Might of Players

---Logan's POV---

Skipping through a large section of meaningless banter, I found what I was looking for—mentions of Chronicles of Aeltia in the chat logs.

As expected, ProGamer_Daddy was lavishly praising Chronicles of Aeltia in the group chat, though the others weren't buying it.

---

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Hahaha, let me tell you, spending 10 bucks on a gaming headset is the best decision I've made in my entire life!

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Chronicles of Aeltia is absolutely the greatest game of the year—no, the century! A definitive masterpiece! The graphics aren't just good—they're real. Like, 'pinch yourself to check if you're dreaming' real!

[MemeKnight]: ? Did someone hack your account?

[GameLord420]: ?? Did your family go bankrupt?

[Actually_Hitler]: ??? No offense, bro, but even if you're broke, being a paid shill is not a good career path.

[LootGoblin]: Agreed. Judging by the official site's budget "Sumerian-style" design, they probably can't even afford to pay wages.

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Nonsense! I haven't been hacked, gone bankrupt, or sold myself as a shill! You're insulting my dignity!

[GameLord420]: Source: Trust me bro

[LootGoblin]: Pics or it didn't happen

[ProGamer_Daddy]: You can't take screenshots in-game...

[Actually_Hitler]: RED FLAG RED FLAG

[MemeKnight]: Daddy believes you (｡◕‿◕｡)

[GameLord420]: Mommy believes you too (◕‿◕✿)

[ProGamer_Daddy]: ...Enough! Can't you just let me finish speaking?

I watched as ProGamer_Daddy, probably fed up with the constant interruptions, exercised his admin privileges.

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Do you think I'd say this without absolute confidence? This isn't just another VR game! When you swing a sword, you can FEEL the weight!

[MemeKnight]: My controller vibrates too, very revolutionary (◔_◔)

[ProGamer_Daddy]: No, you don't understand. The feedback is perfect! While other VR games are still stuck on visual styles, Chronicles of Aeltia has already nailed the realism in sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch!

[ProGamer_Daddy]: This is all from my personal in-game experience—completely real, no exaggerations!

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Plus, the game has extreme freedom, NPCs respond seamlessly, and the immersion is off the charts—ten thousand times better than their official claims!

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Especially the combat system—it's exactly like real life, except your opponents are creatures that don't exist in reality.

[ProGamer_Daddy]: The hits feel brutally visceral, the satisfaction of winning is unparalleled—it's insanely fun!

[GameLord420]: Bro's gone full cult member...

I noticed he didn't mention anything about magic, perhaps to maintain suspense—or maybe he couldn't explain his choice of Holy Light spells. After all, he couldn't just say, "I tripped recently and cramped my leg, so I picked a healing skill in case of emergencies."

I shook my head. "Too naive."

Since Chronicles of Aeltia didn't support screenshots or recordings, relying solely on text was a hard sell. Moreover, his speech was overly emotional and lacked vivid imagery. Instead of convincing others to try the game, he seemed more like he was venting his love for it.

No wonder nobody believed him.

This was why I planned to leverage my game reviewer persona to create a professional recommendation video.

And as expected, most people in the chat didn't believe him.

[MemeKnight]: Damn, power-tripping admin!

[GameLord420]: Wow~~ So Chronicles of Aeltia is that amazing? Does that mean it's better than Netherworld Revolution?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Netherworld Revolution, which is still renting ad space, isn't even worthy of polishing Chronicles of Aeltia's shoes!

[Actually_Hitler]: Last time I checked, Chronicles of Aeltia was piggybacking on Netherworld Revolution's popularity

[LootGoblin]: I think the buzz died down this morning—they probably ran out of money to pay the shills

[Actually_Hitler]: A game that can't even afford a trailer, and you're telling me it's achieved 100% realism?

[MemeKnight]: Yeah, that's like asking a newborn baby who can't crawl to skip walking and start flying!

[GameLord420]: But even adults can't fly

[MemeKnight]: So it's impossible for Chronicles of Aeltia to pull it off, my dear baby (♥ω♥)

[ProGamer_Daddy]: You're dismissing Chronicles of Aeltia because it's too ambitious. That's just denying their hard work! Why won't any of you just trust me on this?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: They've already paved 99% of the way for domestic VR games. If we can't even believe in them, what hope is there for the gaming industry?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: The current VR market is like the mobile phone market 70-80 years ago, overrun with knockoffs

[ProGamer_Daddy]: The arrival of Chronicles of Aeltia is as groundbreaking as Jobs unveiling the first iPhone!

The group seemed to fall silent after that.

[MemeKnight]: I think I just heard glass shattering.

[GameLord420]: Son, you've really changed.

[LootGoblin]: You've become so pure

[Actually_Hitler]: Did the game company kidnap you? If you need me to call the cops, press 1.

[ProGamer_Daddy]: AAAAHHH, just believe me already!!!!

From those four exclamation points, I could feel his despair.

The arguments grew increasingly heated after that. The others dismissed him as delusional, responding half-heartedly. But their mocking tone only made him more frustrated. Judging by the speed of his increasingly frantic messages, he was genuinely upset.

I shook my head. "This is nothing. Once I release my review video, the negative comments will be ten times worse. It's all because Chronicles of Aeltia doesn't have a trailer."

Two promotional images just weren't enough.

Fans who had truly discovered the treasure that was Chronicles of Aeltia had no way to share it. If people knew the game's true quality, who'd care about its half-baked website?

Instead of this situation, where the official site was ironically "debunking" the game's actual quality.

To save ProGamer_Daddy from becoming the group's punching bag, I finally spoke up.

[NeverShowOff]: He's telling the truth

[MemeKnight]: !!

[GameLord420]: !!!

[LootGoblin]: Even the group lurker's chiming in? The silent owner speaks! It's like seeing a unicorn!

[Actually_Hitler]: He sends less than one message a day. A newbie might really think this is a game chat, not a fan group

[GameLord420]: Wait, doesn't NeverShowOff also have a Chronicles of Aeltia beta slot? Are you saying 'ProGamer_Daddy' is legit?

[NeverShowOff]: Yes. I played with him for 14 hours straight, and I can confirm everything he said about the game is absolutely true

[ProGamer_Daddy]: Finally! NeverShowOff!

[GameLord420]: So Chronicles of Aeltia really has full five-sense simulation and ultra-realistic combat?

[LootGoblin]: Freedom level? How high are we talking?

[ProGamer_Daddy]: So high you can take off your pants without censorship

[LootGoblin]: !!!! Holy crap, that high?!

[Actually_Hitler]: ACHTUNG! A critical inconsistency has been detected! NeverShowOff claims 14 hours of gameplay, but the current time is only 3 PM. The mathematics do not add up!

I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as I typed my response in the chat.

[NeverShowOff]: Exactly! I suspect the company behind Chronicles of Aeltia has already mastered mind acceleration technology. It's just still in the experimental phase, so they haven't started publicizing it yet!

The reactions came flooding in immediately.

[MemeKnight]: No way! If the servers go live at 8 AM, doesn't that mean we'll effectively have double the time? What kind of god-tier technology is this?!

[GameLord420]: You're not joking, right? This is leagues beyond those ridiculous stories about people flying!

[LootGoblin]: Wait, so one hour IRL = two hours in-game?

[NeverShowOff]: Think bigger

[MemeKnight]: Don't tell me... 3 hours? (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[Actually_Hitler]: Ahem, stop throwing around stuff that doesn't exist. That said, if this tech does actually come out, the influence of this game will go way beyond the gaming world!

[Actually_Hitler]: Think of it, comrades—the power to extend human lifespans! Now that would be a truly superior achievement!

I smirked as I watched their responses.

[NeverShowOff]: Anyone in this group should know my personality by now. I wouldn't spread rumors unless I was confident about them

Following up quickly, I added.

[NeverShowOff]: If you trust me, make sure to sign up for the next beta test recruitment. The sooner we get in, the more benefits we'll reap!

I still had some influence, that much was clear. Even with all their skepticism, most of them thought 10 dollars was worth the gamble.

[Actually_Hitler]: The guy who hardly posts is suddenly vouching for this? Perhaps this deserves our utmost attention after all...

I watched as they all started pledging to sign up. LootGoblin was particularly enthusiastic, immediately shouting about signing up the moment I mentioned that Chronicles of Aeltia would run uncensored.

And I hadn't even dropped my big announcement yet.

After sharing this exciting news with my close group, I took a deep breath. The chat window remained open on my screen, but my mind was already on my next task.

It was time to grind out the next video!

Even before drafting my script, I could already foresee the storm that would follow its release. This time, it wouldn't just be my fans I was dealing with—things weren't going to go as smoothly as they did earlier.

---Third POV---

Hundreds of kilometers north of Logan's location, a young man, seemingly in his late twenties or early thirties, lay on a bed.

He was wearing a gaming helmet.

It looked uncomfortable, but he appeared to be sleeping soundly.

Finally, the man stirred.

He propped himself up with one hand, inching forward with great difficulty to sit upright.

The right sleeve of his shirt was completely empty.

Removing the gaming helmet, his somber eyes came into view.

His otherwise chiseled face seemed older by a decade due to those gloomy eyes and the deep nasolabial lines on his forehead.

He carefully turned his body and placed the gaming helmet on the nightstand.

Even this simple motion seemed excruciatingly difficult, taking him a long time to complete.

The act of twisting his body triggered a chain reaction.

Pain spread rapidly from his spine to his entire body, causing Werner to frown deeply.

"Heh... just one day of gaming, and I can't even handle the pain anymore."

He was smiling, but it was a smile full of bitterness.

For 14 hours, he hadn't experienced the constant neurological pain from spinal cord damage caused by his paraplegia.

"Having a healthy body is such a blessing..."

His gaze grew distant. In the game, he could run, jump, fight... be himself again. It had given him a sense of rebirth, a chance to experience another way of living.

He tried putting the gaming helmet back on but discovered he couldn't re-enter.

As the in-game menu indicated, he had to wait until his character's unconscious state ended before he could log in again.

It was all because of ProGamer_Daddy's ridiculous suggestion.

He'd insisted that repeatedly consuming magic for rapid training was faster than meditating and practicing moderately. And as a result, all three of them passed out from exhaustion and were forcibly logged out.

He found it funny.

Why had he agreed to such an obviously flawed plan?

He was really regressing, even losing his common sense.

Clatter!

The sound of a tray hitting the ground startled him.

At the door stood his mother, tears welling in her eyes.

"Werner?" she gasped.

He looked up and immediately struggled to get out of bed.

"Mom! What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine!"

His mother hurried inside, helping him back onto the bed.

"I'm just... so happy. Your smile... I haven't seen it in so long."

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she spoke. Even as she reassured him, her mind replayed the scene she'd witnessed upon entering: her son's unconscious smile.

How long had it been?

How long since she'd last seen him smile?

Three years ago, he had returned home severely injured: Both legs amputated below the knees, his right arm fully amputated, and paralyzed from the waist down.

Since that day, he hadn't smiled once.

When he returned, it wasn't just his broken body that he brought with him. There was also a box of certificates of honor and a hefty sum of money and compensation from the state—enough for him to live comfortably without working for the rest of his life.

The most eye-catching item in that box was a gold-plated bronze medal shaped like an intersecting five-pointed star.

The most eye-catching item in that box was the Cross of Honor in gold.

Due to confidentiality, Werner's mother didn't know the details of his service.

But these accolades were proof enough.

She knew her son had silently saved countless families and that he would forever be the pride of their family.

Yet, he couldn't move on.

Their family had a proud military tradition dating back to his grandfather, a retired lieutenant general, with uncles and parents all in high-ranking military roles.

Werner had grown up steeped in military ideals and had naturally become a KSK soldier himself. The special forces weren't just a career choice, they were their family's legacy.

But now, broken and unable to contribute, he couldn't bear the thought of being useless. He couldn't stand watching his parents care for him when he should've been the one taking care of them.

To him, he was nothing more than... a burden.

A parasite.

A cripple.

His mother had tried everything—neighbors had come to counsel him, and she'd used every method she could think of.

But it only worsened his decline.

Once, she even found a fruit knife hidden under his pillow.

After that, all sharp objects were locked away, out of his reach. She had no idea how he'd obtained the knife, but it had terrified her.

She didn't dare invite anyone to counsel him again, for fear it might push him further into despair.

All she could do was watch helplessly as he sank deeper.

But now!

She had just seen her son smile!

It was a good omen.

Looking at the gaming helmet on the nightstand, she adjusted the pillow behind his back and casually asked, "Did you make new friends in the game?"

Werner's lips curled into a small smile.

"Sort of. I found a really great game. I realized all the training weren't wasted—I can still use them in the game."

"Oh, how is it there?"

"It's like... like being whole again."

He went on to describe, in great detail, his fight with a giant red worm in the game.

His mother listened, nodding along, her eyes gradually growing wet.

She knew. He wasn't just recounting the game. He was describing what it felt like to have a healthy body again.

Werner looked up.

"When this game officially launches, I think I can make money from it and lighten your burden. There's real potential here. People make careers gaming now."

"Werner, taking care of you isn't a burden. Don't you remember the compensation you brought back?"

"Stop lying. The compensation is enough to cover my basic needs, sure, but it definitely couldn't buy me a high-tech wheelchair like this."

Werner gestured toward a sleek, futuristic wheelchair that rolled toward him at the motion of his hand.

Its silver frame gleamed, adorned with advanced features and modules that exuded a sense of cutting-edge technology.