Chapter 1
The night had fallen, a blanket of stars twinkling above Havenwood like a protective veil, just out of reach. In one of the city's vintage buildings, the clear voice of a young man resonated through his headset, tinged with a hint of nervousness. “It’s almost certain they’re fully stacked over there. One behind the tree, two behind the rock, and a sniper lurking at the edge of the poison zone.” This young man was Gideon Blackwood, a top-ten streamer in the MelonWatch Network’s PUBG division. With sharp skills and an engaging style, he had skyrocketed from zero followers to over a million—and now he was gunning for the platform's top streamer, Sylas Thorn. In the heat of an intense match, Gideon was engaged in a squad battle, unaware he had drawn a partner notorious for loot-grabbing. And just as the game heated up, this partner switched gears and proposed to him. *Author's notes say this is a product conceived when the sugar jar tipped over—sweet from beginning to end. Health warning: May induce a sugar rush.* *Early in the story: daily streams mixed with love interests; later on (definitely) diving into the entertainment industry.* *Just hitting it big: the mysterious idol vs. the debt-ridden streamer.* **Content Tags**: Entertainment industry, competitive gaming, streaming **Search Keywords**: Protagonists: Gideon Blackwood, Sylas Thorn; Side Characters: “After the Book, I’m Forced to Pay Off My Crush” seeking prequels; Others: **Brief Synopsis**: One look at Lord Morgan changed everything. --- The fading daylight left a heavy air in Gideon's chamber, the atmosphere thick with tension as the final circle of the game approached. The screen displayed a stark reality: 6 players remaining out of 97, with only Gideon and one teammate left against a full squad of four. Gideon felt the pressure mounting. The enemy sniper aimed with deadly precision, narrowly missing him moments before. With each heartbeat, he knew he had to make a bold move to regain control. He had to act before the next bullet sent him back to the respawn screen. His health bar shrank to a pinkish hue, but he didn’t waste precious time using a health pack. Daring not to show his hand, he steadied his breath, concealing himself behind a rock, his trusted Kar98k rifle gripped tightly. This weapon was his second skin—powerful enough to drop anyone wearing a level three helmet with one shot. With calculated certainty, he rose and fired, the gun sounding with a deep thud that echoed in the virtual space. The on-screen message confirmed his kill: **You have headshot onfire1993 with your Kar98k.** The chat exploded with enthusiasm. "6666!" they roared, a slang for great play. Gideon's tension eased as he chuckled, “Alright, their sniper’s out. Let me just bandage up.” With the most dangerous foe neutralized, Gideon took a moment to strategize, scanning his surroundings. The toxic area wouldn’t shrink any further for now, but the opposing team kept firing shots that ricocheted against the rocks and kicked up dust around him. “Hey Number Two, do you still have any smoke grenades? Toss me one,” Gideon asked, flipping through his supplies. Number Two didn’t respond verbally but tossed eleven grenades onto the ground. Gideon picked them up, a smirk on his face, “Alright, that’s more than enough; I appreciate it.” Just then, the usually quiet teammate piped up, “I’ve got five frag grenades if you want them!” Gideon paused, feeling a rush of excitement. “Whoa, is that Lady Eliza?” The chat buzzed with recognition of their teammate. “The Lady Eliza, I want!” the fans chimed in. “You can keep those, I’ve got enough,” Gideon replied playfully, trying to keep the mood light. “Thanks for the smoke, though!” Caught off guard, Lady Eliza faltered before replying softly, “...You’re welcome.” The chat lit up, buzzing with mock envy over the female presence in their gaming squad. “Today, nine out of ten matches had a girl in them! What’s the charm of Lord Morgan?” one user lamented. “Why are all the guys I play with total brutes?” another user pouted. Gideon, focused on the game, turned back to Number Two. “When I go for the rush, you need to draw their fire, okay?” “Got it!” Lady Eliza agreed, and Gideon felt a wave of reassurance wash over him. “Just remember, when I rush out, throw the grenades near that tree on the left to divert them,” Gideon instructed, his fingers dancing over the keyboard. “Okay~” she replied, adorably clueless. Gideon couldn’t shake a feeling of nervous trust in her readiness. With the clock ticking down, he reassured her a few times before he prepared for his move. He tossed six frags and two smoke bombs in a calculated flurry. The result erupted on screen, and the kill count climbed as the chaotic turmoil of gaming played out. The stage was set, and Gideon felt his heart race as he pushed forward, a wave of excitement rushing in. With his teammates by his side, he aimed to conquer both the game and the unexpected emotional rollercoaster that lay ahead.
Chapter 2
**"You killed Skr with a fragmentation grenade."** **"You killed Win_Ner1234 with a fragmentation grenade."** In that split second, Gideon Blackwood had shifted positions under the cover of a smoke grenade, swiftly attacking the man hiding behind a tree from his flank. It seemed that man was prepared, as he fired back the moment Gideon charged out. The gunfire echoed, the sounds of bullets ripping through the air, with both sides spraying green blood across the screen as it trembled violently. Lady Eliza appeared frozen in shock. Gideon quickly urged her, "Lady Eliza, throw the grenade!" She jolted back to reality. "Oh! Right!" A grenade landed at Gideon's feet, still smoking. Gideon shook his head, muttering silently, "…." Fortunately, there was a brief delay before the grenade exploded—three to five seconds—which gave them just enough time to battle through the chaos. It was a tense standoff, a contest of precision and shooting techniques. Gideon maintained his aim, each bullet hitting its target and erupting in splashes of green blood. The opponent's bullets struck him as well, and Gideon’s health bar started to plummet. Just as it turned red, the gunfire in his headphones suddenly ceased— **"Congratulations, you’ve survived the night!"** "Congratulations, you’ve survived the night!" That winning declaration was something countless gamers dreamed of hearing. The game became a phenomenon partly due to its absurdist victory shout, dominating a large portion of traffic on the MelonWatch Network. The setup was akin to the hit movie "The Hunger Games." It dropped a hundred players onto a forsaken island, where they fought each other with randomly generated weapons and supplies. The last player standing was the winner, leading to the aptly named “Survival of the Fittest” within the Zeroth Empire. To amp up the challenge and excitement, a "safe zone" would appear randomly on the battlefield. Players had to enter this zone swiftly; failing to do so meant succumbing to blue toxic mist that would gradually take away their health until they perished. Initially, the safe zone was vast, but it shrank over time until everyone was forced into a tiny circle, leading to brutal and fierce battles—this ultimate showdown area was dubbed the "final circle." Emerging alive from the final circle made one a true champion, complete with a glorious "Congratulations, you’ve survived the night!" emblem. As the eight glorious words flashed on the screen, the live chat erupted: **[Brilliant last-minute revenge!]** **[Hahaha, Lady Eliza’s grenade was legendary, I love it!]** **[True teammates, it only took one grenade to turn the tide, LOL!]** **[I can’t stop laughing at how blind picks can win!]** **[I bet 5000. I was so worried when I saw the other side full.]** **[Thanks for guarding my happy moments, Lord Morgan. Here’s a watermelon for you!]** Reading through the chat made a smile creep onto Gideon’s face. That 2V4 showdown had been more of a 1.5V4, and it was impossible not to feel the adrenaline, especially with so many eyes glued to their screens. He knew the viewers came for the thrill of high-stakes combat, so he had to give them a small thrill to enjoy. After that tough battle, his eyes felt a bit strained. Gideon glanced at the livestream time—he'd been streaming for four hours. "Hang tight, everyone; I'm going to grab a cold soda," he said to the camera before standing up and heading into the Great Kitchen. The fridge was nearly empty; only the bottom shelf held assorted canned drinks—coffee, beer, Fanta, Coca-Cola, and more. As he grabbed a can of Coke and turned to leave the kitchen, the familiar sound of "spatulas fighting" drifted in from next door. It was the daily occurrence right after mealtime. The sound insulation in Tang Tower was terrible—thin walls that made it easy to hear everything, even a simple onion being chopped could echo clearly. Although Gideon had led a rather ascetic life for the past twenty years, he was still a normal guy; hearing that sound made his ears burn. He hurriedly clutched the Coke and bolted back to his room. "I need to figure out a way to pay off my debts quickly and move out of Tang Tower," he thought. He pulled out his phone to check today’s earnings; not bad, over ten grand, but still far from the hefty debts left by his late father. With a grimace, he tucked the phone back into his pocket and returned to his room. Outside Gideon’s room stood an old, crooked locust tree. One lush branch snaked its way into his window, providing an endless array of mosquitoes each night. Swatting one away, he turned up the mosquito repellent and settled back in front of his computer. The moment he resumed streaming, the chat exploded with excitement. **[Ah, he’s back... Oh my God, he's even more handsome in real life.]** **[Hahaha, I decided to check out the live stream after being wowed by the awful video quality.]** **[OMG, I finally see my gaming god! Talent with both the piano and shooting games, and he’s so cute; I’m moving in here for good.]** **[…Surely he’s using a filter?]** **[No way, this dim yellow light could be a filter. No one would filter themselves to look that bad.]** **[Hahaha, whoever said that, are you a devil?]** Gideon was taken aback for three solid seconds before sitting back down to his computer: “What are you all talking about? What reality? Is this still my stream… Chamber 6688527, that’s right.” As he spoke, the comments flooded in even more. The chat revolved around “looks,” “voice,” and “soothing.” Gideon scrolled through the messages, his confusion only deepening as he didn’t understand the buzz surrounding him.
Chapter 3
Just then, a notification pinged on Gideon Blackwood's phone: “Dude, you’re trending! Did you know?” The message was from his friend, Marcus Evernight. He was the one who initially dragged Gideon into the whirlwind of live streaming. Marcus Evernight: Didn’t you do a little guitar performance yesterday? Gideon remembered. Out of nowhere, he had ended up doing a spontaneous guitar solo in front of his camera after a long session of gaming. No wonder the chat was filled with comments about his playing and good looks. Gideon Blackwood: …link? Marcus Evernight quickly sent over the link. When Gideon clicked on it, he couldn't believe his eyes: the video of his solo from yesterday had blown up and was now trending. Gideon Blackwood: This is trending? There’s nothing else on Weibo? Marcus Evernight: Seriously, man, you’re acting all coy. I want that trending buzz too! Share with me! Gideon Blackwood: …no way. Marcus Evernight: (⊙_☉) The sudden trend caught Gideon off guard. Recalling the last two times he went viral, he felt a weight settle over him. He sighed deeply, rubbing the sweat from his palms. Looking into the camera, he said, “To celebrate our stream hitting the trending list, let’s do some duo matches with our viewers. Please, The Caretaker, pick someone out—same rules as always, the seventh one who grabs the spot gets the invite.” To prevent fast clickers from cheating, most experienced streamers refrain from taking the first one; instead, they select a lucky number. Gideon’s lucky number was 7, hence his rule. Instantly, the discussion in the chat shifted from smitten comments about his looks to excited cheers: 【Yes! I’ve been waiting for this moment forever. (rubs hands together)】 【I can’t wait for Lord Morgan to take me to victory~】 【Bring on the luck for the next match!】 【Let’s spam some memes and ease the tension.】 【Agreed!】 【Agreed +1.】 As the chat filled with supportive comments, streams of cute little watermelons flooded the screen. Gideon hastily disabled the animation effects. MelonWatch Network was great, but the animated effects could tax his graphics card, especially when the numbers got high. Yet, he smartly kept a few high-level gift effects active; these were rare, so he wouldn’t have to worry about lag, and he could graciously thank the givers on the spot. “Thanks to KKKK for the little watermelon, thanks to the bold watermelon of tonight...” Gideon patiently read through each one, before he quickly received the ID from The Caretaker. Gideon skillfully copied and pasted it, clicking to send an invite. However, he found it odd that since Desmond Black had entered the Square of Virtue, the speed of the chats had noticeably slowed. It was still fast, but there was a clear difference from earlier. Very strange. He glanced at the ID again: Evelyn Farewell—it seemed vaguely familiar. Before he could think too much about it, they hopped onto the Skyship, the familiar old map. “Where we dropping?” he asked. The new teammate didn’t respond verbally but pointed straight to an airport on the map. Gideon raised an eyebrow; looks like this player was ready for a fight. Nice. Gideon actually enjoyed jumping to resource-rich locations; they provided both risks and rewards. Unlike the previous match, where two teammates insisted on hiding in the Wilderness, leaving Gideon and Lady Eliza facing a four-on-two situation. When they finally managed to win, he was just barely hanging on with a sliver of health. Luck and teamwork were crucial in this game, and if it hadn't been for Lady Eliza's smoke grenades, he wasn't sure they would have emerged victorious. In fact, if luck was all that mattered, he considered himself pretty unlucky right now. For instance, hitting the jackpot and landing on Castle C—a prime location—but not a single weapon in sight. As he puzzled over it, wondering if it could be a game bug—after all, this game had seen its fair share of glitches that left players weaponless—shots suddenly rang out around him, proving him wrong. With a curse underneath his breath, he kicked off his shoes and scooped up some medical supplies. Grabbing a frying pan from the kitchen, he stealthily made his way downstairs. Footsteps echoed above. Gideon squinted, tossing a medkit to distract them, then hid behind a door. Sure enough, the other player noticed the medkit and made a beeline for it. Counting the footsteps in his head, Gideon timed his move—when the player bent to pick it up, he sprang up with the frying pan, smashing it over the player’s head. Finally, he thought, I can now get a gun. Looking down at the now-kneeling player, he was pleased to find— Perfect, a pistol! As the player struggled on the ground, Gideon quickly aimed to dispatch him without alerting any teammates. After a couple of quick strikes, he looted the fallen player’s backpack. In this game, dead players turned into loot boxes, a process known as “looting.” Those who so generously delivered loot like this one were humorously referred to as “delivery services.” The service this guy offered was exceptional—beyond not having a weapon, he had drinks, scopes, and other supplies. Gideon Blackwood: … 【666 Looks like my luck as a non-lucky player is still flawless today!】 【Watching Gideon go from zero to hero feels like watching a rags-to-riches movie!】 【The Caretaker: Please watch your language, folks.】 【Gideon Blackwood, let’s go!】 The downstairs was pretty barren—just look at the last delivery guy to know better. Gideon quickly dashed out of the building, fully aware that if he didn't find a gun fast, he risked becoming another delivery. As fierce firefights echoed from various buildings, Gideon sprinted forward with determination. Upon entering a new place, he spotted a teammate bursting through the opposite door, brandishing a flashy 98k rifle that dazzled everyone around. 【Ding! Your delivery has arrived.】 【All I can think is: kill and loot.】 【Buddy, mind sharing that 98k?】
Chapter 4
There’s a reason the chat was ablaze with comments. Gideon Blackwood didn’t have some morbid fascination with killing and looting. It all stemmed from a random encounter with a player known only as Dullard, who was annoyingly fixated on a wild girl in their squad, constantly snatching her loot. Dullard had the audacity to claim she was wasting resources because she was “playing badly.” Little did he know, she’d actually saved his skin twice, using up two of her healing kits in the process. As if that wasn't egregious enough, when the girl got hit and collapsed, Dullard showed his true colors—refusing to help her up and instead hovering until her time expired, so he could scavenge her supplies. He chuckled while licking his fingers clean, saying, “Hey there, I’ve been eyeing your 98k for ages. Thanks for the gift, girl!” Furious, the girl quit the match on the spot, and when Dullard finally linked up with everyone else in the final circle, Gideon took him out in one shot, blowing his head off. “Thanks for the 98k, bud. Must’ve been a tough haul for you,” Gideon grinned. Dullard was fuming, hurling insults while refusing to back down. “I know you! You’re that MelonWatch streamer, Gideon, right? Desperate for fame, huh? Haha, just you wait. I’ll make sure everyone knows your name.” The next day, Gideon found himself trending on social media (thanks to Dullard buying likes), and somehow... he gained a following. This marked the moment his notoriety began, and soon the internet dubbed Dullard “Facepalm Guy,” referring to the incident as “The Great 98k Debacle.” Gideon glanced at the gleaming 98k in his inventory, then set off to search the nearby buildings. --- Gideon’s departure from the lobby prompted another barrage of comments: “Don’t be a coward, get in there!” “Come on, Lord Morgan, show him what you’ve got!” “Real men throw down!” “Yeah, I’ll leap in there swinging a frying pan!” ... “Gideon, ignore them. Just loot the place. The airport’s loaded with gear.” The last message wasn't wrong—airports were the most resource-rich spots on the map. You could usually land and pick up a weapon on the first try. Even someone as luck-challenged as Gideon wouldn’t have to worry about hitting the ground with empty hands. But today? Luck was simply not on his side; he landed without a single weapon in sight. Outside, gunfire erupted like fireworks at a festival, and Gideon gripped his frying pan, half-joking to himself, “Is Bluehole setting me up to heroically conquer my enemies armed with just a skillet?” He rummaged through three rooms, swapping an entire suit of level two armor and a level three helmet, yet still no weapon. “No gun? Now, that’s just unsettling.” Gideon laughed into the mic. He thought he heard a soft chuckle in his headphones, almost too faint to catch. He walked upstairs and finally spotted a UMP9 lying on the floor. He bolted towards it like it was salvation, but nothing happened when he pressed the interaction button. The camera shifted, revealing his teammate already clutching that UMP9. Gideon stood there, stunned. “Wow, quick on the draw, huh, dude?” Before waiting for a response, he spun around and left the room. After two more rooms yielded nothing, he finally stumbled upon a low-profile shotgun. Just as he made a beeline for it, a figure darted through a different door and snatched it up first. In this game, each character could only hold two long guns and a pistol, which meant this guy had tossed away the UMP9 he just picked up. Now that was just plain rude. Gideon was generally pretty chill, but seeing his gear getting swiped irked him, especially since this thief was one of his freshly minted fans... —what to do now? Let it slide, of course. Gideon bit his lip, spinning around the camera to leave. “Wow, I admire the streamer’s restraint; he didn’t lose it at all.” “Right? If he’d crossed paths with someone angrier, they’d have already blown up at him! Look at this, just shaking my head at that idiot.” As Gideon read through the chat, prepping a calming response to his viewers’ frustrations, the player across from him suddenly fired two shots, turning the foe behind Gideon into Swiss cheese. They then dropped a fully-loaded shotgun and ammo right at Gideon’s feet. Gideon blinked in disbelief. “What’s this all about?” The other player stepped back a couple of feet and finally spoke into their mic. “Proposal.” They had a voice modulator on, sounding deep and raspy, an odd but striking combination that sent shivers down Gideon's spine. Before he could react, the chat exploded with messages, drowning out earlier critiques: “Whoa, what a unique voice mod! Is that...?” “Yep, I noticed it when he came into the room. Evelyn Farewell—no way this is just a coincidence! It’s got to be God Sylas!” “Um, excuse me... who is that? Did he really just say what I think he did?” ... After a wild flurry of comments, reality sunk in for Gideon—Evelyn Farewell was none other than Sylas Thorn, the top streamer of MelonWatch, also known as “God Sylas.” So today of all days, he had found himself paired with God Sylas in-game. And Sylas just announced a marriage proposal!? Dude, you can’t be serious! At the very least, we’re on the same wavelength here. We can’t screw each other over. Gideon cast a glance at the rapidly scrolling chat, his heart racing. Just then, his phone buzzed with a message from his buddy Marcus Evernight: “Can you believe God Sylas just pulled that off? What a baller move! Don’t back down; go for it, I’m rooting for you!”
Chapter 5
Gideon Blackwood: Are you saying he’s just putting on a show? Marcus Evernight: Not just a show—does he really want to marry you? Gideon Blackwood: ... Man, you hit the nail on the head. In that instant of epiphany, Gideon Blackwood refocused on the screen, racking his brain to recall the streaming style of Brother Melon. This Brother Melon seemed to thrive on a mysterious tech-savvy persona, never revealing his true identity or voice. Someone on a forum once offered a hefty sum just to hear Sylas Thorn use his real voice. Only to have Sylas brush it off with, “What? I can’t hear you.” Thinking of this, Gideon Blackwood couldn’t help but smile, picking up the M24 on the ground and pointing it toward Sylas Thorn’s position. “Sure, a proposal is fine, but can you turn off that voice changer first?” So he wants to put on a show, huh? Brother Melon, is it? Well, bring it on, let’s get real. 【LOL! A long-time lurker in God Sylas's chat says he’s never heard God Sylas turn off the voice changer.】 【Exactly. Turn off that voice changer (Table Thump.jpeg).】 【Yes, if you have the guts to propose, you should have the guts to turn it off.】 【I’ll let everyone know why God Sylas won’t turn off the voice changer—he’s actually a girl!】 【Wait, seriously? I can’t believe it. How could my husband be a girl?】 A girl, huh? That’s not too bad. Unfortunately, Gideon Blackwood wasn’t buying it. He glanced at the chat, chuckling, “See? The chat is calling you a girl. Hey, cutie, how about you turn the voice changer off? Do that, and I won’t shoot you.” In real life, Gideon was a pretty dull guy. As Marcus Evernight put it, he lacked energy. But to create good content, he could be surprisingly blunt, willing to engage with any terrible joke. “...” The other side suddenly went silent. The headphones were quiet for a few seconds, followed by two loud clicks. Just when everyone assumed the voice changer was off, a completely exaggerated voice came through—sweet and sugary to the point of being sickening: “Hey there! I turned off the voice changer, really! Look at me, I’m a girl, you can’t shoot me!” Gideon Blackwood: ... Someone's trying to impersonate a cute girl. That’s about as cliché as stepping on a trapdoor in a strategy game. At that moment, even the calm Lord Morgan couldn’t hold back, and he pulled the trigger. On screen, Desmond Black fell to the ground, along with the two players sneaking up behind him. Five shots fired, none wasted. 【LOL! Rejecting his advances with bullets.】 【If I were him, I’d also refuse, and I’d make sure to stomp him after!】 【See, I told you! Now you’ve got a broken leg.】 Desmond, a tall guy on screen, was dragging his injured leg across the ground, perfectly aligning with the chat’s broken-leg commentary. Gideon couldn’t help but laugh. He stepped over Sylas Thorn and walked toward the fallen men, seemingly not inclined to help him up. “...” Sylas Thorn fell silent for a moment, realizing that a protagonist like him shouldn't die in the second episode—that would be embarrassing. He decided to fight for his life just a little longer; maybe the small streamer would feel sorry for him and pull him up. “Lord Morgan, give me a hand,” Sylas Thorn pleaded, desperation in his voice. “Ah.” Gideon Blackwood rummaged through the boxes, pretending he wasn’t listening. “Help me, I’m dying!” Sylas Thorn glanced at the screen displaying a countdown that was nearing the end. In the Battle Royale Guild’s team mode, players who were knocked down didn’t die immediately if they had teammates. This meant if a teammate helped quickly, Sylas Thorn could survive a lot longer. “Just call me Daddy, and I’ll help.” Gideon Blackwood casually threw out the notion. “Daddy.” Sylas chirped without missing a beat. A glimmer of mischief flickered in Gideon’s eyes, feeling like he had turned the tide of the match in his favor. He sighed dramatically and good-naturedly helped Sylas Thorn up, tossing a health pack on the ground. “Here, use this to fix your leg, son.” “Thanks, Daddy!” Sylas was overly eager. Longtime fans of Sylas Thorn might start to wonder why their typically flirty God Sylas was suddenly so obedient. Unfortunately, Gideon Blackwood wasn’t aware of any of this; he swiftly opened the next supply box. But just as he closed the crate, he realized Desmond had somehow crawled right behind him, making odd motions that felt way too suggestive—as if he was in some handsy B-grade movie. Gideon froze in place. 【LOL! The lewd streamer followed me.】 【Innocent me silently puts a mosaic over key areas.】 【Wait, I just started following this crush and he turns out to be gay? I’m heartbroken. Unsubscribed!】 Gideon Blackwood was in a panic. “No! I’m not! Don’t get the wrong idea!” 【LOL! The streamer's expression control is failing.】 【Table Thump.jpeg】 “No three-way denial!” Gideon was getting agitated, just as Sylas Thorn stepped in, “Hey, this is just friendship between guys—you wouldn’t understand.” 【LOL! To God Sylas, friendship means rubbing against each other’s important bits.】 【Hahaha! I want to have that kind of friendship with God Sylas too~ By the way, I’m a guy as well.】 Seeing the chat spiral further off course, Gideon shook his mouse, determined not to let it take control. He had to steer the topic back. He glanced at the camera. “By the sound of gunfire, there are at least three or four other teams outside. Right now, I have a fully equipped M24 and an M16 sent by Lady Eliza. Over on Evelyn Farewell's end, she’s got a 98k and a Victor rifle. Honestly, I’m quite happy with this setup; I could hide in a corner and be just fine. But everyone knows I’m not one to hide away, so…”
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