The hum came first.
Not from the game, from the room.
A low, uneven buzz from a cheap standing fan that rotated just enough to pretend it was useful, pushing warm air in slow, tired circles. The blades clicked every few turns like they were considering giving up.
On the desk, crowded, sticky, barely visible beneath cables, three empty cans leaned against each other like conspirators. A fourth sat open, half-finished, sweating into a ring that had long since stopped pretending it could be wiped clean.
The monitor cut through everything.
Neon light spilled across Elric's face, pink, blue, electric gold, flickering fast enough to make the shadows in the room feel like they were breathing.
He didn't blink.
"Okay," Elric muttered, leaning forward, elbows on the desk, controller resting loosely in his hands. "Okay, okay, no way that works again. There's no way."
On screen, a heavily augmented enemy paced near a barricade, rifle scanning left to right. HUD elements pulsed faintly health, ammo, minimap all the usual noise.
Elric tilted his head slightly.
"Two percent crit chance," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Gun's trash. Build's worse. Situation? Terrible."
He pressed a button.
His character stepped out of cover.
Immediately, gunfire erupted sharp, metallic, loud enough that the cheap speakers crackled in protest.
Elric didn't move back.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, shoot me," he said calmly, thumb barely adjusting the aim. "Go on. Commit."
A bullet whizzed past.
Another.
Another...
Then...
A single shot from Elric's weapon.
The enemy froze mid-step.
Collapsed.
Headshot.
Silence.
Elric stared at the screen for half a second.
Then leaned back slowly in his chair, which creaked like it had opinions about this.
"…That's what I'm talking about."
He cracked his neck to the side, then the other.
"No strategy," he continued, gesturing vaguely at the screen like someone was arguing with him. "No planning. Just vibes. You see the opportunity, you disrespect probability, and you take it."
He pointed at the screen.
"That's a two percent chance. That's not luck that's commitment."
The fan clicked again behind him.
Elric reached blindly for the can on his desk, found it, took a sip grimaced.
"Warm," he said. "Perfect."
Back to the game.
His character moved forward, stepping over the downed enemy.
The environment glowed, wet pavement reflecting neon signage, distant chatter layered with synthetic music, the whole world alive in that exaggerated, almost-too-polished way.
Elric's eyes tracked everything.
Loot icon.
Doorway.
Camera angle.
"…Alright," he said, leaning in again. "Next section's probably scripted. Ambush, maybe two from the left, one heavy"
He stopped.
The NPC near the alley entrance… wasn't moving.
Not idle.
Not looping.
Just… standing there.
Elric squinted.
"…Okay."
He nudged the stick slightly.
Camera zoomed in a bit.
The NPC's head… twitched.
Once.
Then reset.
Then twitched again, but not the same way.
Elric blinked.
"…Huh."
He tilted his head.
"New animation?"
No response.
The NPC remained still.
Too still.
Elric exhaled through his nose.
"Alright. Buggy. Fine. Bethesda energy. We move."
He pushed forward.
The moment his character crossed an invisible line...
The NPC snapped into motion.
Too fast.
Turning.
Walking away.
Not reacting.
Not acknowledging.
Just… leaving.
Elric frowned slightly.
"…Okay, that was weird."
He adjusted his grip on the controller.
Then shrugged.
"Whatever. Still playable."
A beat.
Then, under his breath...
"…kinda cool, actually."
His character approached a door.
Prompt appeared.
[OPEN]
Elric hovered over the button.
"Alright," he said softly. "One more mission."
He pressed it.