Chapter 255: The Second Episode of Apocalypse Forecast (Part 2)
"Wait, I actually came in first?"
Seeing this, Zhou Ning couldn't help being shocked. These goofy players really were fearless out of sheer ignorance. They didn't seem to realize that every church in the Apocalypse world—even the royal families of various nations—possessed their own hidden heritage, with several top-tier combatants lurking in the shadows. And even putting those people aside, the Ascetic Church's High Pontiff, Stuart Crow, was definitely not someone he could casually provoke.
For anyone whose mental strength was suppressed by him, Stuart Crow's Great Prophecy and Truth-telling were practically a guaranteed win.
Although he felt both surprised and a bit embarrassed about being ranked number one, Zhou Ning couldn't deny that watching the video left him rather pleased.
The director of this show really knew how to put on a spectacle—his five greatest highlight moments were all shown in full.
The fifth highlight was the scene in West Lin Town when he unleashed the full power of his clan's teachings, activating Conqueror's Haki. At the time, the hem of his black trench coat was whipped wildly by the wind and snow as he advanced step by step. Every ice-snow insect within his path exploded in unison, the sheer visual impact overwhelming. Even Zhou Ning himself thought he looked cool.
The fourth highlight came from a submission by "Qingbai Wild Sake"—the duel where he and Leandro went after each other's vital spots. With textbook-perfect maneuvers, he played Leandro into the palm of his hand, and in the end, without losing even a sliver of health, he strolled casually forward to claim victory.
The third highlight showed his projection inside a dungeon. There, he was riding Slifer the Sky Dragon, launching hundreds of thunderbolts that effortlessly annihilated every monster—and every player—inside the instance. That scene had since become a lingering nightmare for anyone attempting to clear Gnomeregan.
The second highlight came from the recently concluded battle at the Austin Manor. Several enemy players had recorded him summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Under the blessing of his clan's teachings, his performance was overwhelming, showcasing powers he had never revealed before. He thoroughly crushed Harrison Rivers and Professor Bislok, looking explosively strong from the players' perspective.
The best highlight, however, came from episode six of the series—his battle between the Weather Tide and Archibald. Facing Archibald, who looked every bit the demon lord, Zhou Ning not only pummeled him with a barrage of fists until he was completely defeated, but when he finally burst out of the temple, he encountered a walrus-man blocking his path. With just a slight sway of his trench coat, he clenched his fist, delivered one serious punch, and instantly obliterated the opponent's health bar. One punch—total annihilation. This string of battles was even hailed as one of the greatest fight videos in gaming history.
At the end of the video, Apocalypse Forecast also compiled what players had heard from NPCs about Wayne Sturwell. Thanks to his +3 Legendary reputation, his name spread through countless mouths—bartenders, mercenaries, coachmen, passersby. Everyone was telling his story. As the background music softened, the final shot lingered on a bartender chatting casually with players in-game:
"Have you heard of Wayne Sturwell? He's a big deal, a true legend. Want to try the drink he once had?"
The subtitle zoomed in, froze, and the BGM cut off abruptly.
The live comments exploded. Viewers went wild, spamming 666 nonstop to vent their excitement.
Zhou Ning: …
As an onlooker, he had to admit—the editing had a certain flair. For a brief moment, even he felt dazed, wondering if he really was that strong.
There was a saying in his past life: if you only watch highlight reels, any pro player looks unbeatable. Right now, that was exactly how Zhou Ning felt.
Behind Zhou Ning, the Ascetic Church's High Pontiff Stuart was ranked second; Archibald was third; an unknown cultist came in fourth. In Zhou Ning's eyes, while players had made great progress, their standards for judging strength still mostly boiled down to whether someone's visuals looked flashy and their moves stylish. Not reliable at all.
According to the show's routine, the next segment covered the moves of pro guilds and esports players.
After some interaction with the pros present, the chubby host read from his script:
"Since the public beta launched a month ago, the world's most famous esports clubs have basically all joined Apocalypse. Not just the big clubs like Star Moon, Deep Blue, and Rookie, but even many of the esports clubs once active in Journey have switched over. According to the Global Esports Federation (GEF), the first Apocalypse Pro League will kick off in one month. At that time, clubs and pro players worldwide will join the competition. Sunken Star Beneath the Water, what's your take on this?"
"No particular opinion. At Star Moon, we always aim for first place," Sunken Star Beneath the Water replied with a smile. "And I'll officially be going pro, competing in this league. Hopefully, I won't embarrass myself."
Sunken Star Beneath the Water' real name was Chen Xing, a figure much like Wang Sicong in Zhou Ning's past life—a textbook "national husband." The host's announcement of the league left players thrilled, and Chen Xing's statement sent the live chat into overdrive. Zhou Ning kept spotting comments like "Hubby is so handsome" and "Hubby's awesome."
Besides Sunken Star Beneath the Water, other pro players also shared their thoughts on the upcoming league. Even XB—who had been ignored for the whole show—said he might enter the world championship prelims as an independent player, aiming to break through from the open qualifiers.
"Domestic pro clubs are raring to go, but overseas teams are no slouches either. America's Gunfire Club with the legendary August, France's Oasis Club, and Japan's Pirate Club are all favorites to win this Pro League."
"As for pro players, the top domestic spot still belongs to Deep Blue's female player Jinse. She was the first to reach level 10, the first to hit level 20, leaving her milestones across Apocalypse. Congratulations, Jinse!"
"Ranked second is another Deep Blue player, Wrath of Thunder-Chasing Winds. Like Sunken Star Beneath the Water, he spent a fortune to buy a Devil Fruit from the game's protagonist Wayne Sturwell, awakening the ability to transform into a spotted dog. Together with Sunken Star Beneath the Water—who can transform into a jackal—they form the 'Wolf-Dog Duo.' So, Sunken Star Beneath the Water, which of your fruits do you think is stronger?"
"About the same," Chen Xing answered with a smile.
"Our national husband is modest as ever," the host chuckled. "As for overseas players, we don't have much intel yet. Aside from August, who switched to the rare Lightning Mage class through a hidden quest and holds the number one spot, there's Oasis Club's great Alex. He received a hidden quest on day one and switched to Warrior, gaining a powerful specialty. Reportedly, his strength is tremendous."
"They'll be the toughest opponents Chinese players face in this Pro League, so please take note."
"As per last season's tradition, next up are the Top 10 Unlucky Players and Top 10 Lucky Players… but first, a quick commercial break…"
…
After watching the show, Zhou Ning's first impression was that his screentime had increased a lot. Compared to the first Apocalypse Forecast, this episode was practically his personal showcase. Not only was he ranked number one across every NPC leaderboard, but all of China's top five pro players had direct ties to him. The absurdity was off the charts.
And with the Pro League about to form, all the big clubs would soon start an arms race. Which meant… business for him was only going to get better.