As I opened my eyes, a sense of anticipation washed over me. After taking care of my morning routine, I sat down at my computer to check the results of my game.
The first thing I noticed was the game’s initial popularity. It had reached a staggering 70,000 downloads in less than three hours.
Naturally, my thoughts immediately turned to my bank account. When I opened the app, I was stunned to see that I now had over 1.5 million credits.
For a good two minutes, I just stared at the screen, refreshing the page and watching the balance increase with each update.
Finally, I closed the app and started thinking about what I could do with the money. I could move to a Level 1 town, but if I wanted to improve my skills and spend time with my friends, it would probably be better to stay here.
I also considered upgrading my weapons. Ethan or James—one of them—had retrieved my sword after the boar incident. Now that I could afford a modern rapier, I thought about taking it back to the blacksmith and getting a new one.
"If only there were cars," I mused. I could afford my dream GTR R-35… But where’s the fun in buying it outright? I might as well build it myself, right?
I’ve always had a problem with things being too easy. I prefer doing things on my own. The sense of accomplishment when you look at something you’ve created is indescribable, and restoring a GTR would probably be the craziest project of my life if I decided to do it myself.
Lost in my thoughts, I decided to check my messages, and as expected, my inbox was overflowing. There were hundreds of calls and messages from people I didn’t know—probably members of the Steam team, since I’d linked my phone number to my account.
Focusing on the messages from people I knew, I found over 20 messages from Hylia, thanking me for giving her the preview key. She mentioned that it had gotten her a peak of 58,000 viewers, accompanied by a photo and many thanks, which made me smile.
Another message that caught my eye was a request from her viewers for an interview. Come to think of it, this could be a lot of fun and help create an even closer bond with my audience.
As I mulled over the idea of setting up a stream, I received a call from an unknown number. I answered and waited for the caller to speak.
“Hi, this is Michael, head of communications at Steam HQ. Is this Mr. Lewis?”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Steam Headquarters?" I thought. No surprise there, given the game’s popularity and the money I must have made them. It was only a matter of time before they reached out. Deciding to respond, I said:
“Yes, it’s me. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Ah, perfect! We’ve been trying to get in touch with you for a few days now, but our calls have gone unanswered. No offense, but we understand you’re busy.”
“Of course,” I replied.
Sensing I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, he quickly got to the point.
“I’m calling because, as I’m sure you know, your game has been breaking records, and we’d like to recognize you at the Best Game Awards,” he continued. “There will be a ceremony at Steam HQ, and we’d love for you to attend.”
I expected this, but being famous—being recognized on the street—had never been my style. I’ve always preferred a quiet life, and the idea of that being shattered didn’t appeal to me. So I replied:
“That’s very kind of you, but I enjoy my quiet life, and being recognized doesn’t mean much to me. So, I could attend your ceremony, but only if I’m not recognized. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Michael seemed surprised by my decision. “Coming anonymously is possible, and I think if you explain it, it might be perceived even better. However, some people might be offended. If you still want to come concealing your identity, please know that it is possible, but some people will still see your face, even with an artifact to change your appearance.”
Stunned by this news, I was about to ask a question when Mel interrupted me.
~Host, it’s advisable not to ask that question and to keep your current strength level a secret. If certain people find out that you’re weak, they might use you against your will.~
Reflecting on Mel’s advice, I nodded to myself and continued the conversation with Michael, who went on:
“The ceremony will take place in less than two weeks in the Tier 2 city of Seinia. All expenses will be covered by us, of course.”
Feeling a bit lost but understanding the gist of it, I asked:
“As for the transportation, how will that work?”
“As I mentioned, all expenses will be paid by us, and you’ll travel in the best conditions. For the trip from Arboris to Seinia, you’ll be picked up by the Association and transferred to the TGV, which will take you to Seinia.”
“Very well. I trust you. But I’d like to get something to camouflage my face first, if possible.”
“Of course, we understand your desire to maintain anonymity. We’ll send you a state-of-the-art artifact mask to solve this problem, to the address linked to your Steam account. Is that okay?”
“Everything’s fine on my end. Thank you for calling.”
“It’s us who should be thanking you, and congratulations again on your success.”
“Thank you.”
After the call, I decided to reach out to Hylia to chat about her recent success, but I went straight to voicemail.
"Silly me, she must be streaming," I thought as I opened Twitch to check. Sure enough, she was live, playing The Last Of Us, walking through a snowy landscape and chatting with her audience.
As I considered how to get in touch with her, an idea popped into my head—something I’d wanted to do before but hadn’t been able to. I decided to connect with her world without her knowing.
Of course, she wouldn’t know, and no one else would either. It might be a bit sneaky, but they’re my worlds, so why shouldn’t I have access to them?
Deciding to play a little prank, I changed my avatar to a silent zombie clicker and crept up behind her without making a sound. Focused on her stream, she had no idea she was about to get the scare of her life.