Chapter 12: No More Freebies\! I'm Seriously Worried They'll Go Bankrupt
"Now let's check out Stelle's ultimate ability\!" Guinaifen exclaimed excitedly, activating Stelle's Ultimate move. At this moment, what captivated her most was witnessing the unique ultimate ability animations of each character.
Every character possessed a distinct style and set of traits, brought to life with exquisite and lavish visual effects. This stood in stark contrast to the poorly made games she had encountered before. It was clear that the development team had poured meticulous effort into every detail. Even the brief flash of a character portrait upon activating an ultimate ability left her utterly impressed.
Guinaifen was genuinely amazed.
"Fwoooo\!"
Stelle's character portrait surpassed her expectations with its commanding presence. Balanced on one foot mid-air, she held a golden orb in her left hand, radiating an aura of undeniable dominance as she gazed down imperiously. A fusion of steel and steam enveloped her, with the massive Astral Express traversing in the background.
"Ace of Stars\!" With a cool demeanor, Stelle swiftly drew a baseball bat from her waist. This seemingly ordinary bat now shimmered with layers of lightning and star effects, instantly transforming into a divine weapon, as if enhanced to its maximum potential\!
"Rules are made to be broken\!"
Her subsequent group attack unleashed incredible power, almost as if it could shatter the screen itself\! Monsters caught in the blow instantly perished, displaying an unprecedented high damage of 124 points\! Previously, the damage dealt had barely reached double digits. Not only Guinaifen but also the viewers in the Live Streaming Room were visibly ecstatic.
"This protagonist's ultimate move is seriously impressive\!"
"Using a baseball bat like it's the Sword of the Galaxy—amazing\!"
"It's so well-made and thoughtful\! The skill animation is fantastic\!"
"What a badass female lead—I love it\!"
As Guinaifen continued watching, her admiration for the protagonist deepened. She was absolutely thrilled and eagerly sought out more monsters to engage in combat.
Upon reaching the elevator, they entered the next part of the storyline. A malfunction in the elevator's operating system blocked the protagonists' path to the Master Control Zone. Fortunately, Dan Heng appeared just in time. After some playful banter, they decided to head to the Monitoring Room to seek help from Arlan of the Security Division.
Following this dialogue sequence...
Suddenly, a purple flash illuminated the screen\! Beneath a winding maple tree, a man leaned against its trunk, his expression cold and composed. Holding a long azure spear across his arms, he exuded an air of detachment from worldly affairs.
[Dan Heng (Four-star, The Hunt) joined the party]
???
Guinaifen's jaw dropped. "Wait… they're giving him to us FOR FREE?"
She frantically checked her roster. Yep. Dan Heng was there, fully playable—no gacha, no paywall. The tutorial even prompted her to level him up immediately.
The live chat lost it.
"Three free characters ALREADY?!"
"If his ultimate's half as good as Stelle's, I'm sold!"
"Most games nickel-and-dime us—this one's handing out gold!"
"Devs, are you TRYING to go bankrupt? Let me throw money at you!"
Guinaifen shared their disbelief. Why give away such premium content? Considering the high-quality production, they could easily have sold these characters, yet they insisted on giving them away for free\! No further explanation was needed. The viewers in the Live Streaming Room were already astounded and wondering how this game would ever generate revenue\!
After encountering Arlan, March 7th remembered that she possessed the key to unlock elevator access rights. As she passed a room, she casually "picked up" a Light Cone. Reading through the tutorial, Guinaifen quickly understood: "...So, Light Cones are weapons unique to each character's Fate paths within this game."
"The designers did a great job integrating these elements; even in reality, they're rare items we can't afford," she commented. "In-game, they're categorized as three-star, four-star, and five-star levels. For now, I'm not sure how to obtain other Light Cones."
Equipping the protagonist with this three-star Light Cone, they arrived at the elevator entrance. This time, the enemy encountered seemed stronger than any before—a centaur-like monster. In the context of Voidrangers, it qualified as an elite foe.
"If I met such a creature in real life, I'd definitely take a detour, but since this is a game..."
"I want to test out Dan Heng's ultimate ability\!" Guinaifen declared determinedly, gritting her teeth. Without hesitation, she activated Dan Heng's ultimate ability.
[Realm of Illusion: A Dream Unfolding]
"Between life and death, a single thought suffices."
Dan Heng held his long spear at the ready. At its tip rested a seamlessly unified bead, half black and half white. Rings of white smoke emanated from around the bead, perfectly mirroring the ultimate ability's name: "Realm of Illusion: A Dream Unfolding." As a maple leaf gracefully swept across the screen, Dan Heng's surroundings transformed into a scene reminiscent of an ink-wash painting, with only crimson leaves interspersed amidst the black ink strokes.
Dan Heng opened his eyes, poised for action.
"Break\!"
With this command, he instantly materialized behind the Voidranger Trampler, the ink-like fluid splattering like blood from his spearpoint.
[Battle Concluded]
The chat exploded again.
"SO. DAMN. COOL."
"How does ink-wash art feel this lethal?!"
"Peak Xianzhou aesthetics—devs are cultural geniuses!"
"Free characters? Instant download."
"March 7th AND Dan Heng for free? TAKE MY MONEY!"
Guinaifen grinned. This game wasn't just generous—it was revolutionary.