Liam Crest had never been good at following rules.
That included the unspoken ones—like don't taunt the monsters or maybe don't livestream your own near-death experiences for alien amusement. But here he was, standing atop a rusted car in the middle of a ruined intersection, waving his arms like a madman while a pack of snarling, six-legged jaguar-things circled below.
"Come on, you ugly mutts!" Liam yelled, grinning as his drone camera buzzed around him, capturing every angle. "You call that an apocalypse? My grandma's cat fights harder than this!"
Aria Thorn was going to kill him.
She lurked in the shadows of a collapsed storefront, her grip white-knuckled around her collapsible staff. Her ice-blue eyes tracked the creatures—Tunnel Crawlers, according to Liam's glitched system—as they snapped their bone-scythe forelimbs, saliva dripping in thick ropes.
This idiot is going to get himself eaten on camera. Rita thought.
[Current Audience: 7]
The number ticked up.
Liam's grin widened. "That's right, folks! Seven whole viewers! Let's give 'em a show!" He leapt off the car, rolling just as a Crawler lunged. His new [Flash Step] skill flared— and he reappeared five meters away, barely avoiding decapitation.
"Whoo! That was close!" He laughed, breathless. "Alright, chat, let's see some engagement! Drop a 'Liam' in the comments if you think I'm gonna make it!"
Aria's eye twitched.
The fight was chaos.
Liam darted between the Crawlers, using [Flash Step] to stay just out of reach, narrating the whole thing like a deranged sports commentator.
"And here we see the classic pincer maneuver—oh! Oh! Big guy coming in from the left—Aria, honey, a little help?!"
Aria moved like a shadow given form. Her staff blurred, cracking against chitinous hides. One Crawler screeched as she drove the pointed end through its eye socket. Black ichor sprayed.
Liam whooped. "Ladies and gentlemen, that is how you clear a wave! Aria Thorn, everyone—give her a follow, she's murder on legs!"
Aria yanked her weapon free, scowling. "Shut. Up."
[Fan Gift Incoming!]
A small, glowing orb materialized mid-air. Liam snatched it before Aria could protest.
[Item Acquired: Minor Healing Potion x3]
[Description: Restores minor wounds. Tastes like regret and cherry cough syrup.]
Liam uncorked one, downing it in a gulp. "Bleh. Tastes like my ex's perfume."
Aria stared. "You're rewarding this?"
Liam wiped his mouth. "Entertainment value, baby. The Astrals love a good underdog story."
A distant roar echoed through the ruins.
Aria's grip tightened. "We're leaving."
Liam's drone panned toward the sound. "Uh. Yeah. That sounds like a boss."
[Audience: 12]
A new message flickered in Liam's vision:
[Anonymous Viewer: More. Fight the Alpha.]
Liam's blood ran cold.
Aria was already moving, dragging him toward an alley. "Run. Now."
The Alpha was the size of a truck.
It burst through a crumbling wall, its carapace gleaming like oil-slick metal. Six glowing eyes locked onto them.
Aria cursed. "We can't take that."
Liam's drone hovered, recording.
[Audience: 20]
[Anonymous Viewer: Kill it. We'll gift you well.]
Liam swallowed. "Well. Chat says we gotta."
Aria looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "You're listening to them now?!"
Liam activated [Flash Step], reappearing on a fire escape. Aria, trust me!"
She didn't. But she also didn't leave.
The Alpha charged.
What followed was less a fight and more a desperate ballet of near-misses and screaming. Liam baited it, using [Flash Step] to stay barely ahead of snapping jaws. Aria struck when she could, her staff leaving shallow cracks in its armor.
It wasn't enough.
The Alpha swiped, sending Aria crashing into a wall. She gasped, blood trickling from her lip.
Liam's stomach dropped. "Aria!"
[Anonymous Viewer: Finish it. Or she dies.]
Rage burned through him.
"Fine." Liam bared his teeth at the camera. "You want a show? HERE'S YOUR DAMN SHOW!"
He sprinted toward the Alpha, leaping at the last second— and flash stepped inside its gaping maw.
The world narrowed to teeth, heat, and the stench of rotting meat. Liam shoved his last healing potion down its throat.
The Alpha choked.
Its body convulsed, acid and potion mixing in its gullet. Liam barely rolled free before it exploded, ichor raining down like tar.
Silence.
Then.
[Fan Gift: Barrier Pulse (B Rank) Acquired!]
Aria limped over, staring at the remains. "...What the hell was that?"
Liam grinned weakly. "Improvised bomb."
[Audience: 50]
[Anonymous Viewer: *Well played.]
Aria grabbed his collar. "Never. Do that. Again."
Liam's smile didn't reach his eyes. "No promises."
That night, as they huddled in a looted convenience store, Liam checked his stats:
[Skills: Cameraman Never Dies (Unique), Flash Step (D), Barrier Pulse (B)]
[Audience: 53]
[Fan Gifts: 4]
Aria sharpened her staff with a scavenged knife. "They're toying with us."
Liam didn't deny it. "Yeah. But toys can be useful."
A new message appeared:
[New Sponsor: Survive the Haunted Hospital. Reward: A-Rank Skill.]
Aria's knife stilled. "Don't even think about it."
Liam met her gaze. "We need every advantage we can get."
Outside, something howled.
The camera light blinked on.
[Live Stream: Active]