"Ughhh...what the hell just happened?" he groaned, his head throbbing and his ears filled with a deafening ringing sound. The recent events played in his mind, but he couldn't ignore the loss of his phone, the trusted gadget he had relied on for years.
"That phone was with me through thick and thin, even if I mostly used it for watching videos," he thought, his eyes welling up with tears. He had cherished that phone for six long years, and now it was gone, destroyed like a bomb.
However, his distress quickly shifted as he tried to move and realized he was bound to a chair in his own room. Confusion washed over him as he surveyed his surroundings, taking in the dust and remnants of his exploded phone scattered on the ground. His mouth was sealed shut with tape, rendering him unable to speak, and the ringing in his ears grew louder with each passing moment.
Ting~
Ting~
Ting~
"What's with these noises?" he wondered, his frustration mounting as the persistent ringing continued.
He closed his eyes, attempting to focus on the ringing noises in his head. Suddenly, a bright light pierced through his closed eyelids, prompting him to open them. To his astonishment, a hologram materialized before him.
"SERIALIZATION COMPLETED," the hologram announced.
Aries read the words displayed before him: "WELCOME TO STAR STREAM! THE MULTIVERSAL STREAMING PLATFORM." Confusion and disbelief washed over him as he tried to comprehend what was happening. The hologram continued, scanning his identity and displaying his information.
"STREAMER NAME: Aries (Aries A. Zuniega)
STREAMER ID: 124-295-090-010
UNIVERSE NO.: 4566
SPECIES: Human (Carbonic Bipedalism)
STAR LEVEL: 100"
"What the f*ck is this? How does it know my full name?" Aries exclaimed, his mind racing to make sense of the situation. He couldn't recall providing any personal information to the app, leaving him bewildered by the hologram's accuracy.
"Perhaps the app scanned my phone without my knowledge. It was already suspicious to begin with. I should have deleted it, but now I'm seeing all of this? Holograms have been around for a while, but my phone wasn't advanced enough to create one. But why am I worrying about this when I'm still tied up?" Aries pondered, his thoughts shifting to his current predicament.
Attempting to free himself, Aries struggled against the ropes that bound him, only to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Ting~
"You are the first ever streamer to be showcased in Universe 4566," the hologram proclaimed.
A series of notifications flashed before Aries, indicating rewards he had received as a pioneering streamer. Though he struggled to fully comprehend the situation, he realized that these rewards had been gifted to him by Star Stream. The holographic panels detailed his newfound benefits, including star points, star levels, a gold star membership, a star recorder, promotional advantages, and discounts.
Aries couldn't deny the reality unfolding before his eyes. It wasn't a hallucination or a dream; it was all a result of the app he had encountered.
"I can't deny this anymore. Magic and science fiction exist in this world," Aries muttered to himself, accepting the surreal reality that surrounded him. The existence of summoners, interstellar travel, and now his newfound status as a streamer didn't surprise him anymore. He decided to embrace it.
As the Star Recorder was installed in his channel extension, Aries considered whether to start recording his experiences. However, he quickly realized that he was still bound and unable to move freely. Thoughts raced through his mind as he contemplated the type of content he could create, such as escaping from a hostage situation, but he didn't even know why he was tied up in the first place.
Curiosity piqued, Aries glanced at the clock and saw that it was already 11:59 PM. He deduced that he had been unconscious for a staggering 21 hours, considering he had fallen asleep at 3 AM prior to the explosion. Panic washed over him as he realized the implications.
"I was supposed to pay today, and I wanted to withdraw cash from the bank, but I slept for 21 hours? That means the landlords tied me up!" Aries exclaimed, the fear of impending death consuming him. He wasn't prepared to die, caught in a desperate dilemma with time slipping away rapidly.
Aries was paralyzed with fear. He wasn't prepared to meet his demise; he was trapped in an overwhelming dilemma, unable to make a decision with time ticking away.
"What should I do? What should I do?" Aries panicked, his mind racing. The binding that held him captive seemed impossible to escape, and the persistent holographic window panel in front of him only offered the options to "Go Live" or "Pre-record."
However, before he could contemplate his next move, a sudden notification interrupted his thoughts.
Ting~
"YOU ARE NOW RECORDING THIS LIVE!"
The message flashed before his eyes, and Aries couldn't believe what he saw. Above his vision, an eye icon appeared alongside rapidly increasing numbers. He realized that each count represented the number of viewers, and to his astonishment, it skyrocketed to 200 million within seconds, with no sign of slowing down.
"As a Gold Membership channel, only viewers who have purchased Silver and above memberships can post live comments," the holographic interface informed him.
The comments began flooding in, appearing in real time, and Aries struggled to comprehend the whirlwind of events. Initially written in unfamiliar hieroglyphics, the comments quickly transformed into readable English.
[Kraag1: Its a new channel from a new universe.
Hguol: Well that's interesting...what kind of content does this streamer make?
L4tf$: HAHAHAHAHAHA it's a humanoid being tied up XD
J3SSter: Now that's a good introduction..
J3SSter: (HAS DONATED 30 STAR POINTS)
.
.
.
.]
Amidst the chaos, Aries heard footsteps approaching his room, instantly recognizing them as the landlord's. A sinking feeling overcame him, his soul seemingly leaving his body as he anticipated the landlord's arrival.
"The landlord is here..." Aries whispered, his terror evident as tears streamed down his face and he involuntarily wet himself. The viewers wasted no time in noticing his distress, and a flood of comments filled the screen.
[Ghudl1: Did this guy just peed his pants?
Ushe2d: He's crying like morgul HAAHAHAHHA
BRES4FF: This shit is funny as fuck XDD
BRES4FF: (HAS DONATED 50 STAR POINTS) . . . .]
The comments kept pouring in, accompanied by donations of Star Points from the amused viewers. However, Aries was too consumed by fear to pay much attention. His focus remained fixated on the door as a dark silhouette gradually obscured the frame, and he could feel the malevolence emanating from the intruder's eyes.
"You're finally awake, my precious resident. It's already been 24 hours, and you still haven't paid your rent. You know what happens when you don't pay on time, right?" the landlord taunted.
"Mmff...ghrfff..mgfff.." Aries attempted to speak, his voice muffled by the tape.
The landlord stared at him with contempt, readjusting him to an upright position and removing the tape from his mouth.
"Puhaa!!... I have the money! Just please let me go! If not, you can take your money! It's under the rug. There's a dark brown log that can be removed, and you'll find a transparent container labeled 'emergency rent.' Inside, there's exactly $36,000!" Aries pleaded.
"Hmmm..." The landlord hesitated for a moment but decided to follow Aries' instructions. Indeed, there was a plastic box labeled "emergency rent" beneath the rug, and upon counting the money, it amounted to precisely $36,000.
"It seems you do have enough money to pay the rent," the landlord acknowledged.
"Sigh... Now, can you please let me go?" Aries implored.
"But you seem to have forgotten about the contract you signed. There's a 1% interest increase for every minute of delay in your rent payment. Since a minute has passed, the money you've provided is insufficient. You still owe $360," the landlord stated coldly.
"No way! There was no such provision in the contract I signed!" Aries protested.
"You see, this new rule was revised by Boss Rabbit himself two days ago. It should have been sent to you via mail, but instead of checking, you were busy indulging yourself with porn," the landlord sneered.
"..!" Aries was taken aback, realizing that he had been caught in his private moments. Despite ensuring there were no hidden cameras, he failed to consider the thin walls that allowed his neighbors to hear his moaning sounds. The embarrassment washed over him, especially knowing that the hooded girl, his fellow neighbor, was aware of his shameful activities.
"How did you-"
"The walls are very thin here. Your neighbors have been complaining about the loud noises emanating from your room, unmistakably the sounds of moaning. It's unlikely you were entertaining a girl here since..pfft! You're a virgin and a sore loser. Even your fellow neighbor, that other loser bitch, holds you in low regard," the landlord mocked.
As soon as he mentioned the "loser bitch," Aries couldn't help but think of the hooded girl. He felt immense shame, realizing his futile attempts to impress her had been futile, and now his pathetic actions were exposed.
"Shit..." Aries muttered under his breath.
The comments section exploded with shock and amusement. Although many couldn't understand the conversation, some viewers who had access to the Multiversal Translator explained the situation, causing an influx of "L" spam and increased donations of Star Points. The viewers seemed to revel in Aries's humiliation, as evident from his expression.
"Anyway, I don't like residents like you. Even if you had the exact amount of money, I'd have you killed regardless. Now that I have a reason to do so, I'll kill you myself," the landlord declared coldly.
In an instant, the landlord pulled out a pistol from his back pocket and aimed it directly at Aries. Fear gripped Aries, and he realized that he was about to meet his demise. Helplessness washed over him as he realized there was no escape from a point-blank shot. He resigned himself to his fate, closing his eyes and awaiting his inevitable death. However, his ears suddenly started ringing, causing him to open his eyes.
[SOL HAS DONATED A VIRTUAL GIFT WORTH 1000 STAR POINTS!
"Guys like you deserve death, but since you've accepted death as your punishment, show me that you can still redeem yourself."]
[DO YOU WISH TO OPEN THE VIRTUAL GIFT? YES/NO]
"Yes!" Aries replied without hesitation, immediately accepting the gift. In an instant, a holographic gift materialized above them, causing the landlord to pause and divert his attention upward. The gift transformed into a bright light, revealing a circular object that blinked red.
[YOU HAVE RECEIVED A STUN BOMB!
"The Stun Bomb has been automatically detonated and will explode in a 2-meter diameter area, causing all targets except the streamer to be stunned for 10 seconds."]
As soon as the bomb materialized, it fell to the ground and exploded.
Boom!
True to its description, the 2-meter radius around the bomb disintegrated, leaving nothing in its wake. However, they had underestimated the power of the Stun Bomb. Not only Aries, but the viewers as well, were taken aback by the sheer force unleashed. The one who donated the virtual gift was the most shocked of all.
"What the fuck."
Everyone's reaction mirrored Aries's own astonishment. They had expected the Stun Bomb to merely incapacitate the landlord, but instead, it eradicated him completely, leaving no trace. The ground beneath him also disappeared, causing him to plummet to the floor below.
Thud!
The chair shattered upon impact, freeing Aries from the constraints of the ropes. Luckily, there was no one in the room below, allowing him to quickly regain his footing and search for an escape route.
"Was the Stun Bomb supposed to work like that?" Aries turned to his viewers and posed the question.
[Jhuo2l: No.
Gha2s: Nope.
Jasel: Not even the slightest bit.
Brenn211: Stun Bombs are consumables designed to affect life forms Graded 8 to 4. If its effectiveness is on this kind of scale, it means that the life forms in your universe are graded lower than that or that specific life form was just very weak.
Theus: Lower life form? Dropped.
J199qa: Wasted my time on primitives, dropped.
...
]
A visible decline in viewers became evident as they realized that Aries was a low-grade life form. The viewers, who had almost reached a billion count, swiftly dropped to four digits.
[Viewers: 7,890]
"Wow, so viewers really drop off because of my low-grade life form? How was I supposed to know?" Aries questioned.
[Sol: It's obvious that you're still new to this platform. Not only are you a new streamer, but you're also from a new universe. Viewers want entertaining content, and to attract them, they prefer to watch high-grade life forms. Even if a streamer is simply going about their day, eating and doing regular stuff, as long as they're from a high-grade life form, their viewership will continue to rise. That's how significant the difference is between low-grade and high-grade life forms.]
"Then how am I supposed to attract viewers to my stream?" Aries inquired.
[Sol: There are many ways to gain popularity and increase your viewership. First, upload entertaining videos to your channel. This will help you get noticed by managers. If a manager takes an interest in you, it will greatly assist you in running your streaming channel smoothly and efficiently. A manager's role is to help you create content, make streaming-related decisions, and edit your videos, so your main focus is recording the content and showcasing it to the public to gain fame.]
"Oh, so I need to get a manager, huh? Well, that sounds easy," Aries responded.
[Sol: It's harder than it sounds. Finding a decent manager can be challenging since they can only manage one channel at a time. They have to be selective in choosing the channel they want to work with, as they can't easily switch unless your channel loses its verification badge. Additionally, many managers may offer unfavorable terms, so be cautious. Some may even exploit the system, especially when dealing with newbies like you who are unfamiliar with how this streaming platform works. My advice is to create your own content, be your own manager, build your own audience, and produce creative content. I'm already a loyal fan, so make sure to keep me entertained and never let me get bored.]
"T-thank you, Sol. It's amazing to have a loyal fan even though I've just started," Aries expressed his gratitude.
Aries couldn't help but tear up, but he also noticed that his viewer count remained stagnant as time passed. For now, he didn't prioritize the number of viewers, as even if only one remained, he couldn't care less about it since he was still facing significant trouble.
"I need to escape from here before they find out I've killed the landlord. Shit, if Branch Leader Rabbit finds out about this, I won't just be killed, but I'll be tortured to death first," Aries muttered anxiously.
[Sol: Who's Lord Rabbit? Is he your boss or something?]
"No, you see, in my universe, there are numerous life forms, and I'm confident to say that there are countless powerful beings who are undoubtedly higher life forms. There are humans like me who can destroy continents, and then there are notable individuals like my idol, The Righteous One, who can obliterate planets with a swing of his sword!"
[Sol: So you actually have superior life forms. I thought everyone was as weak as you.]
"Come on, even though I may be weak, I can also become like The Righteous One. The only problem is that there are people standing in my way, preventing me from achieving that level of strength."
[Sol: Like who?]
"Everyone, except for the now-dead landlord. We have the Union Leader, Branch Leader Rabbit, and the other branch leaders, hunters, the government, my own kind, and even other species. It's because of my status as a 4th class Citizen. Basically, I'm a slave to my own kind, shackled and deprived of my freedom. If I don't escape from this situation, I won't become strong."
[Sol: Damn, so you're like the lowest of the low. I pity you. Well, since I'm now your loyal fan, I'll help you ;) ]
"Really? How?" Aries asked eagerly.
[Sol: Since your channel has a Gold Membership and has been verified as a pioneering channel, I'm sure you've earned exclusive rewards like star points, right? The viewers who donated to you are Star Points, which is the Multiversal currency that you can use to buy items in the Star Store. Just use your panel telepathically, think of the words 'Star Store' in your head, and the store will appear.]
"Okay, I'll try..."
Aries followed Sol's instructions. As he thought of the words 'Star Store', a long window panel appeared in his vision, displaying countless items for sale.
[Star Points: 10,750]
"I'm in the Star Store now. What should I buy?" Aries wondered.
[Sol: If you want to become stronger and overcome those obstacles, you should buy Martial Scriptures. However, they are very expensive and take time to learn. Since you're in a situation where you need to escape from your enemies quickly, you should purchase pills that temporarily boost your strength, agility, and defense. There are also consumables like the Stun Bomb available at a lower price in the Star Store. It won't cost as much as the one I gifted you, since I had to pay an extra fee for the delivery of the gift. But since you'll be buying it for yourself, it will only be 50 Star Points.]
"Yes, I could use more of those," Aries replied to himself. He was still amazed by the effectiveness of the bomb, considering that the landlord was at least an A-grade Starter. If he could acquire dozens of those stun bombs, escaping from the branch territory would be easier. However, he would be wanted and a bounty would be placed on his head not only in District 21 but worldwide. He would be framed as a criminal on the loose, and the only place he could hide would be the 1st Sanction of God.
"Then I'll have no choice but to go on hiding and survive in the most dangerous place possible. At least in that place, I'll have a chance of survival."
[Sol: What place are you talking about?]
"The Sanction of God."