Chapter 23: "Eni

Today was the sixth day since the World Game had begun.

People were still endlessly debating over who was strong and who was weak, but many had already gotten over the fact of their own deaths and started to focus on earning points behind the scenes.

For a time, a variety of derivative works emerged, and posts expressing personal insights on the future of humanity were being highlighted and pinned.

In a world forum filled with works of major influences, suddenly a short video caught people's attention.

... It was a livestream recording, apparently made by a viewer.

However, unlike typical screen recordings, the viewer had cleverly adjusted the recording angle. The video seemed like an exquisitely edited clip.

The person in the video was Su Ming'an.

He was laughing amidst post-edited moral binding barrage messages, yet although his face was serene, the sentences he uttered carried an unnerving arrogance.

The unusually bright eyes under the light seemed to burn into each gaze directed toward him. The hope birthed within people made it hard to disregard whether his words contained a trace of achievable reality.

—His gaze might seem lost like that of a drowning person, yet it pulled in attention like a vortex, making it increasingly hard to look away.

The person who made the post had edited the screen recording, but left only one question: "What do you think of him?"

...

Below, viewers attracted by the video densely packed the comments.

"Too wild, too wild. Which Hall of Fame member is he, having the capital to be so arrogant?"

"I don't know why but I think he's so cool... Who is he? I want to watch his livestream!"

"Such a small feel... Is he a high school student? Still at that sagely age, huh."

"He's missing a left arm! He's disabled; we should take care of him!"

"Wait a minute, didn't the organizers repair the disabilities before the game started?"

"Preliminary list Su Ming'an... I've watched his amputation clip, a ruthless one."

"How is he so confident he can last till the end... I watched his new fans' edits of his combat scenes. The girl next to him is pretty strong, but he himself looks just like a hundred combat power."

"Ming'an! Ming'an! (New fans ecstatic)"

"This Dragon Country boy is so cool! I like this type."

"..."

...

Su moved her gaze away from the post.

... She was the post maker.

As a "Player Eliminated" on the first day in the World Game, she yearned to find her unique "artifact" among the vast sea of players still struggling.

Then, she opened Su Ming'an's livestream, silently watching his every move when there were the least people online.

Everything he displayed seemed so ordinary, yet it gave her a sense of profound energy, like an ice-cold active volcano that once it erupted, could melt everything.

She submitted a recommendation application to the preliminary list, edited various videos, and watched as the popularity of his livestream jumped from the initial dozens to the normal tens of thousands.

She saw him live under everyone's gaze yet never once concealed his behavior due to others' views.

He lived incredibly authentically.

She felt he was no ordinary person and shouldn't be ranked one hundred on the preliminary list. While most people mocked Su Ming'an, she chose to support him.

...

[World Popularity no.1 Livestream · Eni]

"Whish——"

Fire swept by like the tail feathers of a fierce bird, quickly flying past the ghastly corpses, who shrieked and then fell to the ground.

The fire continued, like arrows flying through the sluggishly moving corpses, effortlessly piercing all the zombies blocking its path.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump—" as the bodies of the zombies hit the ground, they produced a dull sound.

Standing at the forefront, the blonde young man beckoned with his right hand, and the dangerous fire returned to him as effortlessly as a loyal elf, his movements incredibly graceful. Beneath his sunlit beautiful hair were a pair of exceptionally deep eyes, resembling condensed magma about to surge, yet instantly solidified, conveying an untriggered sense of danger.

The red flowing fire cleverly surrounded his body, making him look like an emperor of fire flames, his demeanor so majestic it dazzled onlookers to the point of being unbearable to witness directly.

"Eni—! You are incredibly good-looking today!"

Behind him, stood a woman with curly blonde hair, eagerly wanting to lean against him. The fiery red flames silently resisted her, but she didn't mind, curling her beautiful long hair with her fingers, her smile blooming like a red rose.

"Boring." Eni withdrew the flames, his eyes still holding warmth. His sun-like intense gaze was filled with disdain for mechanical slaughter, experiencing what seemed like a meaningless increase in levels that others could only wish for.

He was a massive conglomerate heir, well-known in the real world, with top-tier appearance, demeanor, and abilities, his Twitter following comparable to top-tier celebrities.

Money, luxury cars, and beautiful women were never in short supply around him. The scepter of power was in his hands; he was born a lucky man in the eyes of others.

In the World Game, he was a gem in the Hall of Fame, initially recognized as a strong contender. His livestream popularity consistently exceeded a hundred million, ranking among the top three in the world, and often first.

...

"Lord is so handsome! Lord is number one in the world!"

"Lord Eni has reached First Rank four today, wonder if anyone can catch up to him."

"Lord Eni is meant to be the world's number one, I can't imagine anyone being stronger than him."

"This game might be from the Underworld, but it actually lets me see so many people I couldn't before... quite lucky indeed."

"..."

The barrage of comments nearly flooded the screen, scanning past the interface with a speed faster than blinking, and if one wasn't paying attention, they could quickly skip dozens of blank screens.

"Eni~ are we going to the Central Hospital today~" A blond woman sashayed over, swaying her hips.

"Yeah, I've already deduced the final outcome." Eni's eyes gleamed with sharpness, "Such a simple game, even a perfect pass is too easy, I can hardly see any difficulty."

"As far as I know, no player has yet deduced the answer and successfully achieved a perfect pass." The woman said, "We better hurry to the hospital for clues, let our dear Eni become the first one~"

"Of course." Eni snorted coldly, and was about to head towards the hospital when he suddenly noticed several comments.

[Eni Eni, someone said today they would become the first one!]

His eyes, filled with daylight, chilled slightly, and the corners of his lips curled up with a hint of sarcasm as he snorted coldly, "The first one? Which member of the Hall of Fame is that?"

Barely receiving a reply from Eni, the comments exploded like mad, competing and scrambling to answer his question, hoping to capture his attention for even a moment.

[It's a player from Dragon Country!]

[Su Ming'an, Su Ming'an! The one who is on the preliminary leaderboard]

[The one who lost an arm.]

...

A look of disdain flashed in Eni's eyes. He was born competitive, always focusing on those close to him in ability and stature. He disdained to even glance at something as nonthreatening as the preliminary leaderboard, let alone someone who boasted so freely despite being disabled.

"Oh, it's that cool boy, he's really wild. I've always liked such men." The blond woman's eyes twinkled with a hint of laughter.

"A self-important attention-seeker." Eni sneered, "If it were Lv Shu of Dragon Country saying this, it would be acceptable, but he... he better pray he doesn't die at the hands of zombies."

The comments went wild:

[Master is so handsome, I really like him!]

[No one in the Hall of Fame dares to say that, does he even qualify?]

[What if he really has the strength... Don't be so sarcastic...]

[Eni the Number One Player hasn't even spoken yet.]

...

"Number One Player?" Eni curled his lips, "I've never claimed to be the Number One Player."

"Oh, Eni. So you're not, I always thought the person who spoke at the opening ceremony was you." The woman looked at him in surprise.

"... While the person's ideas were indeed similar to mine, it wasn't me." Eni's eyes flared with competitive fire, "I do agree with what that person said, but that doesn't mean he's much stronger than me."

"Eni, you're not the Number One Player, those people arguing on the forums are going to cry," the woman chuckled, covering her mouth.

"It doesn't matter." Eni looked straight ahead, where his combat power of 270 was evidently displayed:

"... no matter who the previous Number One Player was, at the end of this world, it will only be me..."

The comments rolled wildly, filled with countless words of praise.

All eyes converged into a spotlight, beneath which stood their most revered and beloved figure.

...

[World's No.4 Live Streaming Room-Lv Shu]

A jade-like mantis, its blade edge drawing a trail of black blood on the bodies of the zombies.

Its figure flickered like a ghost, blood splatters neatly appearing in sequence, quickly killing all the approaching zombies in the blink of an eye.

The young man with a faint scar on his face casually extended a hand, a red butterfly glowing as it flew down the hospital corridor, illuminating the dark path ahead.

The live streaming room's popularity had reached tens of millions, with comments continuously rolling in.

[Today is another day of watching Brother Lv Shu.]

[The only person from Dragon Country in the Hall of Fame, Brother Lv Shu is our hope~]

[His ability to control insects is really strong, I think even Adolf can't resist him.]

[Except for Eni, his flames can repel everything close.]

[I wonder who is stronger, Noel from the West or Brother Lv Shu~ It's a pity we can't see the real combat power of the host...]

[Could Lv Shu brother be the legendary Number One Player? But it didn't seem like it when that person spoke...]

[It would be great if all the big names could compete on the same stage]

[You guys who just died are really carefree, still setting up your fan circles here.]

[…]

This is the daily routine of the comments, either flattering or endlessly arguing about who is stronger or weaker.

Since the rules prohibit discussing task-related information, they could only talk about these unproductive topics.

Suddenly, as Lv Shu was moving forward, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and he glanced sidewards momentarily, spotting a moving figure.

[There's someone!]

[Brother Lv Shu be careful!]

The comments ineffectually cautioned him.

Lv Shu slightly raised his guard, the azure mantis on his shoulder stirring restlessly, but his expression paused slightly upon seeing the newcomer's appearance.

The young man with a suspended arm, holding a flashlight, walked in, their gazes meeting.