Yuzen felt like he had to do something.
Anything.
Because the MC of his channel who used to pedal his bike around town with his childhood sweetheart was now crying his heart out and Yuzen could only watch. This was not what he wanted.
He tried to open the AnWorld main page from his watch. He swatted the display toward the wall that had been projecting his channel seconds ago. He searched for a way to contact customer service, but there was no button like that anywhere.
He closed the page and opened his channel again. The subs and views climbed like wildfire. The college student who usually ate ramen with his family had now buried his mother and his girlfriend in a makeshift grave.
God.
This was the worst thing Yuzen could imagine.
He watched in horror as the number of Loens from viewers rose past one million. He had never dreamed of a number like that.
The live comments flew so fast he could not follow them with his eyes.
He paused and used the control to slow the comment flow down.
#anonim23: lol at least he meets with the big boobs lady the prev girl is too flat. Very much not female lead[1]
#truesupreme: can't you guys think with your head for a sec not with your lower body! Serin is much more suited to be the FL!
#lolledg46: lol the investor is so bad, can't he save serin with this much loens alr
#tresav78: meybe* he also prefer the big boobs lad lololol
#appleisgood: GUYS CHECK THIS OUT https://shorturl.at/HXjE8
#loku732: AnWorld channel is reall people???? They arent simulated stories?? Wtf
#iamgod7613: can't believe you guys just found out lol ofc they real lololol congrats for being a murderer lololol
#anonim23: i call bs dont get sidetracked with hoax. Hey owner imma donate 50k loens if you make the MC end up with big boobs lady
He closed the comment section and opened settings to limit who could comment, then he clicked on the link to read.
"...so it's confirmed."
"Yes. Very much so. The machine confirmed that every channel in AnWorld actually connects to real lives in different dimensions or alternate realities. Call it what you like. All of them are alive and we as viewers are watching their lives from some distant point of view."
No way. No way. No way.
Yuzen slid from his chair to the floor. His palms pressed cold against the cool tiles. He could not breathe for a long moment. He stared at the MC whose face looked like he would rather die than go on living.
The MC was now inside ruined buildings, hiding from Scavenger Dogs. He rested his head on a pile of rubble and looked up to the sky. The camera followed his view, then shifted down to show his face.
What had I done?
Yuzen rose from where he sat. He walked slowly to the wall where the screen was projected.
The MC raised his arm upward, like he wanted to touch the screen from the other side. Yuzen, as if hypnotized, lifted his arm to meet it.
The moment his hand touched the point where the MC's hand was, Yuzen felt nauseous. His breath came in gasps, but his hand could not pull away from the screen.
It felt like his body was being compressed, dragged through the surface. The pain was unbearable. The world started to go black, and he closed his eyes, wincing.
Then his whole body was thrown forward with incredible force. He felt like he was falling.
Then—
Brugh!
"Ouch... oww... Argh... sh*t, what the fuck just..."
He opened his eyes and met the face he had seen a million times on his channel.
The face was still and pale, with patches of dried blood across the skin.
Yuzen pushed himself up as he realized he was lying directly on top of the person. The same person whose life he had changed forever. The one who was supposed to stay on the other side of the screen.
Yuzen looked around and saw buildings in ruins. Steel beams bent at strange angles, glass windows shattered into dust, and whole walls torn open like paper.
Cars lay overturned on cracked asphalt, their frames burned and blackened. Broken power lines sparked weakly, casting flickers of light in the shadows.
The air carried a sharp smell of smoke and iron, heavy with dust that clung to his throat.
A low growl came from beside him. Yuzen turned his head slowly and locked eyes with a dog bigger than an adult man.
Its eyes glowed a deep red. Thick saliva dripped from its jaws as it bared its teeth, the growl soft but deadly.
Yuzen froze in place.
Then a notification lit up from his watch. A holographic window hovered above it.
[Notification to Channel Mod: Your MC is in danger! Use Loens to change his fate. Remember, if your MC dies, your channel ends too!]
The growl was no longer just one. Another came from the opposite side, followed by more footsteps scratching like nails against the asphalt.
He looked forward and saw a group of the same creatures now closing in on him.
"Shit. I'm royally fucked, aren't I?"
He clicked on the notification as fast as the dogs lunged toward him.
[You have bought 1 x Small Mod Story]
[You have used 1 x Small Mod Story]
[Choose your Mod:
1. A noise from somewhere distracts the Scavenger Dogs from your hero.
2. A person appears and kills all Scavenger Dogs.
Any Mod you choose is permanent and can't be undone! Choose carefully!]
Yuzen couldn't think. That was impossible in this situation. So he just clicked on number 1.
As soon as he did, a thunderous roar echoed through the ruins.
The Scavenger Dogs froze in place, trembling. Then they scattered, tails tucked tight under their bodies.
Yuzen stood frozen in horror as the roar echoed again. The ground shook with heavy tremors and rubble tumbled down around him.
Whatever had made that sound was getting closer—straight toward where he was at.
[1] Author’s Note: All typos and grammar in viewer comments are intentional, kept to reflect how people actually type online.