The reason it felt good was simple.
Zhou Ning in the video was not only handsome, which made players feel a strong sense of immersion, but even during combat, he exuded an aura of calm and composure, every movement incredibly collected, as if everything was under his control.
In short, his 'cool factor' was maxed out.
Although a bit embarrassing, Zhou Ning also found it quite enjoyable to watch.
Try it yourself; secretly watching others praise you is a strange feeling in itself.
The more intense the praise, the stranger the feeling.
Of course, it wasn't just praise; in his previous life, his skill was evident with over 2000 arena battles in "Apocalypse" and an 89% win rate. Can that be called mere praise?
The video continued to play.
In the video, a furious Marien took a deep breath, about to unleash her ultimate move.
Players watching the video held their breath for Zhou Ning.
But their worries were clearly unnecessary; Zhou Ning in the video didn't hesitate, charging forward and narrowly dodging Marien's ultimate move, "Banshee's Wail." Instead, it was the Curse God Cult members attacking him who suffered the consequences.
Immediately after, facing Marien who lunged at him, Zhou Ning nonchalantly drew his gun and fired. When the bullets ran out, a shotgun suddenly appeared in his hand, and he fired three shots, killing Marien.
The scene was incredibly impactful.
At this point, the video was nearing its end.
When Marien collapsed, transforming into countless small spiders, the bullet comments exploded again.
"Damn it, he showed off again!"
"He really does show off, but he's also really handsome!"
"He's just too good..."
"With such a high 'cool factor' and being so handsome, surely no one thinks he's not the protagonist, right? No way? No way?"
"Upstairs, everything in 'Apocalypse' is generated by the optical brain, including this video. Theoretically, there's no such thing as a protagonist."
"If not a protagonist, he's at least a child of the plane! Saying he's the protagonist isn't a problem, right!"
The screen flashed again.
The familiar scene of the entrance to Vik University appeared once more for Zhou Ning.
A black-haired teenager, dressed like a freshman and with a scar on his face, raised both hands, fists clenched: "I am the man who will be the weather child!"
His name also popped up above his head: Apprentice Alchemist Leandro de Pesa.
The screen jumped again.
A girl with orange-red hair, an impressive figure, and wearing patched clothes was setting up a street stall, hawking goods to passersby. Facing a request for a lower price, she smiled and said: "My Clan Training is fair trade, haggling over every penny. You won't earn an extra currency from me."
Her name also popped up above her head: Apprentice Swordsman/Merchant: Chris Bradenreiser.
Then, the screen was flooded with bullet comments saying "Wife."
The screen flashed again.
In the boundless darkness, a book lay open. No one was turning its pages, yet they flipped automatically, rustling.
It was filled with densely packed names.
A moment later, it settled on one page, and the flipping stopped abruptly.
The first name on it was — Wayne Strowell.
The screen went black, and the video ended.
Zhou Ning:...Ending it here is really frustrating!
He was very curious about what this book actually was; it vaguely gave him a very ominous feeling. But the optical brain, when editing the video, deliberately cut it off here, which was truly awful behavior.
As for the two people before, they were very familiar, and their lines were so chuunibyou that they made him cringe.
In the original "Apocalypse" game, this chuunibyou boy was the child of the plane of the "Apocalypse" game, Leandro de Pesa, a genius Alchemist and a clumsy Meteorologist. And this chuunibyou girl was also half a child of the plane, named Chris Bradenreiser. She was quite cute and had a large chest. In his previous life, she was even called 'wife' by many, and related doujinshi once sold out.
There's a saying: the doujinshi section can't be without Chris, just like instant noodles can't be without a seasoning packet.
He recalled that both of them were freshmen enrolling this year, and classes were starting in a few days. He should make time to meet them and see if he could piggyback on their popularity.
Wait... this time, he was in the video with these two Children of the World, and his segment was clearly longer than theirs combined. It seemed he was getting protagonist treatment. They should be piggybacking on his popularity instead.
If he didn't know "Apocalypse" had no protagonist, he might have actually believed it.
Zhou Ning took a deep breath and scrolled down to the comment section.
The video had just been released, and many people had probably just finished watching it, but in a flash, many comments had appeared.
"Calm, intelligent, handsome, powerful... a standard protagonist template. I'm very optimistic about this person."
"I'm also optimistic. I'll follow him when the test starts."
"This promotional video is good, but can't it be longer?"
"Am I the only one who thinks that Leandro is the protagonist? Chuunibyou, black hair, a scar—a standard hot-blooded shonen protagonist."
"Everyone's talking about the closed beta, when does it start? I'm so impatient!!!"
Looking at the flood of comments, about half of the people thought he was the predetermined protagonist of the "Apocalypse" game.
To be honest, it was a pleasant surprise.
As a player himself, he knew how strong players could be. If he could gain more prestige within the player community and use it well, it would definitely help him thrive in the game.
As for the plot... who cares? It shouldn't change much. The plot of the first expansion pack in his previous life revolved around the ancient god Nyastora from the underground. A slight alteration, such as changing the protagonist, would be completely harmless.
[Ding! It has been detected that you have had a significant impact on the world of "Apocalypse." You have received a reward of 1 random skill point.]
Zhou Ning:...He had just thought of the transmigration simulator, and then suddenly received such a surprise.
Random skill point +1!
Zhou Ning's eyes welled up.
How touching! Such games that give a random skill point at the drop of a hat are truly rare. Is this the legendary benevolent game?
It turned out that not only did he get rewards for influencing the simulated world, but he also got rewards for influencing the game world... After a day of anxiety, he had originally planned to rest early, but with this, Zhou Ning was no longer sleepy.
Transmigrate!
[Preparing for transmigration... Transmigration Coin -1]
[You have been matched to a parallel self...]
[Do you wish to spend another transmigration coin to re-match talents?]
No longer like before, Zhou Ning, who was now wealthy, unhesitatingly chose yes.
[Please select three talents from the following ten as matching conditions.]
[1. Athletic Genius (Blue): Your athletic ability is exceptionally outstanding.]
[2. Sly Grin Dragon King (Purple): Every time you smile with a sly grin, things become simple. Just do it, NIKE.]
[3. Zidane (Purple): You possess ball skills as awesome as Zidane's, but as a cost, your hairstyle is exactly like his at 35.]
[4. Tony Stark (Purple): Like Iron Man, you are a typical playboy, a bit sharp-tongued but clever and witty, and also a Research Genius. Although not as powerful as him, you are not far off.]
[5. Cross-Species Love (White): You are naturally a furry fan and particularly loved Tauren when playing world of warcraft.]
[6. Back Like a Sail (White): Your back muscles are exceptionally developed.]
[7. Tai Chi Master (White): Your Tai Chi mastery has reached perfection. Oh, this refers to practicing Tai Chi, the kind where you engage in verbal sparring.]
[8. Forty and Unperplexed (Green): You will become even smarter by the age of forty.]
[9. Mechanical Ascension (Purple): Flesh is weak, Mechanical Ascension. Note: You may find that this world does not have the parts you desire.]
[10. Honest and Reliable (Green): You never lie.]
[Please choose!]