Late chapter was busy with my other endeavour.
Fate/One with nature
Happy it has hit top 5 !
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David sprinted through the dark corridors, his legs burning as he pushed them to their limit.
The scraping sound was growing closer, more ominous, each second stretching into an eternity of dread.
But then—CRACK.
The floor beneath him gave way with a thunderous snap, sending him plummeting through a rotten, broken section of the villa.
His body hit the ground hard, dust and debris flying up as he tumbled into the darkness below.
Wood splintered against his face, carving jagged cuts into his skin.
He hit the floor with a sickening thud, his breath knocked out of him, the camera shaking wildly before landing beside him with a jarring clatter.
The screen flickered for a moment, before coming back to the dim, shadowy scene of David lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
The chat erupted in response
> BloodyN3on: HOLY SHIT HE FELL!!
> GhostToast: David, are you okay?!??
> m3talG0d: , is he bleeding???
David groaned, his voice ragged with pain, "F-fuck... the floor... broke...." He winced, rolling onto his side and pulling the camera towards him, pointing it shakily at the hole above.
The jagged edges of the shattered floor loomed over him, casting eerie shadows as the light from above flickered faintly through the debris.
His face was smeared with blood, deep gashes marring his cheeks where the wood had cut him.
He blinked through the pain, eyes unfocused, sweat mixing with the blood as it trickled down his face.
The raw, desperate fear was painted across his expression, a man in hell.
> UwUCultist666: He's bleeding! Oh my gods!
> plsSendHelp: YOU'VE GOT TO GET HELP BRO SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE
With a grunt, David dragged himself forward, his arms trembling as he pulled his weight awkwardly across the cold, hard ground.
He didn't even look at the camera—his face was contorted in sheer desperation, eyes wide and frantic, blood streaking down his neck as he struggled to move.
The scraping sound hadn't stopped. In fact, it felt even closer now, like it was right above him and it was.
His eyes darted upward, filled with a terror so deep it looked as though he was staring death itself in the face.
The camera focused on his bloodied face, capturing every labored breath, every wince of agony, and the sheer helplessness that twisted his features as he clawed at the floor.
His voice, hoarse and broken, cracked as he spoke:
"I... I don't think I can carrey on.."
> DeadInside69: BRO JUST CRAWL!!!
> M0rt1fied: I can't watch this. I'm scared why is no one helping him??
David's bloodied fingers scraped across the floor, leaving smears behind as he kept crawling.
---
The HeroTube moderator leaned back in his chair, fingers rhythmically tapping the desk.
The job was simple enough—monitor streams, make sure nothing illegal or dangerous was going on, and report if necessary.
As he scanned the screens, his eyes caught a stream climbing rapidly in viewer numbers: "This might be it "
His interest piqued, he clicked on it.
The stream jolted to life.
David was running, the camera bouncing wildly in his hand.
His face flashed across the screen—pale,bloodied , eyes wide with panic.
He turned the camera toward the ceiling, showing a gaping hole in the floor above.
"Floor's broken..." David groaned, his voice barely above a whisper.
Blood streaked down his face as he dragged himself across the ground, the desperation on his face unmistakable.
The moderator's gaze sharpened. This didn't look like the usual shock-value stunt.
He watched as David's movements became more frantic, every breath more labored.
The chat was in chaos, but the mod ignored the flood of messages.
His focus was on David and the metadata flashing on his secondary screen.
Without hesitation, he opened the internal company communication system.
System: Emergency escalation. Stream flagged as potential threat to life.
Title: "This might be it."
Details: Streamer injured, possible location routed.
The moderator's actions remained calm, professional, as he typed in the stream's routing location and sent it directly to the emergency response team.
A secure line opened instantly.
"HeroTube agency , Emergency Dispatch, this is Line Four, ID 3752. I'm reporting a live stream flagged for potential life-threatening danger. The streamer appears to be injured and in distress, possibly trapped in an abandoned villa on the outskirts of the city. I've already forwarded the routing metadata and location coordinates."
The operator on the other end responded just as swiftly, her tone shifting into emergency mode. "ID 3752, coordinates received. Units will be dispatched immediately. Continue monitoring the stream for updates."
"Understood," the moderator said, eyes fixed on the screen. He closed the secure line, returning his focus to David.
David's breathing was ragged, his face streaked with dirt and blood as he pushed the camera closer to his face. "I don't know if this stream is still up... if anyone can hear me... I—" His words broke off, and his eyes flicked toward the distant sound of something dragging again.
The mod's heart rate picked up, but his expression remained stoic.
He adjusted the view, making sure the stream was being properly recorded on his end.
Any moment could be crucial evidence.
The camera view shook as David tried to get up, but he stumbled and fell again.
His voice came out in gasps. The moderator quickly checked the stream latency.
Less than a minute until the nearest units could arrive.
But then suddenly the stream ended.
---
David sat in the dim room, heart still racing from the performance.
The cold rush of adrenaline had yet to leave his veins, but his mind was as sharp as ever.
He had just received the notification from the system.
Police en route.
A wicked smile crept onto his face. "Perfect timing," he muttered.
He got up, wiping the blood off his face, the scratches from his fall already fading thanks to the cybernetic healing capabilities embedded within his body.
Now came the next part of the game—the cleanup.
Opening a new window on his HUD, he connected directly to the HeroTube moderator team, typing out a message with calm precision:
David (verified):
Hey, got word about police being called. Wanted to clarify that this was part of an ARG, fully planned and under control. We even got permissions signed, though I'm sure it looked intense on stream. Appreciate the quick response, though. I'll send over the docs now.
He paused briefly, his digital senses flicking through the web, pulling from the endless vault of information at his disposal.
It took mere seconds for him to forge the necessary documents and signatures. They looked legitimate because they were, at least in the world's eyes.
As far as any digital trail was concerned, he had all the permissions needed.
With a smirk, David sent the fabricated files to the moderator team.
"Conveniently prepared," he muttered under his breath.
It wasn't about fooling them—it was about maintaining the illusion.
Everything was a tool to exploit, and when it came to anything digital, there were no boundaries for him.
Not really.
David (verified):
Sorry for any confusion caused—won't happen again without a heads-up next time. Thanks again!
He closed the communication with a satisfied click, leaning back against the worn-down couch.
His breath was steady now, adrenaline replaced by a sense of control.
The police would be called off soon, and his little stunt had worked beautifully.
The thrill of it all coursed through him as he thought about the confused, scared faces on the other side of the screen.
His followers were eating it up, and soon enough, they'd be begging for more.
David had barely sent the message when his HUD pinged again.
This time, it wasn't a notification—it was an incoming call from the HeroTube moderation team. His eyes narrowed slightly as he accepted, finding himself connected in a conference call. The voice on the other end was brisk and professional.
"Mr. David, we have the police on the line. They were responding to your stream's routing location. We need physical confirmation that everything is, in fact, under control."
The police operator's voice chimed in, sharp and authoritative. "Sir, we're going to need you to turn on your camera and show us the current state of the location immediately. Failure to comply will result in officers being dispatched."
David sighed, his fingers flexing in the air. Of course, they'd want to escalate this. "Sure, no problem," he replied smoothly, hiding the faint annoyance behind a calm, composed tone.
With a quick swipe, he turned on his camera, positioning it to show the room around him.
The dilapidated, but clearly staged, villa was visible on the screen. There were overturned pieces of furniture, splintered wood from his "fall," and a few broken props scattered around.
He made sure to walk around, giving them a clear view of the place. "As you can see, it's all a part of the setup. The stream was pre-planned for an ARG, and I've got everything under control here." He leaned back a little, flashing them a tired smile. "Sorry for the scare, but this is all staged."
The moderator's voice came back, though still laced with caution. "We appreciate the clarification, but we're going to need some visual proof of the signed permissions that you attested."
David didn't miss a beat. "Already sent it through the system—digital copies should be in your inbox right now." He pulled up a display in his HUD and pointed to the official-looking document on the screen in front of him, letting the camera capture it. "You're welcome to check it. All legit."
A moment of silence followed as the moderator and the police operator verified the files. David kept his expression calm, his heart rate steady, despite knowing those permissions had been "generated" minutes ago. He'd make sure nothing was left to chance.
Finally, the police operator spoke again. "Alright, Mr. David. We've reviewed the documents, and everything checks out withthe system. We'll call off the response units. Just… next time, make sure to notify authorities before you stage something like this. You're lucky this didn't escalate further."
"Understood," David said, forcing a small laugh. "Won't happen again."
The moderator spoke one last time, still sounding wary. "Thanks for clearing that up. Be more mindful in the future—we don't want this kind of confusion happening again."
"Noted," David replied, keeping his tone light. "Appreciate you guys reaching out so fast. I'll make sure to give a heads-up next time."
With a click, the call ended, leaving David alone in the now eerily quiet villa.
He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair as he sat down.
Crisis successfully averted.
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