Chapter 35 – TV Series, Episode 2
"Episode 2 of the Apocalypse TV series?"
Zhou Ning had to cycle through several rounds of Ripple Breathing just to calm himself down. He couldn't help feeling puzzled—if memory served, the second episode of the Apocalypse series wasn't supposed to air for a few more days in his previous life. After all, Leandro de Pessa, the protagonist, hadn't even enrolled yet.
The Apocalypse AI had created the TV series not just to promote the game, but also to help players familiarize themselves with the key factions and major characters during the early and mid-stages.
In his past life, Episode 2 had focused on Leandro de Pessa, the "Child of the Planes," and the Life Alchemy Society. Episode 3, in contrast, had introduced the official faction known as the Sunwatchers.
Now, though, the early release of Episode 2 by several days… Could it be the butterfly effect caused by his own actions?
Zhou Ning clicked on the game panel and entered the forums. Thanks to ramped-up marketing, the number of posts had exploded. To his surprise, because of his center-stage appearance in the first episode's trailer, Zhou Ning discovered that there was now a dedicated sub-forum named after him, complete with its own moderator team.
Since the forums were managed by the game's official staff rather than the AI, Zhou Ning figured even the developers now believed he was the game's main protagonist.
As for the posts in the sub-forum…
Something felt off.
At a glance, every post had the exact same format: [Wayne—Here for Wayne #Wayne Sturwell], radiating an unmistakable fan club vibe.
There was also a flood of fanfiction. Due to the lack of background info from Episode 1, the main character in these stories was purely based on imagination. Zhou Ning skimmed a few of them and was immediately left speechless.
Girls loved pairing characters into couples, and the most common ship had him paired with Cress Bradenreiser. The rest got increasingly bizarre—pairings with Leandro de Pessa, the chubby kid, and even worse… Marien, or literal cultists…
I swear, what the hell?! Zhou Ning felt a chill down his spine.
He clicked on the pinned thread. This episode was titled "The Alchemical Phantom."
Zhou Ning's mouth twitched. Just as I thought.
He hit play.
The episode opened on a snowy morning. Zhou Ning stepped out of an apartment, wearing a white shirt and a black vest.
The AI definitely knew what it was doing—it opened with a long-range close-up of Zhou Ning, immediately triggering a barrage of live comments.
Then the plot began. Zhou Ning discovered a murder scene in the woods. This marked the official debut of Sherlock, a member of the Bryston Kingdom's Sunwatchers, who then struck up a conversation with Zhou Ning.
A label appeared over Sherlock's head: Captain of Sunwatchers Team 3, Meteorologist – Sherlock Moriarty.
Through Zhou Ning's exchange with Sherlock, viewers learned that the murderer was most likely from the Life Alchemy Society.
Over the following days, Sherlock conducted a detailed investigation. He started by filtering out all teachers and students from Ruins, questioning each for suspicious behavior. One by one, he ruled them out, eventually zeroing in on Holwig Gai.
Further digging revealed that Holwig had a girlfriend named Maggie, who had recently gone missing. He was also close to the victim Sharon. All signs pointed to him as the sole suspect. It took Sherlock only two days to pinpoint the killer.
The video fast-forwarded to that night. In the Alchemy Building, Sherlock and two Sunwatchers intercepted Holwig Gai.
A battle was about to erupt.
The fight broke out intensely. At first, Holwig was overwhelmed by Sherlock's weather-manipulating powers. But once Holwig activated his invisibility, the tide turned completely.
The two Sunwatchers were quickly killed by Holwig's air bullets. Sherlock's situation grew increasingly desperate.
Players watched anxiously, barely commenting at this point.
That tension exploded the moment the scene cut to Zhou Ning.
"High alert!"
"Brace yourselves for awesomeness!"
"My husband is about to save the world!"
"Of course he's the main character—he clearly figured out the killer way ahead of Sherlock and headed straight for the Alchemy Building."
"Seriously, I think Wayne knew who the culprit was from the start."
Needless to say, these comments were mostly from those who had already fast-forwarded and were now circling back to post.
Zhou Ning: …
Could he even tell them they were overthinking it? If it weren't for the system's quest updates and the sound clues he'd heard, how on earth would he have known the killer was in the Alchemy Building?
In the video, for reasons unknown, the AI skipped over the part where Zhou Ning glided in wearing the Phoenix Battle Suit. Instead, it cut straight to a stylish shot of Zhou Ning in formalwear, umbrella in hand, approaching the Alchemy Building.
Even Zhou Ning had to admit—it looked damn cool. That scene could absolutely be used as a wallpaper. A charm score of 99 really wasn't just for show.
The episode continued…
Zhou Ning opened the door and entered, just in time to see Sherlock tumble down the stairs, landing in a kneel at Zhou Ning's feet, gun raised at him. The live comments instantly exploded with a single line:
"Should I say 'no need for formalities'? Or maybe 'you should surrender now'?"
Then came a barrage of air bullets, all dodged effortlessly by Zhou Ning's lightning-quick movements. As he leaned back to avoid a shot from behind, Sherlock summoned a thunderbolt. The AI gave Zhou Ning a sweeping wide-angle close-up: while leaning back and twisting his body, he silently drew an ivory-handled revolver, spinning it deftly through his fingers.
Every frame was clearly visible—pure cinematic flair.
Before players could even react, the next moment sent them into a frenzy.
Flames surged from the revolver's barrel. The AI provided an ultra-close-up and a slow-motion sequence, showing the gun's inner mechanics: finger pulling the trigger, the hammer cocking back, and a flame-wreathed bullet spinning with incredible force. Thanks to the slow-mo, players could even see the bullet warping the air with rippling shockwaves.
"Holy sh*t, I'm down—what kind of skill is this?!"
"Damn, that's too slick!"
"Incredible. This guy's on another level…"
"I NEED that skill! It's just too badass!"
Once Zhou Ning entered the fray, the comment section surged dramatically.
By the time the fight began, the volume of comments was five times what it had been minutes ago, a clear sign of Zhou Ning's skyrocketing popularity.
Based on just the first two episodes, Zhou Ning's character hit all the right notes with players—especially the female audience.
Not only was he devastatingly handsome, but also intelligent, perceptive, powerful, good-natured, and occasionally witty.
He was the ultimate main character template.
Two minutes later, Zhou Ning, with Sherlock's assistance, forced Holwig out of invisibility and mercilessly pulled the trigger—ending the now-monstrous Holwig's life. The live comment section hit its peak.
"Damn! That was so cool—calm, deadly, absolutely ruthless! I'm in love!"
"Taking my husband home again…"
"Stop simping, ladies—but honestly, I'm a guy and I still love him! Screw it, gender doesn't matter anymore—taking my husband too…"
"Guys in the comments, be careful. With more overflow incidents happening lately, we boys need to keep ourselves safe out there."
Zhou Ning: …
The first half of the episode had felt oppressive—like watching a detective drama where the investigator kept getting beaten down. Only now did things finally start to feel satisfying.
At the very end, when Zhou Ning picked up a diary and began to read, the AI helpfully displayed subtitles.
The players now understood the backstory behind the murder, and were left with a deep impression of one of the game's major NPC factions: the Life Alchemy Society.
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