Chapter 463 - 298: The Biggest Stunt in Livestreaming History (Part 2)

Chapter 463: Chapter 298: The Biggest Stunt in Livestreaming History (Part 2)

What required even more talent was his ability to film all that tall, mighty equipment and make it look shabby and small. In his footage, Mechanical Armor several meters tall appeared shorter than a person.

How did he manage that?

Making big things look pathetic required just as much skill as making small things look magnificent.

With a craft like that, he would at least be a senior cameraman in the Bureau of Strategic Misinformation.

"Get ready to go live. Start the stream," Zog ordered.

Soon, the live stream began on the Magic Vision Station and its website, with the YouTube broadcast pushed directly to the homepage.

Then again, there weren’t many live channels to begin with, so it hardly mattered if it was on the homepage. These features were all in preparation for a future where live streaming was widespread.

The stream had just begun, but it had already drawn in a crowd of people looking for a spectacle.

The stream’s title seemed designed to stir up hatred.

"Villain’s Grand Victory Parade" ℯ

Zog had a knack for this sort of passive-aggressive provocation. Villain hadn’t given the parade any specific name; he was the one who’d added "Victory."

The effect of this provocation was instantaneous.

Combined with Villain’s universally loathed reputation, most viewers who clicked on the stream immediately started flaming in the comment section.

"Is Villain out of its mind? They have no idea what a mess they’ve made, and they’re holding a victory parade."

"Who arranged this stream? I demand a full investigation."

"Who would want to watch these animals on parade?"

"I’m from the Animal Protection Society, and your previous statement is an insult to animals."

"If you’re not going to bash Villain, I’m going to bash you."

The internet has always been a place for all kinds of creatures.

If there were people who hated Villain, there were bound to be those who supported them.

For whatever reason, they certainly existed.

"You’re so triggered! A bunch of maggots hiding on the internet, losing your minds seeing that our Villain is about to win. But what can you do about it?"

"Who’s ’we’? If Villain are animals, then you’re not even worthy of being called an animal."

"I don’t know what to say about people who support the bombing of safe zones."

"What about it? It was those terrorist organizations in Augustine that used the safe zones for military purposes first. That makes them military zones. What’s wrong with attacking military zones during a war? The real problem is the terrorist organizations that endangered their own people by using safe zones as military bases."

"And people actually believe those obviously fake propaganda videos."

"How much are they paying you?"

"Reported."

"You’ve invaded their country and you still have the gall to try and justify it."

"It’s legitimate self-defense. Besides, the terrorist organizations started the war. Those who start a war must pay the price. Since they can’t pay with money, they can pay with land."

"Legitimate self-defense? You call this massacre ’self-defense’!?"

"According to the convention signed in 796, Augustine was the first party to violate it..."

"Civilization will triumph! Justice will triumph!"

Soon, the comment section devolved into a fierce flame war between the supporters of both sides.

Since YouTube’s platform wasn’t very strict about banned words, there was no need to use homonyms or abbreviations to get around the site’s filters.

As a result, the insults they hurled at each other were brutally direct.

Amidst the chaos, someone finally noticed something odd about the stream’s perspective.

"Doesn’t the footage look too blurry to you all? And this angle... it kind of looks like it’s being secretly filmed, doesn’t it?"

"Now that you mention it, you’re right. This doesn’t look like an official broadcast."

"Don’t tell me the Zog Group is secretly filming Villain’s current military strength?"

"If so, all I can say is: nice move."

On the live stream, the parade had begun.

Contingent after contingent of the Villain Battle Corps marched neatly through the square.

"I’m starting to think they’re pretty damn strong... Is there any hope left for Augustine?"

"Honestly, there’s not much hope. The Augustine City State lacks strategic depth, and it doesn’t have enough regular troops or supplies. It’s relying entirely on aid. It’s just a question of how long they can hold out. Defeat is almost a foregone conclusion. The best possible outcome is inflicting heavy losses on Villain."

Someone analyzed rationally.

In truth, this outcome was predictable for anyone familiar with war. Augustine simply had no path to victory.

They were already the weaker side in terms of territory, population, and raw power, and on top of that, their internal affairs were a mess.

Even with some Mercenary Corps providing aid, they were no substitute for a large, regular army. They could only launch small-scale counterattacks and stood almost no chance of turning the tide of the war.

"What’s that?"

After the columns of soldiers passed, the equipment procession appeared.

All sorts of Magical Creatures, the kind civilians rarely ever see, appeared in droves in the square.

Golems, Alchemy War Chariots, Riding Magical Beast Knights, and large, bizarrely shaped pieces of equipment whose purpose couldn’t be discerned at a glance.

There were also brand-new, self-propelled Mechanical Armor units.

The Mechanical Armor from the Craig Clan appeared. Despite their towering frames, they didn’t seem sluggish, and their thick metal shells gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

Their protruding cannon muzzles were engraved with Magic Runes, and one could feel a dangerous aura just by looking at them.

The Enchanted Sword Blades, meant for melee combat, looked as if they could slice through any obstacle.

As for the Mechanical Armor’s greatest weakness—the main control Magic Talisman—there was no telling where it was hidden.

The Augustine supporters watching the live stream fell silent. They couldn’t imagine what the resistance forces could possibly use to counter such weapons.

As for Villain’s supporters, they were ecstatic.

"Keep crying! Go on, keep crying!"

"If Villain wasn’t trying to protect civilians, they would’ve steamrolled Augustine ages ago!"

Just then, something unexpected happened.

"Did someone just run out there?"

Zog had prepared this live stream like a serving of dumplings, and the "dipping sauce"—the whole reason for the exercise—had finally appeared.