Chapter 35: Episode 2
"The second episode of the Apocalypse series?"
Zhou Ning went through his Ripple Breathing exercises several times before he finally calmed down. He couldn't help but feel confused. In his memory, the second episode of the Apocalypse series in his previous life had been released a few days later, since the main protagonist, Leandro de Pesa, hadn't started school yet.
Apocalypse Intelligence, the game's master AI, had produced the Apocalypse series not just to promote the game, but also to educate players about the key factions and characters of the early- and mid-game.
The second episode of his past life had focused on the Child of the Plane, Leandro de Pesa, and the Life Alchemy Society, while the third episode was about the official Sun Guardians faction.
Now, the second episode was airing days ahead of schedule. Could my actions have caused some kind of butterfly effect?
Zhou Ning opened the game panel and entered the forums. Thanks to the increased publicity, the number of posts had exploded. What surprised him most was that, due to his prominent role in the first trailer, he discovered the game forum now had a section dedicated to his in-game persona, complete with its own moderator.
Since the forums were managed by the human game officials, not the master AI, Zhou Ning figured even they probably thought he was the game's intended protagonist.
As for the posts in his section... the vibe was a bit off.
At a glance, all the posts had the same format: [Wayne - Daily Appreciation Post #Wayne·Stewell]. It felt less like a game forum and more like a fan club.
There were also various fanfics. Since there was so little information available from the first episode, the authors had to rely entirely on their imaginations. Zhou Ning felt his soul shrivel after clicking on a few of them.
The female fans loved shipping him, but Zhou Ning was horrified to find that while most paired him with Chrissie Brendan Reiser, others were... creative. Some shipped him with Leandro de Pesa, some with the fat guy from the first episode, and some even paired him with Marion or one of the cultists.
For the love of God, make it stop! Zhou Ning was horrified.
He clicked on the pinned post. The episode was titled "The Alchemical Ghost."
Zhou Ning's mouth twitched. As expected.
He played the video.
The episode began in the early morning, with heavy snow falling. Zhou Ning, wearing a white shirt and a black vest, walked out of his apartment.
The master AI certainly knew how to create a dramatic edit. It intentionally used a long-distance shot to give Zhou Ning a handsome close-up, which immediately triggered a flood of comments.
Then, the plot began. Zhou Ning discovered a murder in the woods. Sherlock made his official appearance as a member of the Braxton Kingdom's Day Guardians and began speaking with Zhou Ning.
A title card appeared above Sherlock's head: Captain of the Third Day Watch Squad, Sherlock Moriarty (Meteorologist).
Through the conversation, the audience learned from Zhou Ning that the murderer was most likely a member of the Life Alchemy Society.
Over the next few minutes of the video, Sherlock conducted his investigation. He started by screening all the teachers and students with a background in Runes, asking about any recent unusual behavior. Through interviews and investigation, he eliminated them one by one. It didn't take long for him to zero in on Holvig Guy.
Sherlock discovered that Holvig had a girlfriend named Maggie who had mysteriously disappeared a few days prior and had been close to the deceased, Sharon. Holvig was the only one who met all the criteria, so it only took Sherlock two days to identify the killer.
The video fast-forwarded to the Alchemy Building late at night, where Sherlock and two Day Watchmen cornered Holvig Guy.
A battle was imminent.
A fierce fight broke out. At first, Holvig struggled under the pressure of Sherlock's weather-manipulating abilities, but once he started using his invisibility, the tables turned completely.
The two Day Watchmen were quickly killed by Holvig's invisible air blasts, and Sherlock was soon in critical condition.
The players in the comments were getting anxious, and the number of posts dwindled.
Just as the tension reached its peak, the camera suddenly cut to Zhou Ning, and the comment section exploded with excitement.
"HIGH ENERGY AHEAD!!"
"High-energy warning! Please fasten your seatbelts!"
"My husbando is here to save the day!"
"Nice! The protagonist is a real protagonist. He's on another level. Sherlock investigated for so long, but this guy seems to have known who the murderer was from the start and went straight to the Alchemy Building."
"Of course. I bet Wayne knew who the killer was from the very beginning."
Needless to say, these were clearly comments from people who had skipped ahead and come back to post.
Zhou Ning rolled his eyes.
Are they overthinking this? he thought. If it weren't for the system prompt and the voices I heard, how would I have known the killer was in the Alchemy Building?
In the video, for whatever reason, the AI had edited out the scene of him gliding in with the Phoenix suit. Instead, it cut directly to a close-up of Zhou Ning, dressed in a suit and holding an umbrella, walking calmly toward the Alchemy Building.
He had to admit, even he thought he looked incredibly handsome. The shot was wallpaper-worthy. His 99 Charm was no joke.
The episode continued.
Zhou Ning pushed the door open just in time to see Sherlock tumbling down the stairs. The captain rolled and landed in a half-kneel in front of Zhou Ning, instinctively pointing his gun at him. The comment barrage was instantly filled with a single, endlessly repeated joke: "So, are we supposed to say 'After you,' or 'Hands up'?"
Immediately after, a series of invisible projectiles shot toward Zhou Ning, but he evaded them all with swift, fluid movements. As he leaned back to dodge the final blast, Sherlock cast a bolt of lightning. The AI deliberately used a wide-angle, slow-motion close-up at that moment. While still leaning back, Zhou Ning twisted at the waist, and an ivory-handled revolver seemed to materialize in his hand, spinning deftly between his fingers.
The entire motion was crystal clear, and it looked unbelievably cool.
Before the players could even process it, the next scene drove them into a frenzy.
A ball of fire erupted from the revolver's muzzle. Because the AI used another close-up with slow motion, every viewer could see the weapon's mechanics in perfect detail: the finger pulling the trigger, the rod pushing the hammer back, and a flaming bullet rocketing out of the barrel with a powerful spin. In slow motion, you could even see ripples of energy, like heat haze, surrounding the bullet as it sliced through the air.
"HOLY SHT WHAT SKILL IS THAT?!"
"Dude, that was so sick."
"Surprised he's a real gunslinger..."
"Damn, I want to learn that! So badass!"
With Zhou Ning's appearance, the number of comments skyrocketed.
Once he entered the fight, the comment rate was five times what it had been just minutes before, a testament to his soaring popularity.
Based on the two episodes released so far, Zhou Ning's character was a perfect fit for what players—especially female players—wanted to see.
He wasn't just impossibly handsome; he was also smart, wise, capable, good-natured, and could even be humorous.
He was the perfect protagonist.
Two minutes later, Zhou Ning, with Sherlock's help, forced Holvig out of his invisibility. As Holvig's body twisted into a monstrous form, Zhou Ning coldly pulled the trigger and put him down. The comment section reached its absolute peak.
"FCK! So handsome, so cool, so calm, and decisively merciless. I love him!"
"And there goes my husbando again..."
"Don't be a fangirl, but... damn. Even as a guy, I'm into it. Forget gender, I'll take him..."
"A word of warning to my brothers out there: be careful. A guy's gotta protect himself these days."
Zhou Ning sighed.
The first half of the episode had been pretty grim, like a detective show where the detective just gets his ass kicked. This part was finally cathartic.
In the final scene, Zhou Ning picked up the diary from the floor and began to read. The AI even thoughtfully added subtitles for the viewers.
The players finally learned the full story behind the murder case, leaving them with a deep and chilling impression of one of the game's major NPC factions: the Life Alchemy Society.
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