To Riven, the boisterous cheers from the players were nothing but a grating, alien noise.
He couldn't fathom it. His precognition hadn't failed—not entirely. Everything that came after the beating was exactly as he had foreseen. The freed beastkin looked upon him as their hero. The Saintess, Lena, watched him with a newfound admiration. Within half a day, the players had secured Silversky Town, establishing it as the first true sanctuary for the beastkin.
Could it be? he wondered. Was the beating not an accident, but a necessary crucible of my destiny? A chapter my precognition conveniently omitted, just to spare me the humiliation?
He couldn't find an answer. Riven stood alone on the balcony of the mayor's mansion, his gaze fixed on a deep depression in the grounds below. A profound melancholy settled over him.
It was the crater Thorne had carved into the earth, using his body as a flail.
The first day of the Continent of Destiny closed beta was drawing to an end.
In the wake of the spectacular clash between the game's protagonist and its first major boss, review articles began to ripple across gaming media platforms. They weren't ripples for long. They became bombshells, detonating across the entire gaming community.
Among them, a post by a player named Mike—complete with videos, screenshots, and sharp commentary—shot to the top of the charts, racking up likes and shares at an explosive rate. Its quality was undeniable, but its meteoric rise was also thanks to a title that was impossible to ignore.
[Destiny Beta First Impressions: The Protagonist Got Absolutely WRECKED by the Boss for Ten Minutes Straight!]
The internet, being the internet, clicked instantly.
"Hey everyone, Mike here. Long time no see. Hope you've all been good.
Today, I'm bringing you a review of the game that's blowing up right now, Continent of Destiny. When I do a review, I keep it 100% real, so do me a solid and smash that subscribe button so you don't miss the next one!
First off, I was incredibly lucky to be one of the one thousand testers chosen from over eight million initial applicants. Of course, that number has already ballooned to over twenty million now… Just a little humble brag, haha.
There are already tons of guides and walkthroughs popping up, and the early game is pretty straightforward anyway. So today, I want to talk about my feelings playing this game.
I can sum up this game in three words: Realism, Hardcore, and Epic. Let's break it down.
REALISM
I know what you're thinking. You've all seen the official trailers and you're wondering if the actual game can possibly live up to the hype. Let me answer that for you right now: the in-game experience is IDENTICAL to the trailers. No exaggeration. No cap.
So, why do I say it's 'real'?
Virtual reality games are usually judged on three things: the quality of the models and environmental details, the five-senses experience, and the intelligence of the NPCs.
In Continent of Destiny, the five-senses immersion is truly 100%. When you're standing in the game world, every sensation feels like you're in a physical reality. For those who watched my stream, you know the first thing I did was slap myself in the face. I can confirm, it felt exactly like slapping myself in real life. If you don't believe me, you can try it yourself when you get in.
Next, models and environmental detail. My words can't do it justice. Just watch the video I captured of some raw gameplay footage [▶️].
The fidelity is insane. You can see the pores on an NPC's skin, the subtle pulse of a vein in their neck. I actually had some more intense combat footage, but it was honestly too visceral to post here without a major content warning.
But what truly blew my mind was the NPC system. I have a clip here of a conversation I had with Saintess Lena, who's already becoming a fan favorite. Check it out [▶️].
You can see it plain as day. The NPCs are virtually indistinguishable from real people. They give different answers to different questions. They think, they hesitate, they even get shy or angry if players get flirty or aggressive. And yes, they will pointedly choose to interact with players who are more polite.
So let me give you all a piece of advice right now: when you get into this game, treat every NPC like a real person. Do not do anything offensive. You'll thank me later.
HARDCORE
Continent of Destiny is, without a doubt, the most hardcore game I have ever played.
When you start, you have a body brimming with potential power, but you're basically a clumsy oaf who doesn't know how to use it. There are no simple button presses for skills.
For a warrior, skills like Slash, Shield Bash, or Whirlwind require you to physically perform a similar motion. Only when the system judges your form successful can you tap into your body's special energy—your Aura—to produce the desired effect, like a knockdown, a stun, or a knockback.
And for all you aspiring mages out there?
This is a Fireball [🖼️]. My experience as a mage is this: beyond the rote chanting, you have to actively feel the flow of mana inside you, guiding it according to the skill's description. Before you jump in the comments to call me crazy, wait until you actually roll a mage. You'll see. The feeling of mana flow is real.
Some of you might think this sounds ridiculously difficult. But in my opinion, this realistic, hardcore experience is where the real fun lies. The sense of accomplishment you get from mastering a skill through your own effort is unparalleled.
EPIC
Finally, the sense of epic scale. We all knew this was a world of sword and magic, but it's not just an empty stage. It's a world with a deep, tangible history and culture.
It has its own unique written languages, distinct customs, warring nations, and anthems of blood and tears. Every single NPC has their own life, their own story. I can't even begin to imagine the sheer manpower the development team poured into building a world this vast.
And here's the most important part: the game has no respawn mechanic for NPCs. A character that dies is dead forever. An event that happens will never happen again.
This means that players who join later will never experience the exact plot we beta testers did. They will enter the world as it is and have to move forward from there. In this game, we players are truly participating in the evolution of the world. We are leaving our own footprints in its history. We're not just creating game history; we're creating our own legends.
In Conclusion…
Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking. I've written all this, and it has almost nothing to do with my title.
I'm not a clickbait artist, I promise. So, to wrap up this review, please enjoy this incredible combat video from the game.
Friendly Tip: The video features the aforementioned protagonist and the current fan-favorite boss, the Lord of Frostfell. [ 🌀Link to Riven vs. Alistair & Thorne ▶️]
That's all for this review. Silversky Town won't rebuild itself, so I've got work to do. See you all next time."
*****
In less than half a day, Mike's review had accumulated tens of thousands of comments. The lucky few who had been selected for the beta quickly chimed in, verifying the review's authenticity.
Meanwhile, the vast, gameless masses who could only watch from the sidelines felt their anticipation reach a fever pitch, having gotten a potent taste of the game through the detailed write-up. The comment section was a whirlwind of frantic discussion, with many already fantasizing about what they would do once they got their hands on the game.
Beyond Mike's review, another thread, which linked to the combat video Mike had saved for last, was also skyrocketing up the forum's ranks.
The original poster was a player named Bullshit, and the title was a masterclass in clickbait.
[THEORY: The Secret History of Riven and the Lord of Frostfell - It's Not What You Think!]
The post opened with the full, unedited video of Lord Alistair's battle with Riven, followed by a series of screenshots and meticulous analysis.
"Alright everyone, Day One of the Continent of Destiny beta is in the books, and the main plot is starting to take shape. The core questline seems to be about helping the fallen beastkin nation get its revenge against the Pyrian Empire. There are hints of gods meddling behind the scenes, but we don't have enough data on that yet, so let's stick to what we know.
[🖼️] [🖼️] This is Riven, our protagonist. Looking at him, you'd think this was going to be your typical OP MC fantasy story where the hero steamrolls everything in his path, right?
If you thought that, you couldn't be more wrong. I believe the developers deliberately designed him to look like an overpowered hero just to mislead us. Riven's story is far from simple. He's a tragic figure, and the Lord of Frostfell is much more than a simple villain.
According to the intel we've gathered, the Lord's seat of power, Frostcrest, is incredibly far from Silversky Town. How far? Think the entire length of Florida. Furthermore, Silversky Town is the most barren, worthless patch of land in the Frostfell domain—a lawless backwater where even the birds don't bother to shit. So why would the Lord of Frostfell show up here, of all places?
That's right. He came for Riven.
From the moment the Lord appeared, his gaze kept drifting towards Riven. I've got the screenshots to prove it. [🖼️] [🖼️].
As the plot unfolded, the Lord killed every single player, but pointedly left Riven untouched. Don't even try to tell me they don't know each other. The way Alistair looked at Riven clearly showed familiarity, but Riven looked back at him like he was a total stranger. [🖼️] [🖼️].
So, what could cause a situation like this?
Let's rewind to before the main event, when players first entered Silversky Town. Riven claimed he was a knight from the 'Griffin family,' seeking to pledge his service. It was a cover story, but a sharp-eyed player dug up a crucial connection.
As you can see in this screenshot of a conversation with a traveling merchant, the Griffin family was once a vassal house sworn to House Goldenlion. [🖼️].
Are the pieces clicking into place for you yet?
Here's my bold theory: Riven is the Lord of Frostfell's illegitimate younger half-brother. He was likely born a bastard, afforded no status, and was sent away to the Griffin family at an age before he could form lasting memories.
But Alistair, the legitimate heir, never forgot about his brother. He's been watching him from afar. This would explain why he just 'happened' to show up in a remote town at the exact same time as Riven. The struggle for power among nobles is vicious. Alistair traveled all this way for one reason: to crush any potential ambition in his younger brother before it could sprout.
Furthermore, Riven's behavior during the fight was bizarre. At one point, his whole body began to tremble violently [▶️]. I speculate that Alistair said something that sent Riven into an uncontrollable rage.
Then there was this moment, where a look of dawning realization, followed by shame-filled fury, crossed Riven's face [🖼️] [🖼️]. I believe this is the exact moment he understood that the Lord of Frostfell was his older brother.
As for why Alistair didn't kill him and merely taught him a lesson? He's likely bound by other concerns. Perhaps he has to consider their father's feelings.
The above is just my personal speculation, but I believe it's 99% of the truth. Riven is a classic tragic hero. He's not only saddled with being the ultimate simp for the entire beastkin cause, but he's also being oppressed by his own brother and can never be acknowledged by his father."
The theory thread exploded with tens of thousands of its own comments. Most players agreed with the OP's compelling analysis, while others were more interested in breaking down the skills Riven and Alistair had used.
*****
That evening, every muscle in Riven's body screamed in protest as he collapsed onto his bed. He summoned his personal panel, the ethereal screen casting a faint glow in the dark room, and moved the cursor to the game forums icon.
As the protagonist, understanding the players' thoughts was crucial. It would help him control them. And the best way to do that was to browse the forums, where they spoke their minds without filter or fear, never suspecting that the very subject of their discussion could be watching.
A special restriction was placed on him, however. He had read-only access.
The moment the forum loaded, two pinned, red-highlighted threads appeared. One was the standard game review. The other immediately snagged Riven's attention.
"'The Secret History of Riven and the Lord of Frostfell?'" he read aloud, his brow furrowing. What the hell is this?
He tapped it open, his curiosity piqued.
As he scrolled, reading every line of analysis and every piece of "evidence," his expression twisted, a snarl contorting his lips into a mask of pure fury. He was a prodigy, a Child of Destiny chosen to spearhead the conquest of a world. He had bested countless geniuses and overcome every obstacle.
And now, this. He was being subjected to the most profound, public humiliation imaginable.
The pressure in his chest became unbearable until something inside him snapped. A raw, guttural sound escaped his throat, and he doubled over, a hot splash of blood spattering his lips.
He finally understood. He understood the looks of pity and sympathy the players had been giving him all evening.
In their eyes, he had already been branded. The disgraced bastard. The tragic hero. The ultimate simp.
And it was all his fault. The Lord of this wretched domain. Alistair Goldenlion.
Riven clenched his teeth, the taste of his own blood sharp on his tongue. In his eyes burned a fire of humiliation and hatred.
"Alistair! I swear, I will kill you!"