Might of Players

---Logan's POV---

I finally finished editing the last episode of Netherworld Revolution. Slumping into my chair, I sprawled out like a dead dog, my muscles aching from hours of hunched editing.

Tilting my head back, I howled, "Finally! Finally done grinding it out! Chasing trends is no easy task!"

The hype was already starting to wane. My latest analytics showed a steady decline in viewer interest. It was time for me to pocket the earnings from these three videos and return to my roots: gameplay commentary.

But lately, the gaming world had been completely overshadowed by Netherworld Revolution.

New releases originally scheduled for pre-order were all delayed, one after another. Can't do another indie review. Viewers are burned out on those.

For now, I had no clue what game to feature in my next video.

Should I cover an unfinished beta? But which one wasn't just a cash grab...

I was stuck.

Suddenly, my computer chimed.

I glanced down. It was a notification for new email.

"What's this? Junk mail? Wait, no—it's from Chronicles of Aeltia?!"

I immediately sat up straight and opened the email to take a closer look.

It turned out that only three people had signed up for the beta test. The three of us were automatically packaged as the first external testers of Chronicles of Aeltia.

The full-dive VR headset required to play the game was already on its way.

The beta would officially begin in two days.

"Holy crap!" I was momentarily dazed.

When I signed up, it was just wishful thinking—I hadn't expected to actually play Chronicles of Aeltia.

But this was way too fast.

I'd figured that if I got any news within two months, it would mean the developers were being diligent.

This was practically instant.

After the initial excitement, worry began to creep in. I stared at the email on my screen and started second-guessing myself.

With such high efficiency, could there be issues with the headset?

What if putting it on fried my brain?

But this was the first-ever full-dive VR game.

It felt like there were two little voices arguing in my head, and neither could convince the other.

If only I could find the other two beta testers, I might feel more at ease. But the official Chronicles of Aeltia website didn't even have a player forum.

I had no idea where to start looking.

Then I caught something in the corner of my eye. In my fan group chat, someone had just mentioned Chronicles of Aeltia.

A lightbulb went off in my head.

I might not know where to find people, but I had fans!

Even though my career as a content creator wasn't particularly successful, I had built up a loyal fanbase over time. With their help, I might be able to find the other beta testers!

I decisively opened the fan group.

The chat was lively, full of banter about Netherworld Revolution and Chronicles of Aeltia.

[GameLord420]: Why does it feel like the reviews for Netherworld Revolution are improving?

[MemeKnight]: Duh! With Chronicles of Aeltia as the ultimate scapegoat, even a pig could look like King Arthur by comparison!

[GameLord420]: No way, right? What if Chronicles of Aeltia actually delivers? I heard its beta is starting soon.

[LootGoblin]: Do you believe Chronicles of Aeltia can make a real game, or do you believe I'm Adolf Hitler?

[GameLord420]: Fair point. I believe you!

[LootGoblin]: Alright, then wire me 50 bucks, and when I make a comeback, I'll make you Reichsmarschall!

[Actually_Hitler]: How dare you! I am the real Hitler! Once I make a comeback, I'll unify Europe, standardize everything, and make everyone speak German! Type '1' if you believe me!

[GameLord420]: 1!

[MemeKnight]: 111, no more English classes, Mein Führer?

[LootGoblin]: Pfft! Liar! It's standardizing everything first, then unifying Europe! I'm the real Hitler!

The conversation was wildly off track.

Just as I was wondering how to join in, a fan named ProGamer_Daddy suddenly chimed in:

[ProGamer_Daddy]: I got into the Chronicles of Aeltia beta! In two days, I'll do a live text stream in the group for everyone!

The chat exploded.

What luck! I had been wracking my brain on how to find the other beta testers, and now one just fell into my lap.

I quickly started typing.

[NeverShowOff]: @ProGamer_Daddy, buddy, did you receive your VR headset yet?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Huh? Bro, don't tell me you…

[NeverShowOff]: Ahem, I also got into the beta.

[Actually_Hitler]: No way, Show-Off Bro. You fell for this kind of scam too?

Oof. I felt like my heart had been stabbed. This was exactly why I'd been hesitating to bring it up. It was embarrassing. Why do I feel like I'm making excuses to my mom?

[NeverShowOff]: Haha, well, I'm a gaming content creator, so I need to explore oddball games for material.

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Oh, that makes sense. Honestly, I only signed up because it was dirt cheap—like practically free—so I figured why not? Didn't expect to actually get in!

[ProGamer_Daddy]: I checked my delivery tracker. The headset should arrive this afternoon. But my dad said it might be unsafe since it's from an unknown source. He wants to run some tests at his company first, so I probably won't get my hands on it until tomorrow.

"Practically free…" I felt another stab to my heart, followed by two streams of metaphorical tears.

I was all too familiar with this fan, ProGamer_Daddy, who happened to be my third-highest tipper.

He was a young heir from a wealthy family who casually donated to my channel. He once joked that becoming a top donor on my small channel was 'easier than taking candy from a baby'—all it took was a few donations that probably meant nothing to him.

Sigh. The gap between people really was massive.

But the second message lifted my spirits. This was exactly the kind of info I needed!

I quickly pulled ProGamer_Daddy into a private chat.

---

[NeverShowOff]: Hey, could you send me the test report on the headset when it's done?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Ohhh, so that's why you messaged me? No problem at all!

[NeverShowOff]: Thanks a ton! By the way, do you think Chronicles of Aeltia could actually deliver on full-dive VR?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Hmm… Not likely. My family doesn't work in game development, but we're pretty familiar with cutting-edge brainwave tech.

[ProGamer_Daddy]: To make a game pod that meets public expectations, they'd need at least one major technical breakthrough, maybe even two. The neural interface alone would need some serious testing.

[NeverShowOff]: But what about those breakthrough rumors?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Even with quantum computing, the processing requirements would be astronomical.

[NeverShowOff]: Could you share the detailed results when they're done?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Sure, but don't expect much. This kind of tech usually takes decades.

I read this with new respect.

ProGamer_Daddy clearly came from an extraordinary background. This level of insight was well beyond anything I could gather on my own.

We chatted for a while longer, agreeing to check out Chronicles of Aeltia together in two days. If the game actually worked, we'd team up.

I closed the chat window.

If it works, I'll have exclusive first coverage.

If it fails, well, failed game reviews get views too.

Even though ProGamer_Daddy said the chances were slim, there was still a chance. Some revolutionary technologies didn't follow the usual rules.

Think of the Industrial Revolution—human progress in that era outpaced the previous thousand years combined!

What if Chronicles of Aeltia really had that kind of breakthrough? It would be a massive win.

I would treat this as an invisible investment. Huge gains if it worked, minimal loss if it didn't.

After chatting with ProGamer_Daddy, I felt much more at ease.

---Viktor's POV---

After my explanation, Edgar now had a general understanding of the chaotic neutral personality of our incoming players. I watched as he studied the list of written notes I'd given him, attempting to commit them to memory.

Meanwhile, I was patrolling Honeyvale Town, which had been given a semblance of renewal.

The entire place had fewer than a hundred houses, with only two main streets, both of which could be seen in their entirety from one end. It was almost adorably primitive. Perfect for newbies who needed to learn the hard way.

In preparation for the fragile players who were about to arrive, Edgar had dealt with the few stray magical creatures in town. He'd also set up a temporary magic formation within a one-kilometer radius around the town, both to block new monsters from entering and to conceal the town itself, reducing the chance of unwanted discovery.

The location, on the outskirts of the Great Oak Forest, could still be considered moderately dangerous for high-level mages, making it an ideal training ground. But it also posed a future threat to me and my group.

Given that the players would need to build their own houses and forage for food during their initial adventures, Edgar had made a trip to the neighboring Nary Town to borrow some tools.

I glanced at the sky. The players would be arriving soon. Calling to Edgar and the floating orb outside the chapel, I motioned for them to follow me inside.

"Time's getting short. Walk me through the welcome sequence again."

"Greet them at the chapel, explain basic survival mechanics..." Edgar began.

"And if they ask about advanced skills?"

"Direct them to the quest board, as instructed."

"Good. Did you memorize it all?" I asked Edgar once we were inside.

He nodded. "More or less. There are a few phrases I don't fully understand, but memorizing them isn't too hard."

"No problem. Just stick to responding with the specific lines I've taught you. If you don't understand something, just ignore it. You'll figure it out over time."

I had anticipated this. Abstract internet slang was not something I could directly explain to a righteous knight like Edgar. It would have to come through experience.

Time for a practical lesson. I cleared my throat and assumed my best player impression.

"Yo, this game is poggers! But like, the graphics are kinda sus. No cap, fr fr."

Edgar's brow furrowed in concentration. He consulted the notes, then replied with careful precision, "Welcome to Aeltia! We're working to improve your experience. Perhaps you'd like to try our upcoming quests?"

"Based response, my guy! Where can I get some epic loot?"

"The abandoned mine to the north holds many treasures," he answered smoothly, gaining confidence. "But beware—only the strongest warriors return."

Not bad. He's learning to redirect their attention to game content. I switched tactics.

"Bruh, this game's totally pay to win! I'm gonna rage quit!"

Edgar's hand instinctively moved toward his sword—a warrior's reflex to perceived hostility—but he caught himself and responded as practiced. "Every warrior faces challenges differently. Have you visited our training grounds? Many find their true strength there."

I nodded in approval. Being severely injured and weakened, I couldn't possibly guide every player personally as our numbers grew. Edgar was the successor I was training.

He'll make a fine guide for the starter village. Earnest enough to be trustworthy, adaptable enough to handle their chaos.

---

Inside the chapel, the broken furniture and candlesticks had already been cleared out, leaving only a statue of a deity. Before the statue, there was a massive magic formation, spanning several dozen meters.

The orb floated nervously near the ceiling. "Must you conduct this blasphemy here?"

"Would you prefer I do it outside where anyone could see?"

"But the sacred ground—"

"Will serve a new purpose. Times change, little one."

This was a byproduct of one of my failed necromancy experiments—an illegal magic spell capable of transforming the corpses of monsters into human bodies. However, these bodies couldn't contain complete human souls, rendering the spell useless for my initial needs.

Ever since I had created it, it had gone unused.

But now things were different. This spell was useless for resurrection, but perfect for player avatars.

The players coming from Earth would only be able to send over fragments of their consciousness. This happened to meet the criteria for using the bodies produced by the spell.

I pulled out my black staff with its long handle. Around me, the surrounding mana began to flow and converge into the formation, which suddenly lit up.

"Flesh Rebirth!"

The pile of monster corpses Edgar had placed at the center of the formation began to dissolve, sinking into the magic circle.

A crimson-black mist rose from the formation, melting away the already damaged marble floor and exposing the dirt beneath.

The floating orb let out a small, distressed shriek. "My chapel!"

To the orb, the chapel, with its deity statue, was its most prized possession. Seeing the floor crumble and a gaping hole form, it was nearly heartbroken.

It didn't dare voice its complaints too loudly. Interrupting a necromancer's ritual could mean losing the entire chapel altogether.

Moments later, three pale male human bodies were neatly arranged on the ground.

I nodded in satisfaction. "Good. The magic worked perfectly!"

Now, we just needed to deliver the game helmets containing my mana to the hands of the three beta testers.

Over the past few days, I had discovered that my mana seemed to function like a virus on the internet, infiltrating any cracks in the network.

Since that was the case, I had done what any good "virus" would do. I used the money the beta testers had paid for their game access to deposit funds into a hidden account. Using this, I acquired three motorcycle helmets, modified them through a series of transactions, and had a craftsman install networking devices inside.

Through these devices, I infused my mana into the helmets. When the players received their helmets, my mana would locate their brain coordinates and pull their consciousness projections into this world.

Everything was proceeding perfectly. All that remained was for the players to arrive.

Edgar stepped forward to dress the three "corpses."

We were currently on the run, with few resources. The clothes, borrowed from the neighboring town, didn't fit well. Some shirts were so short they choked the neck, while the pants were so long they dragged on the ground.

"Not bad," I commented. "Low-quality starter outfits like these should motivate them to buy new skins!"

This wasn't ideal, of course. I didn't like cutting corners. But our organization was in dire straits, and the first batch of players would have to endure these conditions.

With some time left before the "beta launch," I decided to go over our personas again.

"Pop quiz: What do you say when they ask about the gods?"

"The gods' tyranny drove humanity to flee. Now we return to reclaim—"

"Good, but add more mystery. Make them work for the lore."

"Remember," I added, "these nerds are like children with the attention span of a gnat."

"Yet you say they'll save Aeltia?"

"They'll try to save Aeltia because it's fun. That's the beauty of it."

"Let's rehearse our character settings one more time. When the nerds arrive, don't slip up!"

Edgar nodded in understanding.

Before I could say more, he began reciting:

"Leader of The Watchers, Viktor, and the... nerds, are humans who left Aeltia before the Age of the Gods. The gods' reckless abuse of power drove Aeltia to ruin. Now, you return to your homeland on a mission to save the world..."

Anything Edgar said sounded three times more convincing than usual. I listened with satisfaction—my choice of Edgar as the guide was perfect.

"That's the spirit! If anyone asks about the lore, stick to these settings. Don't give away too much at once; share just enough to keep them hooked!"

Lore-loving players thrived on piecing together scattered bits of information. This small amount of background would be enough to sustain them for several updates.

Edgar nodded solemnly.

The new "helpers"—no, players—were a chaotic and easily distracted bunch. To keep them engaged long-term, he needed stick to the recruitment strategies I had taught him.

The floating orb muttered under its breath, "This ridiculous story wouldn't even fool a brainless red-scaled worm..."

"Ahh!" it yelped, clutching its head as I sent a jolt of magic to shut it up.

I retracted my staff, giving the orb a side glance.

"Stop muttering and start practicing. Your role is crucial."

"I almost forgot about you while testing Edgar. Now, it's your turn. Recite your part of the setup!"