Might of Players

---Logan's POV---

It's just...

I let out a sigh. "Chronicles of Aeltia, please, you have to make it to the large-scale testing phase!"

The graphics alone must have cost a fortune. Those particle effects, the lighting system... I wasn't worried about Chronicles of Aeltia not becoming popular—because I had actually played the game.

What worried me was the game company running out of money!

There were so many things about the game worth praising. But it was precisely because of its high quality... So high that every extra minute I spent in the game made me worry about the company going bankrupt.

If the game ran out of funds halfway through development... Then my carefully planned move would be a total failure.

Ding!

A notification sound from the chat broke my thoughts.

I opened it and saw that someone in my fan group had tagged me. The members of my fan group were old friends, so I definitely wouldn't ignore them.

My mouse hovered over the group name for a second. The number of group members, shown in brackets next to the name, had dropped by more than half since yesterday.

I gave a bitter smile.

Even though I hinted yesterday in the group that something was coming, half of the loyal fans still left.

These old fans had followed me from 1,000 to 10,000, and finally to 100,000 followers. But in the end, they still scattered.

Immediately, several tagged comments scrolled past like a flood.

[MemeKnight]: Is NeverShowOff asleep? @NeverShowOff, how do you even sleep soundly at your age?

[GameLord420]: @NeverShowOff, come out quick! Is the game trailer real? Ahhh, I'm so excited!

[LootGoblin]: Oh no, he really hit the jackpot this time! Lucky him! @NeverShowOff

[Actually_Hitler]: GUYS! The trailer just dropped! This can't be real!

[GameLord420]: Those graphics... you weren't kidding about this game!

[MemeKnight]: !!!

[LootGoblin]: The guild needs a strong leader for this! Who will guide us to victory?!

[Actually_Hitler]: Adjusts virtual mustache NEIN! I mean... yes! The guild shall conquer the new world under my superior leadership!

[GameLord420]: (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[MemeKnight]: lmaooo

[LootGoblin]: here we go again...

[GameLord420]: Hey, stop spamming! Check this [video link]. Are the scenes in the trailer something we'll actually be able to play in Chronicles of Aeltia?!

[MemeKnight]: Urgent! Need answers!!!

I frowned and clicked on the link sent by GameLord420.

The slow-loading webpage and the video player clearly pirated from another site felt like some sort of anti-counterfeiting stamp. Without even watching, I could already tell that the video was indeed from the official website of Chronicles of Aeltia.

"The official site actually updated?"

Closing the video, I looked at the completely revamped webpage, feeling a bit disoriented, as though I had "cybernetically" lost my way.

"Is this still the site I know? Am I looking at the wrong one?"

It felt like the site had evolved from an unfinished freebie that nobody wanted to something that resembled a college student's end-of-term project. And it would have to be a third-year student's project—something that could sell for at least a few hundred bucks!

New CSS framework, optimized loading times... They'd completely overhauled the backend.

Thanks to my registration information still saved on the site, I was finally able to confirm it was indeed the correct webpage.

Two bold and prominent announcements were pinned to the right sidebar.

Just as I was about to click on them, I noticed my chat was exploding with tags again.

I smacked my forehead, exasperated.

"Damn! The site's loading too slowly, and I haven't replied to anyone. They must be dying of impatience!"

I quickly returned to the chat.

[LootGoblin]: Bro, where are you? If you don't reply soon, our curiosity will kill us!

[Actually_Hitler]: You're the one who introduced us to this game. If we die, we're dragging you down with us! ψ(｀∇´)ψ

[NeverShowOff]: Ahem, sorry I'm late. You all know Chronicles of Aeltia's potato server situation

[GameLord420]: Ahhhh, you're finally back!!!

[MemeKnight]: NeverShowOff, you scoundrel, hurry up and spill everything you know!

[NeverShowOff]: If the trailer's art style matches the promo images, then don't worry—it's the real deal, and those are actual in-game scenes!

[NeverShowOff]: Have you seen my new video? Just trust me on this!

[NeverShowOff]: Don't worry, the trailer isn't faking it with real-world footage

I typed quickly.

Without even watching the trailer, I already knew what these casual players were fixated on. The ruined look of the starting village definitely had a strong narrative pull, even a bit of a post-apocalyptic vibe.

The vast Great Oak Forest, when viewed from a higher vantage point, was absolutely breathtaking. How did I know? Because I had climbed a tree in the game to see it.

The forest looked like a vibrant sea of green. The closer to the center, the more ancient trees appeared—towering giants that seemed to pierce the heavens and block out the sun.

[GameLord420]: ... We're not worried it's real-world footage

[MemeKnight]: Exactly! Those scenes—calling them high-quality CG would still be underselling it!

[Actually_Hitler]: What we're curious about is the combat system!

"The combat system?" I was confused.

Did Chronicles of Aeltia actually use footage of our fight against the worm for the trailer?

[NeverShowOff]: Hold on, let me check the video

With that, I ignored the flood of messages and clicked on the video.

A soft humming served as the background music, opening the trailer.

Although there were no lyrics, the unique rhythm of the female vocals conveyed a strange sadness. Within it were hints of unwillingness, despair, and a faint glimmer of hope.

I closed my eyes, enraptured.

"Beautiful! This music is absolutely the work of a master!"

Both the composition and the vocal performance were undeniably top-tier.

I continued watching.

As the screen lit up, a stunning game scene unfolded before my eyes.

Beyond an endless forest, majestic snow-capped peaks stretched into the distance. A small stream flowed down from higher ground, eventually merging into a surging river that disappeared beyond the frame.

The first rays of dawn bathed the river's surface, its light revealing a cluster of gray-white buildings not far away.

My excitement grew.

"It's Honeyvale! Turns out, looking down from an even higher perspective makes it even more breathtaking!"

The camera zoomed in, sweeping across the town's outskirts, interior, and landmarks like the church.

I was thoroughly captivated.

Suddenly, the tone shifted, and the music became more intense. The colors on screen darkened dramatically.

The camera showed areas outside Honeyvale: purple mists, bubbling brown swamps, massive caves... and the looming silhouettes of grotesque monsters.

Pairs of blood-red eyes stared directly at the camera before suddenly charging from the distance.

At this point, the camera would abruptly cut to the next scene.

Time and again, ferocious monsters lunged forward, their roars piercing through even the dramatic background music.

I felt goosebumps crawl across my skin.

"Damn! Is this what a real monster looks like?!"

Compared to these creatures, the worm we fought on the first day seemed like a mere pest!

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound sliced through all other noise, and the chanting in the background abruptly ceased.

In the video, a knight clad in silvery white armor stood tall in the swamp not far away. His longsword, gleaming in the sunlight, reflected a frosty, menacing light.

The next thing I knew, this monster—disguised as a rock—exploded out of the swamp right at the camera, mouth gaping wide to show row after row of razor-sharp teeth.

Saliva dripped to the ground, corroding it into pitted craters.

The silver knight moved like a ghost, suddenly appearing behind the monster. A ring of blue light illuminated beneath his feet, harmonizing with the light radiating from his sword to form a dazzling magical array.

The knight pushed off with his toes, his longsword thrusting skyward as the light around it grew blinding. Countless smaller swords materialized and shot downward in unison, piercing the monster's coarse, rock-like hide!

Sword beams tore through the sky with a roaring wind and brilliant blue radiance. The air itself seemed to be split apart, leaving visible rifts in its path.

And this happened in the blink of an eye.

One second, the knight was at the front of the frame. The next, the monster's roars abruptly ceased. Black blood sprayed out, and the monster's massive body was reduced to a pile of fragments in an instant!

The silver knight slowly sheathed his sword, his expression calm and unbothered, as though everything that had just transpired was no more than routine.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! A thousand swords unleashed!!"

My jaw dropped so hard it began to ache, and I couldn't even close my mouth.

Such dazzling magic!

Such incredible combat skills!

Such grotesque monsters!

It was everything I loved in one place!

The silver knight in the video—wasn't he the very NPC tied to our quest?!

"That was insane!" My hands trembled with excitement. "I have to watch it again!"

But just as I was about to hit replay, the familiar "ding ding" of notifications began bombarding me, as if perfectly timed to pull me back to reality.

The incessant pinging dragged my hand away from the play button.

The message notifications were practically blaring like air raid sirens—clearly, someone on my contact list was in a panic to get in touch.

No doubt, it was my gaming community.

I reluctantly tore my eyes away from the video and opened the fan group chat.

[MemeKnight]: You must've finished watching the video by now—spill it! Can we players ever reach that level in the game? Did you see those sword trails? Think we can customize the effects?

[Actually_Hitler]: Can we pick classes yet? Is being a knight the most promising career path? Forget effects, I want to know about the skill tree!

[GameLord420]: Hurry, hurry, I'm in a rush! But what about the monster AI? They moved like actual predators!

The group chat was about to explode.

I swallowed hard, still trembling from excitement as I began typing.

[NeverShowOff]: The trailer was next-level awesome!!!

[GameLord420]: … Bro, look at you, acting all starstruck

[MemeKnight]: Damn it! We wanted insights from a beta tester, but you're as clueless as we are!

[NeverShowOff]: (╥﹏╥) You guys don't understand how hard this game's mechanics are! It's like fighting in the real world! Where have I ever seen blinking and aerial maneuvers before?

[NeverShowOff]: If I could do that, would I have gotten beaten up by a worm like an insect in broad daylight? (;一_一)

[Actually_Hitler]: Wait, you got chased by a monster? How's that anything like the video?

[NeverShowOff]: Ahem, artistic liberties. By the way, who needs to fly when you're me?

[Actually_Hitler]: Stop. That other guy's been dead silent since he logged on after screaming about the trailer. Totally useless.

[MemeKnight]: We just want to know if the trailer's legit, but nobody reliable is answering!

[Actually_Hitler]: Didn't you interact with the NPC in the video? What was he like? Did he give off a vibe of absolute strength?

[NeverShowOff]: Not really. The two NPCs currently in the game are both rocking severe injury debuffs

[NeverShowOff]: Honestly, if I hadn't seen the trailer, I couldn't have imagined he was this badass! Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover

[GameLord420]: Oh, I know this! Starter NPCs are always sealed with power restrictions, so they can have dramatic strength bursts later!

[MemeKnight]: We're part of the anti-deity faction, right? What if this guy switches sides twice and becomes the final boss?

[Actually_Hitler]: Exactly! One look at his thick eyebrows and righteous face, and you know he's perfect villain material!

[GameLord420]: Honestly, he'd make a killer antagonist. Even if players guessed the twist, it'd still land perfectly!

[NeverShowOff]: You guys better watch your mouths. The NPCs are crazy smart; he handles our quest rewards, you know!

[Actually_Hitler]: By the way, didn't you learn magic in the game?

[MemeKnight]: Yeah, tell us! Is it as OP as in the trailer?

[NeverShowOff]: Well…we're still on new accounts, so it'll take time to level up

[NeverShowOff]: But I did see Viktor use magic. His fireball spell is the same name as mine, but the effect is on a completely different level!

I vividly recalled the massive fireball that covered half the worm. It was terrifyingly powerful.

Standing nearby, its sheer presence was more intimidating than even Edgar's battle in the trailer. Not only was it a weapon, but it altered the environment too! Turning wetlands into dry land—utterly insane!

After a long while, I finally stopped reminiscing.

[NeverShowOff]: Trust me, the trailer is 100% real!

[Actually_Hitler]: Finally! That's what I wanted to hear! Beta test slot, here I come!

[GameLord420]: Holy cow! This must be insanely expensive to run!

[MemeKnight]: With this level of computing power, even thousands of servers wouldn't be enough!

[MemeKnight]: The company must need a whole data center spanning three or four floors of office space just to keep this game running!

[Actually_Hitler]: Not to mention, they'd need two entire floors for cooling and power systems to prevent the servers from overheating!

[Actually_Hitler]: Otherwise, their data center would turn into a barbecue in no time!

[GameLord420]: So they basically have to buy a whole building?!

[MemeKnight]: Of course. If a virtual reality game didn't burn money, it wouldn't be called virtual reality!

My jaw dropped as I read their speculations.

It was only now, after hearing my friends' analysis, that I fully realized the costs behind Chronicles of Aeltia.

The 10 bucks I spent on the VR headset likely didn't even cover the electricity needed to keep the game running!

"This game company is basically running a charity."

For the first time, I genuinely worried if Chronicles of Aeltia would survive long enough for the next round of beta testing! With no approval for in-game monetization, the company wasn't earning a dime.

If push came to shove, they should just raise the price of the headset several times over. This was the first time I ever wanted to spend more money on a game—only to find nowhere to spend it.