It was another bright, sunny day.
Inside MiHoYo, Xia Wen was supervising the filming on set.
The current progress had already reached the most critical phase, the 3.4 Trailblaze Mission, "For the Sun is Set to Die".
Because the budget was practically unlimited, Xia Wen pursued perfection. Any part where the performance felt even slightly lacking, he reshot.
Basically, if it could be filmed, it was filmed. This was absolutely the biggest initial highlight of the entire "Amphoreus" arc.
The actors were, of course, more than up to the task. Their on-screen performance was flawless.
It was just that, perhaps because he was too immersed, Phainon took a long time each time to pull himself back out of the role.
"Cut!"
"Perfect!"
"Perfect!!"
After several scenes wrapped up, Furina jumped down from her little stool. Reca followed behind her, eyes burning as he stared at the actors on set, his voice rising and falling excitedly as he shouted "Perfect."
The staff began moving around, adjusting equipment while quietly exchanging remarks about how shocking that scene had been.
However. At the very center of the set, Phainon was still standing there, completely motionless.
His head was slightly lowered, his bangs covering his eyes. His chest was still heaving violently from the intense emotional outburst just moments ago.
"Phainon? Are you okay?"
A few people noticed his condition. Aglaea frowned slightly and walked over together with Cyrene.
Hearing their voices, Phainon slowly and dazedly lifted his head. His eyes were unfocused.
The anger and despair from the scene still lingered in his gaze, along with that tearing sense of helplessness.
"I'm… fine…" He squeezed out a few words from his throat. "Sister Aglaea, I'm fine, I just… haven't quite adjusted yet."
It was more than just not adjusting yet. Every line he delivered, every look, every futile struggle and burst of rage during filming, it was as if he had merged with that version of himself who had lived through more than thirty million lifetimes.
Everything that script-Phainon went through, the collapse of his faith, the loss of close friends, that despair of knowing things were hopeless yet still being unable to stop events from sliding into the abyss, those emotions.
They were exactly the same as what he had felt in reality, when he witnessed the Okhema Theater being forced into a corner by Cinnati.
No, this was even more terrifying.
So Phainon didn't need any acting tricks at all; he could naturally slip into the role.
In reality, at least there had been companions, at least there had been a final turning point, they had waited for dawn at MiHoYo.
But what about Phainon of Amphoreus? At that moment, he had only himself.
The two sensations echoed in Phainon's mind. They were so real that for several moments, when the camera was pointed at him, he couldn't even tell whether he was the actor Phainon or the Phainon inside the script.
At the same time, a question quietly arose in his heart.
"If… if I really were him…"
"Could I hold on? Would I collapse in the very first cycle?"
"When I saw that nothing could be done, would I just give up all hope?"
That question pressed heavily on Phainon's chest. But then, a firm voice slowly rose from deep within him.
'I would.'
Yes. He would. Just like in reality, he had never given up on the Okhema Theater, never given up on his companions, and in the end, he had waited for the light.
The reason the Phainon in the play had to be "Phainon" was precisely because he carried the same values.
That goodness, simple and unadorned, born from his companions, and from the deepest part of his heart.
Anger would not destroy him. It would only temper him.
"I have to play him well." Phainon's eyes grew firm. Though he was still a little too deep in the role, he stood up, grabbed a bottle of water, and drained it in one go.
The confusion in his heart was swept away, replaced by a clearer, yet more stubborn kind of resolve.
In that moment, he looked exactly like the Phainon who had lived through thirty million lifetimes.
"Because I believe in him, just like I believe in myself." When Aglaea saw that Phainon had finally pulled himself together, a smile appeared on her face.
"Rest for a while. I'll tell Furina to adjust the schedule and give you a bit more time," Aglaea said gently.
This time, Phainon didn't refuse. He nodded and stayed seated, continuing to let his emotions settle.
...
While everyone was tensely shooting, Xia Wen received a message from Sparkle.
Sparkle, who was a member of the online troll group as an undercover, really did serve a special purpose. Because whenever Cinnati or his backers had any plans, they would notify these troll groups in advance and arrange for them to cooperate in stirring things up.
And thanks to Sparkle's earlier involvement in forming the Anti-MiHoYo Alliance, she had become one of the people who got notified ahead of time.
"So this was what the so-called "inside information" that they bragged about really meant."
"Interesting. They rushed out the first preview episode?"
"And it's a full half month earlier than the publicized release date."
"Trying to catch us off guard?" Xia Wen looked at the information Sparkle had sent on his phone, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
The original release time for the Olympus series had been scheduled for after the next episode of Amphoreus aired.
But they had finished producing the final cut early. And were releasing it half a month ahead of schedule.
The advantage of doing this was obvious. They could ride the current wave of public opinion, grab more traffic and attention, and apply extra pressure on Amphoreus.
If this were any other company, they would probably be panicking right now. They might even change their original broadcast plan, rush their own content out early to clash head-on.
Or be forced to respond, getting dragged into a tough public-opinion battle online. But not only was Xia Wen not panicking, he was actually in the mood to watch Olympus's first episode.
"Stick to the plan. Continue filming as usual." Xia Wen relayed the order to the company.
...
That afternoon.
The news that Olympus's first episode had been released early exploded across the net like a heavy bomb.
Paired with the hype from the troll groups, the momentum was overwhelming.
Everyone was waiting for MiHoYo's response.
After all, this was the first contender that could truly go head-to-head with Honkai: Star Rail in terms of scale and resources.
All the major social media platforms surged like sharks that had smelled blood.
"MiHoYo Faces Its Strongest Challenger Yet, Can the 'Amphoreus' Myth Continue?"
"Pressure Shifts to MiHoYo: A Hasty Counterattack, or Steadfast Patience?"
"'Olympus' Strikes Early, The Streaming will be a Decisive Battle"
"Olympus Sets Sail, Will MiHoYo's Rail Be Destroyed?!"
Headlines sprang up everywhere.
Under the enormous spotlight of attention fans also expressed their support through every possible channel. And the trolls jeered wildly.
...
: This is really disgusting. They keep forcing the comparison every day, rubbing it in until people are about to lose it!
: Don't rush it. Let the bullets fly a little longer. Trust Director Xia. Trust MiHoYo's quality.
: Something released half a month early, can its quality really be any good?
: Probably afraid that once the next episode comes out, they won't have any chance to piggyback anymore, right?
: Support Amphoreus.
...
Most of the audience didn't actually have a problem with the work itself.
What they were unhappy about were the publicity tactics and the forced comparisons meant to drag others down.
If they hadn't used this kind of black-and-red hype to leech off attention, the audience might even have watched both Olympus and Honkai: Star Rail together.
There was no real conflict. TV series are just like dishes on a table. What diner would complain that there are too many good dishes to eat?
And after these supporters spoke up, the troll army arrived right on schedule. Punctual to the extreme.
...
: Let me show you what real strength looks like!
: Feels like Honkai: Star Rail is going to be completely crushed by Amphoreus. Why did they have to mess with that Greek culture stuff anyway?
: The betting's open, the betting's open. Will Olympus's first episode break viewing records?!
: Estimated global streaming data, soaring straight through the roof.
: MiHoYo isn't saying a word. They must be scared. Internally they're probably panicking to death right now, hahaha.
...
These people had fallen into a carnival-like frenzy. MiHoYo's silence was interpreted as guilt and cowardice.
All kinds of mockery and doomsaying poured out nonstop. Claims that victory was already within grasp filled online communities.
...
On the other side of the globe.
Herdo stared smugly at the popularity curve on the screen.
Topics related to Olympus were skyrocketing, almost about to hit their peak period. This publicity war was working absurdly well.
At the same time, it once again proved to the world their control over media.
Public opinion was moving exactly as they had predicted. Voices supporting Olympus were deafening across the internet.
Neutrals were curious and browsing the official site. And MiHoYo's fans? They had already fallen into a passive position.
The only pity was that MiHoYo hadn't made any public response at all, contrary to Herdo's expectations.
At the final stage of the plan, MiHoYo was supposed to respond, then fall into the trap, to be torn apart by the media that had long been prepared, dragged into a storm of smear.
It was a pity. But not a big problem.
Herdo smiled faintly, his eyes icy cold.
As long as MiHoYo was crushed, it would send a signal to all cultural creators around the world:
Don't even think about challenging the right to define cultural narratives.
Just as Herdo was savoring his emotions, his phone suddenly rang.
It was Cinnati. The moment the call connected, Cinnati's excited voice came through.
"Mr. Herdo!"
"Public opinion on the Greek side has been completely guided now. A lot of people are saying this is the culture that truly belongs to us."
"Mr. Herdo, I can't wait to watch the first episode of Olympus!"
Hearing this, Herdo also laughed and said in a good mood, "Of course, Cinnati. We'll use our highest-spec episode to secure victory, and let global audiences see with their own eyes what the most orthodox, most legitimate narrative really looks like."
Their voices echoed back and forth through the phone line.
And on the other side of the storm, MiHoYo remained as quiet as ever.
Xia Wen merely glanced at the push notifications and casually sent out a group message.
"Do whatever you were doing."
"And if you really have time to spare, you can also watch Olympus, just treat it as …studying some experience that's destined to fail, so we can take it as a warning."
...
Ten o'clock.
Arrived right on time.
The first episode of Olympus went online simultaneously across platforms worldwide.
The promotional resources were maxed out, huge homepage banners, opening-screen ad bombardments.
Countless people, whether expectant, skeptical, or just there for the spectacle, all clicked the play button at the same time.
The first episode of Olympus was exactly as advertised.
It focused on creating a sharp contrast with the first episode of Amphoreus. It jumped straight into those so-called classic stories, stacking spectacle to overwhelm the audience.
The episode length was about half that of Amphoreus.
In total, it told three stories.
The Fire Thief - Prometheus.
Agamemnon.
The Trojan War.
To be honest, Xia Wen started feeling sleepy while watching.
The production quality was indeed very good, but the rhythm felt oddly off. And then there was that damn 'quality' changes.
The utterly foul goddess portrayals. And the heavy-handed, preachy tone of the stories.
Xia Wen really couldn't take it anymore. When the people at Okhema were watching, their blood pressure was also shooting up rapidly.
The tragic grandeur of Prometheus was simplified into a visual spectacle filled with explosions and slow motion.
The spirit of resistance was completely rewritten as mere rebellion against authority, namely Zeus.
The entire story stood from a condescending, superior viewpoint, making people feel deeply uncomfortable.
Next came Agamemnon, which should have been about patriarchy, fate, and the tearing apart of human nature.
Instead, it was turned entirely into a feminist carnival.
The screenwriters forcibly stuffed in a ton of 'free' plotlines, turning the affair between Agamemnon and Cassandra some giant family soap opera about ethics.
Oh right. Zeus' skin color was actually dark.
When Aglaea saw this scene, she was so furious she actually laughed.
As for the Trojan War? She couldn't continue watching anymore.
In the screening room, Phainon crushed a soda can in his fist.
He was truly disgusted to the core.
"This isn't adaptation. This is outright tampering!" Anaxagoras's face was livid.
While everyone was furious, Xia Wen instead stroked his chin and said calmly, "This is a good thing, everyone."
"Especially the story of Prometheus. We have gotten a good opportunity."
At this point, Xia Wen looked at Phainon.
"The Flame Thief, Prometheus? No, in a little while, the name 'Fire Thief' will be linked to another name instead."
Phainon suddenly realized something.
"That's right. It's time to let everyone know the name of another Fire Thief as well."
"Khaslana."