Kai took off the headgear and checked the time on his holo. It showed 7:34 in the evening. Good, dinner was usually at 8 in their house. Kai went downstairs, drank some water, and lay down on the couch with his holo on full display. His mother was in her room, resting after finishing preparing dinner.
Kai wanted to check more information on the forums and watch online videos about the new aspects of the game. However, he was surprised by the number of views and replies on his own video from yesterday. His forum post had also gained significant popularity.
He remembered that even at the peak of his gaming career, his videos only reached around 60-70 million views, and that was far down the line—about two years into this online game's lifespan. Before that, his videos usually got between 1 to 5 million views. However, his first introductory video seemed to have picked up momentum, reaching a whopping 4 million views in just one day. It should easily surpass 10 million.
The views and the money they brought weren't his primary goal, though. He wanted to teach people, and many comments showed that his video had helped players gain skills and uncover NPC secrets. The most talked-about moment in the comments was the part where he found the toy sword and received a hidden quest.
Kai had only shown that he obtained the hidden quest while blurring out everything else. He didn't reveal the trial he and Deimos had gone through either. If a new player replicated his actions, they would receive the quest too, but winning any rewards would depend entirely on their own efforts. Kai had no idea what Maeka would do to those who failed, but he guessed the internet would soon provide an answer.
Mimi had also texted him, warning him to wait for her tomorrow and not head to school on his own.
"The second semester is starting tomorrow, huh.." Kai muttered.
He usually took public transport, which required a five-minute walk from his house. Mimi, on the other hand, always had her father drop her off in their Hoover. Kai remembered feeling awkward and embarrassed around her family, so he always refused the free ride—a childish thing to do. It was mostly because he felt guilty for not being a better boyfriend to Mimi. Now that he thought about it, Mimi's family had never expected their relationship to last; they were just being nice to him.
He couldn't skip school—high school education was mandatory, and he was only in his first year. The second semester was about to start, meaning he still had two and a half years before he could leave. Well.. he couldn't play the game all day. He also needed to figure out a way to get a large number of people to join the game. Ideally, he could guide them and get them to work together with him.
Joining their region's first-ever Nyxfall tournament might give him the publicity he needed. But for that, he needed an offline team—a really good one. The best way to recruit those players and spend more time in the game with them would be through high school students, most pros in Nyxfall were high schoolers. Guess going to school wouldn't be a total waste after all.
"Oh! You're already here?" His mother looked surprised to see him downstairs before she had to call him for dinner. "Come, let's eat."
Kai nodded, and they had a delicious dinner. After dessert, while watching videos on his holo, Kai closed it and looked at his mother. She noticed his gaze and turned to him.
Kai signed, "I've ordered the game I'm playing and a headgear for you. I want you to play it too."
His mother furrowed her brows, her face taking on a serious expression. "It's super expensive, isn't it? Why are you wasting your money like that?"
Kai just smiled and signed, "This game is different. Soon, everyone in the world will start playing it. I need you in there to help me.. for my videos."
Her expression softened a little as she exhaled. Then, a worried look replaced the frown as she said, "I don't know how to play games like you. What help would I even be?"
Kai gestured with his hand, as to say don't worry about it, and signed, "Just do as I say, and that will be more than enough. It will also give us more time to spend together. If you want to learn about the game, just watch some videos online."
She nodded with a smile. "If you want me to do it, I'll give it a try. But you better keep the receipts for those items and return them if I make a fool of myself in there."
Kai just laughed it off. She often downplayed herself, but she was one of the most dedicated and intelligent people he knew. Just by being herself, she could make a name for herself in Nyxfall—a game where every choice mattered.
She was quite athletic, and her moral sense was impeccable. He could already see her becoming one of those players who got a bit too invested in NPC storylines.
Finished with dinner, Kai returned to his room and spent another two hours editing his recordings—from Shlensalan to the fall of Kalimari Village. Of course, he didn't include all his conversations with Deimos, but he kept the scene where she charged and exploded near the Exodian. And naturally, the moment where all the players charged toward an impossible foe was one of the video's highlights. He titled the series Nexus Kin 101.
After uploading the video, he put on the headgear once again, reentering Nyxfall. His MP and HP had replenished, night had turned to morning, and he had a mountain to climb today.
Kai still had a considerable distance to cover before he could begin his climb. The height was daunting but not insurmountable. As long as he rested at the right moments, planned his route carefully, and didn't miss his shots, he could make it.