[Collected 1 believer, unlocked Skill: The power of believers is my power]

The line of text that suddenly appeared before his eyes made Silvanus almost unable to control the astonishment in his gaze. He quickly lowered his eyes, while also swiftly glancing at the Personal Panel that only he could see. A face appeared on it, causing Silvanus to frown involuntarily. Then he quickly regained his composure and raised his head again.

Staring at someone and then suddenly getting caught should have made Nick feel embarrassed. But he only paused for a moment before smiling—no, perhaps he had been smiling the whole time.

He did not really know why. It was just that the moment he saw the young man sitting across from him, he felt as though he had found the MC from the stories he had always read. The lingering sense of emptiness that had clung to him for the past five years seemed to vanish in an instant, as if that blank part of his memories had finally been filled.

"H-hello..." Nick spoke up, only now realizing that his voice sounded strangely hoarse, even a little stuttered.

But before he could say anything more, the cheerful mechanical voice from earlier rang out once again.

[Come now, our diligent artists. This is only the first trial to truly become an artist of Happy TV Network! Please communicate with your viewers, expand your reputation. We will meet again when you stand at the pinnacle—or never.]

[Our motto is: entertain to death!]

The moment the voice finished speaking, it was as if everything was finally ready to begin operating. The flames on the candles that had remained motionless all this time began to flicker, as though only now had they truly started burning.

The fireplace at one side also began to give off warmth, driving away the chill that had seeped deep into this mysterious castle. From outside, the sound of fierce winds constantly crashing against the windows echoed with loud, resounding thump thump noises.

At the same time, everyone present could see mysterious lines of text continuously scrolling before their eyes—some pretending to be friendly, some mocking, and some displaying naked malice without the slightest attempt to hide it.

The expressions of the people in the room could not help but change in the face of this series of events that could not be explained by ordinary logic.

"Bang!"

A man suddenly slammed his hand heavily onto the table. His sharp bone structure and ferocious expression made him look like a demon under the constantly flickering light inside the castle.

"This is illegal imprisonment! I don't care who the hell you are—if you don't let me out as soon as possible, I'll tear this whole place apart!"

His warning rang out loudly, yet within the space there was only the sound of the fireplace flickering and the wind striking the windows. No one responded to him.

Feeling the gazes of the people around him, he could not help but feel a little embarrassed. Immediately afterward, that embarrassment turned into even stronger anger.

"Bang!" He slammed the table and stood up. The comments continuously scrolling before his eyes instantly became more lively than ever.

[Finally found a reckless brother! Come on, run out of here and begin your adventure!]

[You're definitely holding the protagonist's script hahaha]

[I support you. Illegal imprisonment should be destroyed!]

[Go go go go go!!!]

Although this could be said to be some kind of conspiracy, the screen before their eyes was truly too miraculous. At the very least, it was certainly not something current technology could produce.

But at this moment, many people simply wanted to get outside. Seeing the urging from the comments and the man's determined attitude, quite a few people began to waver.

Silvanus glanced briefly at the crowd, then lowered his head, recalling the contents of the card in front of him.

[Name: Silvanus

Occupation: single dad

Note: You are the child of a wealthy family, but unfortunately your family went bankrupt. You had to shoulder the burden of raising your child alone while also carrying the massive debt left behind by your family and your deceased parents. The weight of the debt is almost crushing you. At that moment, you suddenly received an invitation from a wealthy person, along with a deposit of 10,000 dollars sent to your account. As long as you participate in a game at the castle and win, the money you receive will be enough for you and your child to live comfortably for the rest of your lives. Although filled with doubts, when you thought about the debt you were carrying, you ultimately still came to the castle. However, you never expected that besides you, seven other people had also received the same invitation...]

Silvanus's first thought when reading the card was not worry about his fate, nor suspicion about how questionable the note sounded, but rather: Is "single dad" really a Occupation?

Apparently, the viewers could also see the contents of Silvanus's card. Their reactions were not much different from his, though the way they expressed them was somewhat… different.

[Single dad, a Occupation? Seriously? Hahaha]

[If that's a profession, does that mean he raises his kid full-time? Then who supports him and his child?]

[I—I'm ready already! With a face like that, even if he had ten kids I'd still accept it!]

[Hehehehehe, this is so exciting]

[We have two pieces of good news]

[Nothing better than a guy who already has a kid, sigh]

Silvanus: "..."

How do you make the comment panel disappear?

The thought suddenly appeared in Silvanus's mind. Immediately afterward, a cold, serious mechanical voice—completely different from the cheerful announcement voice or the mysterious lines of text that only Silvanus could see—suddenly sounded in his mind.

"The control panel is on the button to the right. You may freely turn the comment section on or off."

Silvanus could not help but feel slightly startled. Noticing that the mechanical voice did not seem inclined to explain anything further, he could only take the initiative to voice the doubts in his mind.

[Hello, what should I call you? And could you explain how the livestream system works?]

The mechanical voice replied:

[I am the automatic support system, designation A1200699. The livestream system allows the artists of Happy TV Network to connect directly with fans across the entire universe. Depending on their favorability, you may receive their support—such as hints that help you escape danger, or gifts that can increase your credits.]

Hints that help me escape danger?

Judging from the twisted enthusiasm shown in those comments earlier, Silvanus did not really feel he could trust any advice they might give.

[What are credits?] This was what truly caught his attention.

A1200699 responded without the slightest pause.

[After you pass this game, you will learn their function.]

[I can't know now?] Silvanus could not help but feel puzzled.

A1200699 answered without hesitation:

[That is correct. After all, no one can know in advance whether you will survive this game. You might even die first. In that case, my explanation would be meaningless. It would waste energy.]

Silvanus: [...Doesn't it waste energy for you to say a whole series of curse-like statements about me like that?]

Silence...

The only response Silvanus received was an endless silence. It seemed that A1200699 had truly made up its mind to conserve energy…