanical puppet, a beam of moonlight descended, stunning Alva Roskin. In an instant, his massive form turned into a pale skeleton.
Then, Zhou Ning calmly aimed at the skull and pulled the trigger. Since the video still displayed the health bars, viewers could clearly see what happened next: three bullets—one black, one silver, and one fiery red, each glowing with flames, ripples, and aura—hit the skeleton. Alva Roskin's long health bar vanished in an instant.
"Holy sh*t… I'm numb. I'm just numb."
"That's it. I'm going Wandering Gunslinger. If anyone tries to talk me into another class, I'm throwing hands…"
Zhou Ning: …
Once again, credit where credit's due—the AI's editing skills were top-notch. What had originally been a five-point fight was polished and cut into a perfect ten with its sharp angles and dynamic perspective shifts.
Of course, this worked out in Zhou Ning's favor. After this explosive episode, player interest in the Wandering Gunslinger class skyrocketed. At least 20 to 30% of new players would likely pick it.
As the only skill mentor, Zhou Ning could already foresee the profits rolling in.
The video neared its end. After Zhou Ning scared off Harrison Rivers with his unshakable calm and left Wooden Gate Street, his arc came to a temporary close.
The upcoming storyline took a sharp turn. Zhou Ning noticed that in the original plot, both the main player's "first wife" Cress and "second wife" Rosie had joined the school expedition team to investigate the atmospheric tides.
Meanwhile, dimensional protagonist Leandro Pessa stuck to his original path and joined the Sunwatchers to investigate the giants.
As the film approached its final moments, Zhou Ning caught his first glimpse of a giant: towering at fourteen or fifteen meters tall, shirtless, with bulging muscles—and unmistakably the same man he'd seen before: the former king, Charles VI. The giant was now roaring up at the sky.
The last scene froze on the dark book, and with a final subtitle, the audience witnessed the opera's ending.
Ending: Performance failed. Wayne Sturwell still held a power that defied logic—who would've guessed he had the strength of a Penitent Priest of the Ascetic Church? Alva Roskin died by Wayne Sturwell's hand. Act 3, Scene 7 is void.
"Act 3, Scene 8: The Death of Wayne Sturwell (Encore)"
Then, a pair of gloved black hands closed the book. The video ended.
Watching to the very end, Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel stunned: Is this damn book bugged or something? Why is it still going?!
———
The next day at noon, after finishing a trade with the Sunwatchers, Zhou Ning checked his panel. Only 20 minutes remained until the open beta.
He felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.
With arms crossed, he sat quietly in his alchemy shop, waiting.
His personal store was fully stocked with guns, skills, and potions he'd prepared in advance—everything he'd worked on over the past week.
Five minutes left until the beta began.
The game interface started its countdown: ten, nine, eight… three, two, one!
[Open Beta Now Live.]
[Connecting to data… Data connection complete!]
[Welcome to the world of Apocalypse! A game world that breathes!]
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