Chapter 285: Teaser
In a room piled high with Game Pods.
Stuffed Bun sat slumped in front of his computer, devouring a takeout box of rice and noodles, idly scrolling through a gaming platform.
“Flashback 12, The Walking Dead: Fated, The Order of the Dwarves…”
“Seriously? These are all garbage. I could make a whole video just tearing them apart. Can’t you at least pay me some overtime for the mental trauma?”
He bit into a chicken leg, sighing.
“When’s Ailezegai finally gonna go official? I’m bored out of my mind. I wonder how Noodles is doing these days… miss riding that Two-Headed Dragon.”
Just as he chewed, a notification popped up in his “Special Watch” list—unexpectedly, from the mysterious Ailezegai official channel.
Ailezegai will enter Public Test in three days!
The 1.0 version – Northern Winds and Storms is about to launch!
“Hah! Finally!”
Stuffed Bun rubbed his hands together, wiped grease from his lips, and clicked in without hesitation.
The video screen was still dark—no loading, not even a frame yet—but the Live Chat was already flooding the screen like a digital tsunami.
“Hurry up, hurry up!”
“Wooohoooo!”
“I’ve been waiting so long!”
“Do you know what I’ve been through these past year?”
“Veteran Beta Tester crying—this game shaped my childhood.”
“Lucky Dog, move over! I’ve been waiting now and still didn’t get in!”
“Wait… so I’m not the only African player?”
The Public Test opened 50,000 slots, but within just three hours, they were all snatched up by desperate, fanatical players. If it weren’t for the account-locked status system, the mere right to test might’ve been auctioned for insane prices.
One player posted on the forum:
“Europeans? That’s just the entry fee.”
Stuffed Bun smirked at the frantic, pleading messages in the chat.
“Hmph. Good thing I grabbed my spot in the Internal Test Phase early. This is what real skill looks like.”
His smugness was utterly unmasked.
Then, a soft, melodic tune began to play.
The screen brightened—first, a small deer grazing on wild grass appeared at the center.
The camera suddenly soared upward.
Wolves sprinting across the ground.
Goblins hunting through the undergrowth.
Hill Giants wandering aimlessly.
Dense forests.
Snow-blanketed, desolate wastelands.
Rolling mountain ranges—all unfolded before the viewer.
The music swelled, growing grander with each passing second.
“Massive scale!”
“Big-budget production!”
“That’s Storm Ridge, right?”
“New Assassin? Hill Giant? Old players are crying.”
“Hill Giant: Like my big stick? Take this!”
“Wait—is this real gameplay?”
“Old players swear it’s 100% authentic.”
A calm, resonant voiceover began:
“This is the Anzeta Great Wasteland, located in the northwest of the Alerzage West Continent, ringed by the mighty Anstica Mountains. Due to its perpetually cold climate, it’s known as the Land Without Spring.”
“Beasts, giants, goblins… even dragons—countless creatures thrive across this vast, unforgiving land.”
Stuffed Bun picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, chewed thoughtfully, and mumbled with grease on his lips:
“Perfect for eating. Seriously, this is made for rice.”
The voiceover paused.
“Like any place, this land hides endless darkness… endless evil.”
“Oppression.”
The scene shifted.
A skeletal peasant laborer trembled in the biting wind, whipped mercilessly by a master’s lash—then collapsed into the snow.
“Whoa… is this really that realistic?”
“That NPC is so sad.”
“It’s time for players to free them!”
“Rise up against the Northern Tyranny! Anzeta belongs to the Kingdom!”
The Live Chat exploded.
The voiceover continued, low and grave:
“Massacre.”
The screen flickered.
Inside a dark, ancient castle, half-naked Offshoots were chained to stone pillars, chanting eerie laments. A bloodthirsty Vampire Duke grinned, summoning a storm of crimson mist—draining human bodies dry in seconds.
“This boss is intense.”
“Haha, isn’t that the pervert from the wandering beast quest?”
“Tell me more about the perversion.”
“Whoa, I actually saw myself in this promo—yeah, I’m the hottest guy here.”
“With that wrinkled face? You can’t even tell what you look like!”
The chat frenzy raged on. The music grew heavier, darker.
“Raid.”
The screen shifted again.
A blinding white snowstorm swept across the wasteland.
Hundreds of Frost Giants charged southward, howling with the wind, shaking the earth beneath them.
“Chaos.”
The screen went black.
Deep within a cavern of utter darkness, blood-stained and littered with broken limbs, twisted, grotesque demons slowly emerged from the shadows—screaming in frenzied, mindless rage.
At the far end, on a throne carved with twisted, screaming faces, a Fallen Giant sat—smiling with unnatural delight.
“New boss teaser?”
“Damn, this might be the start of a war with the Deep Abyss Demons.”
“Finally, some fresh content! Old players are crying again.”
“Deep Abyss Demons?”
Stuffed Bun scooped up a spoonful of pickled vegetables, shoveling it into his mouth, eyes glued to the screen.
Suddenly, the screen went black once more—then surged with energy.
The voiceover returned, strong and resolute:
“But a new power is rising. A new era is coming.”
The screen burst back to life.
Dragon Riders soared through the sky—pursuing a squadron of Giant Eagle Knights in a fierce aerial battle.
Stuffed Bun nearly dropped his chopsticks.
“Wait—that’s me? The devs really get me!”
“You will change the world.”
Players unleashed dazzling spells, fired arrows, transformed into brown bears—facing off against an endless array of enemies: human armies, Vampire Offspring, even Dragonized monsters.
Factories rose from the ground.
Steam trains belched white smoke into the sky.
Mechs marched across the earth.
Cannons carved elegant arcs through the air—
all signs of the players’ impact on the world.
“Or perhaps… destroy it.”
From afar, a deep, echoing roar rang out.
The music swelled to epic proportions.
A colossal Red Dragon unfurled its wings, descending slowly—its fiery breath painting the horizon red.
Beneath it, scorched ruins.
Ash swirled through the air—
the very moment from the Tiriel Battle, when Kai Xiusu annihilated tens of thousands of Allied Forces in a single cataclysmic breath.
Ailezegai – Northern Winds and Storms.
The screen froze on the dragon’s fiery breath—golden letters burned into the center:
Ailezegai
The Live Chat erupted once more.
“Massive scene!”
“That dragon is so cool—final boss?”
“Who’s running the home BBQ shop?”
“Brother Kai’s prestige—showing up at the end like a legend!”
“Kingdom of Ashen forever! Destroy the Northern Tyranny! Anzeta belongs to the Kingdom!”
“Haha… Master Kai Xiusu, I’m ready…”
Stuffed Bun finished the last bite of rice, washed it down with a gulp, and wiped his mouth.
He knew what came next.
He had work to do.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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