Streaming in Another World: I Built a Religion

Running through the corridors of Thimoria Academy, Dilhan felt his chest tighten with every step. The rhythmic pounding of his heart seemed almost louder than the distant explosions and the occasional clash of weapons echoing through the halls. He was trailing behind Cali, who acting completely different from her usual self.

"Come on, Dilhan, keep up!" Cali barked over her shoulder. She didn't slow down, her focus entirely on finding safety for all of them.

"I am keeping up!" Dilhan huffed. Barely. His legs were burning, and his lungs felt like they'd been squeezed in a vice. His mind raced, not just from the exertion but from the surreal terror of this situation. This wasn't a game anymore—this was real, and he knew it all too well.

Then, amidst the chaos, a sudden, velvety voice spoke directly into his head.

"Aren't you ashamed? Protected by two women while you stumble behind like dead weight?"

Dilhan halt for a brief second, his heart skipping a beat. He whipped his head around, scanning the hallway for the source of the voice. There was no one besides Cali and Tressa in the immediate area.

"Don't bother looking around. You know it's a voice in your head isn't that hard to figure out, is it?" the voice teased, smooth and taunting, unmistakably feminine.

Dilhan gulped but didn't respond, instead picking up his pace to catch up to Cali and Tressa. His pulse quickened. Great. Now I'm hallucinating.

"You're not hallucinating, Dilhan. Don't ignore me. Answer my question—don't you want power? Or do you prefer to cower like this?"

The voice was persistent. He bit his lip, his mind swirling. He didn't want Cali or Tressa to notice something was wrong. If he started talking out loud, they'd probably think he'd lost it. Still, curiosity and desperation pushed him to respond—but he realized he didn't need to speak aloud. Somehow, he instinctively knew the voice could hear his thoughts.

"Who… who are you?" he thought, his pace slowing slightly again as Cali and Tressa pulled further ahead.

"Think of me as… a fan of yours," the voice replied, its tone dripping with amusement. "I know who you are, Dilhan Ven Londor. Or should I call you by your little alias… ZeroVeil?"

His blood ran cold. "You know about that?!"

"I know a lot about you," the voice said casually. "But let's skip the introductions. What matters is… do you want power? Power to stop being a burden, to survive, to protect yourself—and maybe even save these women who are foolishly throwing their lives away for you."

Dilhan didn't hesitate for even a second. His survival instincts screamed louder than any caution he might have once had. "Yes! Yes, I want power!" he thought fiercely. "I don't have a choice! I'm useless as I am—I can't even do anything to help myself right now!"

"Good boy," the voice purred, almost like it had been expecting his answer all along. "But here's the catch. The power I'm going to give you… it can only be unlocked by you becoming your streamer persona. You must turn into ZeroVeil."

Dilhan's brow furrowed as he struggled to keep up with Cali and Tressa, who were focused entirely on reaching the evacuation zone. "ZeroVeil? Why does that matter? That's just my streaming persona!"

"Because that's how it works. Call it a magical technicality," the voice replied with a hint of amusement. "If you want power, you'll do as I say. Turn into ZeroVeil, and I'll unlock what's already within you."

Dilhan groaned internally. This made no sense, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't have much of a choice. He didn't know how or why this mysterious voice was offering him a lifeline, but rejecting it was out of the question. "Fine. But how am I supposed to do that while running with these two?!"

"You'll figure it out," the voice said, dismissive. "Just make sure you're alone. You wouldn't want them to see the transformation. It would ruin the surprise."

Dilhan bit his lip. He glanced at Cali and Tressa ahead of him. They were too preoccupied to notice his internal conflict. Still, sneaking away from them seemed impossible. They were sticking to him like glue.

"You're smarter than you give yourself credit for," the voice said, almost as if it could sense his doubt. "Wait for the right moment. It'll come. And remember—if you don't act soon, you'll regret it."

As they turned into another hallway, the three of them found themselves merging with a larger crowd of students and faculty all heading toward the main evacuation zone. The chaos in the air only grew louder, with panicked whispers and distant explosions creating a symphony of dread. Dilhan's eyes darted around, scanning the crowd.

This was his chance.

He slowed his pace slightly, carefully stepping out of line as Cali and Tressa pressed forward. The crowd surged around him, creating the perfect cover. He slipped to the side, moving with practiced subtlety honed from years of sneaking past his parents' guards to play video games late at night.

Cali's going to kill me for this, he thought, his stomach twisting with guilt. But he knew it had to be done.

Meanwhile, Cali and Tressa pushed through the growing crowd.

"Dilhan! Stay close!" Cali shouted, not even looking back. She trusted that he was still behind her, but she didn't realize until they reached the edge of the evacuation zone that something was wrong.

Tressa glanced around nervously. "Cali… where's Dilhan?"

Cali froze. Her heart sank as she turned, scanning the sea of frightened students. "What do you mean, where's Dilhan? He was just behind us!"

"I—I don't see him!" Tressa stammered, her voice rising with panic. "He's not here!"

Cali cursed under her breath. "Dammit, Dilhan! Where did you go?!" She spun on her heel, prepared to fight her way back through the crowd to find him.

"Wait!" A nearby guard stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "No one's allowed to leave the evacuation zone once inside. It's too dangerous out there."

Cali growled, her frustration boiling over. "You don't understand! My friend out there alone! I have to find him!"

"I'm sorry, but it's for your safety," the guard said firmly. "We can't afford to lose anyone else."

Tressa clutched her staff tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "Dilhan…"

Cali clenched her fists, her mind racing. You'd better be okay, you idiot.

Elsewhere, Dilhan darted through a quieter part of the academy, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Well done," the voice said, a hint of approval in its tone. "Now… shall we begin?"

Dilhan skidded to a stop in an empty hallway, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. "Alright, I'm alone. Now what?"

"Now, summon your alter ego. Become ZeroVeil. Let me show you what true power looks like. Awaken him! Awaken my streamer!"

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Alright… here goes nothing," he muttered, unsure if he was even doing this right.

"Transform."

The word left his lips like an incantation, and the moment it did, a surge of energy rushed through him, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was as if fire coursed through his veins, but instead of burning, it felt invigorating, empowering. He stumbled back, his body trembling, as a faint glow enveloped him. His black hair shifted and shimmered, turning a stark white. His once-average frame stretched and filled out slightly, his shoulders broadening, his limbs becoming lean but noticeably stronger. Even his posture changed—he stood taller, more confident, though his mind was racing.

He glanced down at his reflection in the glossy surface of a desk, his breath catching in his throat. The face staring back at him was familiar yet foreign. This was the face of ZeroVeil, the persona he had cultivated for streaming. How is this even possible? he wondered.

Before he could process further, the voice returned, but this time it sounded… different. Gone was the calm, calculated tone. Instead, it was brimming with excitement.

"Oh, yes! This is the look I've been waiting for!" the woman exclaimed, almost giddy.

"Is that so?" Dilhan muttered, running a hand through his now-white hair. "Glad you're enjoying yourself. Now what? What's the plan here?"

The woman chuckled, her tone playful. "Stream."

Dilhan blinked, caught off guard. "Stream? What the hell are you talking about? We're in the middle of an invasion, and you want me to stream?!"

"Exactly," the voice purred. "This power I've unlocked for you… it's called Veiled one. And you must stream if you want to use it."

Dilhan froze, his mind piecing together the fragments of information she was feeding him. His blood ran cold. "Wait a second… Veiled?" He paused, dread settling in his stomach. "You mean the Veiled One? The elite warrior chosen by the Arcane Blades at the start of Blighted World? That Veiled?"

"That's the one," she said, clearly enjoying his reaction.

"That's impossible!" he said, his voice rising. "The Veiled One is handpicked by the Arcane Blades! I'm not even a member of the organization in this world! How can I be one of them?"

"Oh, don't worry about the details," she said breezily. "Consider this a… special arrangement. You're welcome, by the way."

Dilhan wanted to argue further, but before he could, a glowing system window suddenly materialized in front of him, floating in midair like a hologram. His eyes widened as he read the information displayed before him.

Name: Dilhan Ven Londor

Streamer Name: ZeroVeil

Sex: Male

Age: 21

Class: Arcana (#$@#)

Subscribers: 5000

Stream Level: 5

Fan Points: 500

Parameters:

Vitality (VIT): 12

Attunement (ATT): 10

Endurance (END): 12

Strength (STR): 11

Dexterity (DEX): 10

Resistance (RES): 8

Intelligence (INT): 8

Faith (FTH): 9

Equipped Spells:

(Empty)

Dilhan's jaw dropped. "What the…?"

"Welcome to your status window, streamer!" the woman's voice chimed, brimming with enthusiasm.

"This is…" Dilhan trailed off, staring at the screen. "This is the same system from the Blighted World game."

"Sharp as ever," the voice teased. "But don't get too excited yet. This isn't exactly the same as the game you played. See those subscriber and fan point counters?"

Dilhan's gaze shifted to the numbers. "Yeah, what about them?"

"Those are your lifelines. Your stream level and fan points are how you'll grow stronger. Forget about collecting monster drops or viles like you're used to. This is all about your audience, ZeroVeil."

He frowned, his mind spinning. "So… you're saying I get stronger by streaming? Like… literally streaming?"

"Exactly," the voice confirmed. "The more subscribers you gain, the higher your level. And fan points? Those are your currency for unlocking abilities, spells, equipment, and upgrades. Your fans are your power source now."

Dilhan let out a bitter laugh. "This has got to be the weirdest power system I've ever heard of. And believe me, I've played a lot of games."

"It's unique, isn't it?" the voice said, a hint of pride in her tone. "It's perfect for someone like you. A born entertainer, a streamer. This is your world now. So… what do you think? Excited to become the ultimate Veiled?"

Dilhan crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "I don't even know who you are. You've been guiding me around and dropping all this cryptic crap, but you haven't told me a single thing about yourself. Who are you, really? And why are you helping me?"

There was a brief pause, as if the voice was considering her response. Then, she spoke, her tone soft but enigmatic. "Let's just say… I'm a fan. A very, very big fan. And I want to see you succeed, ZeroVeil. That's all you need to know for now."

"That's not an answer," Dilhan muttered, but he could tell she wasn't going to elaborate. He sighed, running a hand through his hair again. "Fine. I don't have much of a choice anyway. So, what's the plan?"

"The plan is simple," she said. "Start streaming and go crazy out there,"