Hello dear readers,
For the avoidance of doubt, I hereby state that I do not claim ownership over any books, television series, novels, or any other creative works referenced herein, other than my own original character. All other works are the sole property of their respective owners and creators.
With that out of the way, I'd also like to mention that this is a work of fiction. Anything that happens here has no connection to the real world.
I basically binged the five seasons of Stranger Things or, more accurately, binged four seasons and then endured the total disaster they called season five. I was deeply disappointed by how the final season was handled. On top of that, I'm now feeling the familiar emotional crash that comes with finishing a series you were truly attached to, especially after watching each character grow from children into full-on adults.
So, I wrote this fanfic for fun but mostly to fill the hole in my chest.
Now, let's address the elephant in the room.
I'm not a writer, and this is my first attempt. English isn't my first language, so I write each chapter in my mother tongue and then have to translate and edit it. I use AI to help with that, but I've realized that no matter what instructions I give, the AI sometimes goes off the rails and changes things far beyond simple translation or editing. That means I end up re-editing big sections again and again, and since English isn't my first language, I'm stuck in this strange little loop.
So please try to be forgiving if I make mistakes or miss something. To be completely honest, the chances of me removing every bit of "AI slop" after translation are zero. That doesn't mean the AI writes my book, every chapter is entirely my own creation and my own drafts. At most, you might notice what I like to call the "AI flavor" here and there. We've all learned to recognize it, especially in Webnovel platform. Certain words that have multiple meanings in English, endless vocabulary options, yet the AI always seems to choose the same expressions — like "Force of nature" or "Catalogue and move on" and so on.
Haters can go ahead and leave now. But for those who decide to stay, if you find any inconsistencies or mistakes, just leave a comment and I'll do my best to fix or patch things up. Please don't jump straight to dramatic declarations like "That's it, I'm dropping this novel" or "This is the end for me, guys." I know some people will still write stuff like that just to be spiteful, maybe even under this very paragraph. It's fine, I've already gotten used to Webnovel readers. But F**k you!
Speaking of inconsistencies, this is a Gamer*Stranger Things fanfic, which means there's a gamer system involved, and it's extremely complicated to keep track of. I'll try my best.
Few more things to address.
- This is the Gamer system from the manhua, which is as overpowered as it gets. Obviously, the Stranger Things world isn't built to handle that level of power, so I'll be making some adjustments to the system. I will also have to add some more monsters to face Ryan.
- Since there are no supernatural communities for the MC to shop around in, some skills he'll have to acquire on his own or through loot.
- The MC and the lead group (Mike, Dustin… etc.) are going to be fifteen from the start. It was too difficult for me to write from children's perspective as an adult.
- There will probably be some other changes to the setting so to make you feal ok with that lets call it AU Stranger Things and nobody will get an heart attack.
- The Gamer system is super complicated so sometimes I miss things only to remember to add them after I read my outlines. So, if suddenly he gets more functions… well… bear with me.
Spoiler alert for those who didn't see the show
Also, I honestly have no solid explanation for why the MC shouldn't just go in the moment the Upside Down was created and blow the exotic matter to pieces, collapsing the wormhole on the spot. If you have a better solution in mind, feel free to tell me. My current idea is something like this: if he destroys it on November without killing Vecna first, it basically becomes a ticking time bomb that will detonate the next time a gate opens. And we do know the Russians managed to open one before, so it's definitely possible.
Spoiler alertend
I think that's everything. Writing is very very difficult, but I feel like I must do it. I really hope you enjoy this ride with me. I'm definitely doing this for myself, but it's wonderful to share it with all of you and hear your thoughts along the way. I hope it gives the fans out there a little bit of comfort after finishing the series. I have like 80,000 words already written which I think is pretty decent amount for now, and I have ton more to write so you are safe for now. Still, you should comment if you found some inconsistent or anything else.
God bless the Duffer brothers for this wonderful series and slap them (I am joking…) for season 5 lazy writing.