CHAPTER 42 - NEASJ'S RETURN

Ather's tutorial video for Subnautica had become an instant hit. His walkthrough solved two of the biggest mysteries that players had been obsessing over.

The woman could be saved, and yes, multiplayer mode did exist!

The only problem? Despite being called a tutorial, it was completely unbeatable for the average player!

Joseph immediately realized this. After getting tagged by Aether, he quickly posted a reply.

"Well done! One of my long standing wishes has finally been fulfilled. DM me your account, I'll transfer $10,000 to you as promised. But I gotta complain a little, this is way too hard. Where am I supposed to find two Olympic champions to help me out?!"

Joseph was honestly speechless. He figured he'd just wait for it to unlock naturally over time.

Not a big deal though. The game was that good. He could easily play it six or seven times and still not get bored.

Meanwhile, some non-gaming celebrities to ride the hype also posted their thoughts online, one posted.

"Tried Subnautica today, and I'm completely hooked. I had no idea the game industry had reached this level! Playing felt like a real alien ocean adventure. All I can say is, the Netpack devs are truly something else!"

The moment this post dropped, the comment section exploded with laughter.

"Bro, did you just name drop Netpack? Are you serious?!"

"Those were your go to examples?? HAHAHA."

"I get it now, you're faking, aren't you?"

"This guy doesn't even know basic knowledge!"

He was completely stunned. He was a total gaming noob and only knew of that one company, so he used them to express his admiration for how far the gaming scene had come.

But apparently... he said something very wrong.

Another post, on the other hand, had a different vibe.

"Subnautica blew me away. I really want to meet the game devs and ask how they managed to perfectly simulate the feeling of swimming in the ocean! I'm seriously considering recommending this game to the National Swimming Team!!"

Naturally, people were quick to react.

"YES! Please do!"

"Let the whole team experience the magic of Subnautica!"

"If that happens, wouldn't New World technically be contributing to athletic training?"

"Game devs helping physical sports, that's a new one!"

Tony, who was scrolling through comments on his phone, couldn't help but laugh. He and Natalie were riding home together in a taxi after dinner.

Thinking about it seriously, Subnautica really might help swimmers train. After all, the Cortana's AI system he designed could give highly professional guidance for underwater movement.

He wasn't sure how it compared to the real life coaches of the national team, but still, it made him curious.

Just as he was mulling it over, Natalie suddenly interrupted with a loud noise.

She opened up Twitch.

"What now?" Tony asked, confused.

"I need to see if any other streamers have passed me in progression in Subnautica! If someone's ahead, I'm going to stream all night and take back my top spot!"

She was determined to stay the #1 streamer for the game, only then would she get the most viewers!

Her current progress had reached the point of discovering land, and after browsing the platform quickly, she breathed a sigh of relief.

No other streamer had gotten that far yet.

But then.

"Wait a second! Look at NeasJ! HAHAHAHAHA!"

She suddenly burst out laughing.

Tony frowned. "Stop laughing like that. You sound like a goose."

Natalie glared. "You can insult my personality, but not my voice!!"

She leapt onto him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and refused to let go.

"Okay, okay! I give up! I'm sorry! I apologize!" Tony surrendered, helpless.

Up front, the balding taxi driver saw their antics in the mirror and chuckled quietly, remembering his own youthful days.

After goofing around, Tony rubbed his sore neck. "So what did NeasJ do to make you laugh like that?"

"He didn't do anything," Natalie giggled. "He hasn't even left the Escape Pod! He's still learning to swim!"

Lately, Neasj had been streaming Subnautica almost religiously, starting earlier than usual and going longer too.

Why? Because he'd run into a massive problem.

For him, playing Subnautica felt harder than climbing a mountain.

While most streamers had already learned how to swim and were busy exploring the alien ocean world...

He was still stuck, flailing around under Cortana's gentle guidance, trying to master the most basic mechanics, how to swim.

It was embarrassing. Painfully so. But even more pressing than the shame was the fact that if he didn't pick up the pace, viewers would leave in droves.

After all, who wants to watch a big dude struggling to dog paddle for three straight hours?

That's also why NeasJ had been grinding the game so hard lately.

"Hang in there, 'Your Majesty'. You're just about to get the hang of it."

Even though NeasJ's progress was laughably slow, Cortana's voice remained patient and sweet. Though it should be noted that he shamelessly asked her to call him 'Your Majesty'... and she complied.

After another half hour of splashing and struggle, NeasJ finally managed to stay afloat with some grace. And right on cue, Cortana spoke up.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. You've successfully learned to swim!"

"THANK THE HEAVENS, I FINALLY GOT IT!" NeasJ roared triumphantly, exhaling like he'd just finished a triathlon.

He was even starting to believe what the forums said, that this game could actually help you lose weight.

After catching his breath, he quickly moved on to resource gathering. This part was easy, within minutes, he'd crafted power fins and an underwater booster.

"I gotta pick up the pace," he muttered. "I heard the other streamers Auroras have already exploded. Mine's still completely intact..."

In NeasJ's game, the massive Aurora ship was still whole and undamaged. He hadn't progressed the plot far enough to trigger its detonation. That meant he hadn't seen the classic mid game destruction scene like everyone else.

But then... a devious idea popped into his head.

"Guys... what if I go inside the Aurora? See what's there before it blows up?"

The chat exploded in support.

"DO IT!"

"He's going explorer mode?? Let's goooo!"

"Sneak inside before the devs blow it up. Brilliant!"

"Massive aircraft carrier in a survival game? There's GOTTA be loot!"

"I'm hyped. Get in there before it melts down!"

Other streamers had tried getting close to the Aurora before, but by then, it had already exploded. Radiation levels were off the charts, temperatures near-lethal. Cortana would immediately warn them to retreat or die.

But NeasJ? His Aurora hadn't exploded yet. No radiation. No overheating. This was a rare opportunity to get a peek behind the curtain.

"Never thought slow progress would actually be an advantage!" NeasJ let out a weird snort-laugh, fired up his underwater thruster, and began speeding toward the looming shadow of the Aurora.

At that same moment, Natalie was watching his stream and couldn't help but laugh.

"Wow, he's pretty smart! Taking advantage of the unbroken Aurora to explore it?"

"If I'd thought of that earlier, I would've gone first!"

The Aurora had been looming in players view since the start of the game, huge, ominous, mysterious. Everyone had been curious about it. NeasJ's move? It was sure to draw attention.

"You said he's headed for the Aurora?" Tony asked lazily.

"Yeah," Natalie nodded.

Tony smirked. "Then he's screwed."

"Huh? Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"Ahem," Tony coughed lightly. "Because I put a Leviathan there, not one of those harmless reefback whales."

Tony had long predicted that someone would try to sneak into the Aurora early, so he'd planted a little... surprise. A creature. One of the biggest and most terrifying in the game.

NeasJ was walking right into a trap.

Natalie was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. She playfully slapped Tony on the shoulder.

"Man, you're such a villain!"

Tony shrugged innocently. "Let's light a candle for him."

Meanwhile, NeasJ had no idea he was swimming straight into danger.

According to Cortana, the Aurora was about a thousand meters away. With his underwater booster at full speed, he'd get there in a few minutes.

As the ship grew larger and closer in his vision, NeasJ's anticipation spiked.

From a distance, the Aurora was already awe inspiring. Up close? It was going to be magnificent.

But then-

ROOOOOOAR!!

A deep, bone-chilling roar echoed through the water.

"W-What was that sound?!" NeasJ froze. Panic flooded his voice.

He was hovering just a few meters below the surface, scanning his surroundings. Other than a few small fish and shrimp, he saw nothing.

"You guys heard that too, right?" he asked his chat.

"Heard it loud and clear!"

"That's no reefback. That was... something else."

"That cry just felt dangerous."

"It sounded like a sea demon learning to scream like a banshee!"

"Dude, that shriek gave me PTSD from Silent Hill PT! I nearly flung my headset off!"

"This game was chill until now. I'm scared to blink."

Even the audience was spooked.

At that moment, Cortana's calm voice rang out once more.

"Warning: From current sound analysis, 'Your Majesty', you may have encountered a Carnivorous Leviathan Class Entity. Proceed with extreme caution."

"-_-"

1536 Words.