Chapter 7: Showtime
The game's start was live-streamed for the whole world.
Due to the promotional videos, celebrities' reactions, and the immersive system's impressive concept, many earthlings had their eyes on their screens.
Of course, not everyone could play the game, primarily due to their responsibilities, so the stream had an absurd number of viewers.
There was just one stream, though.
It belonged to the company behind the first immersive virtual reality.
It began in a serious atmosphere, with developers sitting by the round table.
However, the main cause of such a mood was the man with long white hair and green eyebrows. He sat with his arms crossed, but his clothes and aura seemed out of the world.
Such clothing would make many humans look at him weirdly, and anyone would look odd in such attire. Still, this man somehow induced seriousness in the viewers.
His jade eyes opened after the CEO of the game company stood up.
"All players have connected to our world!" The CEO, Ludwig, spread his arms for all the viewer's eyes and began the show! "A little tidbit, around 80% of them had spent more than five minutes on their character creation. Of course, as this is a reality, we don't allow any gender bender, and the cosmetics are heavily limited as well."
As Ludwig spoke, the guy with jade eyes closed his eyes, and he remained stoic without any ripple on his face.
Ludwig was pretty excited, "This is the first stream, but any player will be able to stream as long as they have this option bought! It's just ten dollars!"
After a short ad for the streaming system, Ludwig quickly clapped his hands. The new transparent window appeared in the middle of the table, and it flashed with many colors slightly after!
Many beginner cities unfurled on the screen, and the army of new players moving like real humans excited the viewers! They wanted to go and enjoy the different world immediately! Alas, for many, the work stopped them.
Ludwig commented, and the prior invited commentator also parted her lips and sang praises for the game developers while commenting about the wave of players.
It was a funny and entertaining sight.
After a while, the situation calmed down, and a few lucky players found unique quests! Some of them had developed their own skills and made many exciting choices!
In the Faynom World, the first classes were just the beginning! One could evolve them and integrate other classes into their class tree. Many classes had level requirements, but at the beginning, it mattered not, and the screen flashed with a few players becoming entirely different from others.
"It's the beginning of the game, but we have lucky players already! Haha! Amazing! That's what I told you, everyone! This game is like real-life, and all of you should treat it as such! Some are lucky; some are unfortunate! However, in the game, you can always grind and feel that level going up! It's satisfying, I promise!" Ludwig chuckled!
To keep some privacy, Ludwig introduced the streaming system, and the players with different classes had their names hidden. It was hardly possible to see them, and that saved some trouble for them.
People wanted to see the world and excitement, so Ludwig hoped for a lot of battles! He didn't stream the tutorial because players were adapting to it. Still, some reckless and crazy players must have already begun some fun!
His people found a group of players taunting the guard... Although it was not what he wanted to see, Ludwig knew that those players would be the best representation of the Faynom World!
"They will get imprisoned for seven days since they are players."
Those words sounded different to the viewers, as there was no way the punishment would last this long. A majority thought the day lasted shorter, and those seven days would be just a little.
But that sounded too absurd, and Ludwig cleared all doubts, "Seven days in Faynom World are like our days. They can log out and just wait for their punishment for a week. And we don't care they paid money for their VR equipment. You all must have read terms of service?" Ludwig smiled and clapped his hands.
Many more interesting battles came out of the screen! Those were all about monster fights, but that was what drove an excitement within the viewers.
At last, Reylin appeared on the screen.
"Oh! Is he gonna be the hero?" Ludwig laughed.
His laughter didn't last long.
Reylin kicked the ground and charged at the closest player with his fist heating up! The air trembled around his punch, and as he let it fly toward the player's face, his hand became so red it seemed like blessed through skill.
"H-He is not using a staff? He must be one of the unique classes!" Ludwig concluded.
At that time, the white-haired guy opened his eyes and glanced at the screen. His eyes widened immediately, and he whispered, "The first player with not even a drop of fear."
Reylin's punch connected and sank in the player's face. An explosion similar to the bomb shook the player's mind, and blood fountained from his ears! His whole body tumbled backward, and he landed beneath the wolves' paws.
"Ahh!" He cried, but when the paws stomped on his layin body, his eyes sprang free, and he saw their vicious jaws going for his body! "STOP! STOP! SAVE ME!" A fear bloomed within him, and he reacted as if he was in real life.
That fear didn't exist in Reylin's heart.
"Hahahaha!" Not too far away from the player, Reylin burst out laughing, his eyes on the blue sky.
His hand that had released a fireball within his palm rested on his head. He felt the warmth, and the damage he had done was etched on his retinas.
But that all mattered not.
"Unruly! Flames were so unruly! My flames! Haha!" His crazy laugh momentarily stopped wolves eating the fallen player, and then a few of them made their way toward him! They carefully stomped their way closer.
Reylin didn't care, and he kept laughing with a peal of laughter, so many wealthy peers were familiar with.
His flames hurt him, and that punch with a fireball cost him some HP. The explosion was satisfying, though. But even if the explosion was worth it, Reylin felt his flames' anger. Perhaps, he did imagine it, and it was his own anger.
Nonetheless, flames had never made him angry.
Thus, he snapped and turned his eyes behind, "Where are you going? I must tame the unruly!" In his laughter accompanying him, Reylin rushed after the players, leaving the confused wolves behind.
All this time, he strutted, so Reylin's stamina was near total.
He caught up to the player, and his fireball fist bombarded his back.
"S-Shit! Why?!" The player's body arched forward, and he flew on before dropping onto the ground.
Reylin didn't answer, stomped on his head and pushed him deeper into the dirt, then just went after another player.
That Crown Descendant was kinda mad.
With his vision blocked, the fallen player didn't have enough time to react, and before he rose, the wolves gnawed on him.
In fear, he logged off, and his body just lingered lifelessly while the wolves fed on him.
"Fuck off!" The player spun around and threw one of the sword slashes.
Slash cut through Reylin's hand, but it didn't stop him, "It's not like you are going to lose much. Scared of pain? You won't last long in this world then, son! Better fix it earlier than never!"
And thus, the player became Reylin's punching bag!
He lasted three fireball punches before dying.
[You have killed Lv. 2 Sunyo]
"No potions or anything useful? Just a few copper coins? So much for the dreamy adventurer," Reylin spat and took what he could.
By that time, one of the wolves pounced at his left hand. It didn't fail, and his mouth devoured Reylin's whole left hand.
Their eyes met.
"Fireball."
[You have killed Lv. 3 Dark Soul Forest Wolf.]
[You can turn a few body parts for; wolf's meat, bones, wolf's blood, or just turn the whole body into EXP.]
[You have chosen EXP.]
"What about players? What if I want to make some head bombs? Huh?" Reylin questioned, and his words scared the hell out of viewers.
His mother dropped her phone, and her face paled.
She fished out another one from her desk and shouted at her son.
As for other family members, each had their own unique reaction!
Reylin's anger remained, "I guess the newbie protection plays a role in it. No way we are playing like that, dear developers." He would sue them if that was the case.
Sebastian, later on, would confirm that it was the newbie protection.
For now, Reylin's Showtime continued.
Mana was no problem for him.
All he had to do was light up the forest in flames and bathe in them.
And thus, Reylin tamed the flames.