Power Stone Goals from now on: I always post a minimum of 5 chapters. Henceforth the following are the goals:
Every 150 powerstones, I upload an extra chapter.
If we hit top 30 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we hit top 10 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we are top 5...well lets get to that first. Happy readings!
Chapter 26: Finishing an entire episode in a day
"Cut!" The director called out, and just like that, the scene was over. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the quiet hum of reality settling back in. My cheeks were damp, my vision slightly blurry from the tears still clinging to my lashes. The emotional weight of the performance hadn't quite lifted yet. This episode has easily been the most intense one so far. The Alpha forces Scott to lose control, his instincts pushing him to want to attack his closest friends—Allison, Lydia, Jackson, and Stiles. The entire episode took place inside the school, heightening the sense of claustrophobia and tension.
The moment it ended, I just stood there, frozen. The rest of the crew was already beginning to pack up their gear, moving around like clockwork. We had just finished shooting the entire episode in one long, exhausting night.
Working with me had its advantages for sure, at least from a production standpoint.
"Dude, you okay?" Dylan asked gently, coming up beside me and tapping my shoulder. I half-turned to him, my body moving slower than usual, like I was dragging my emotions along with me. My arms lifted slightly, not to punch, but to gesture in some vague way. "Are you... are you okay?" he asked again, his tone a little more serious now.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, the words automatic. "Why wouldn't I be fine?"
"Because you're crying," he said simply, as if that explained everything. He took a small step closer, watching me carefully. "You were really locked in during that scene."
"Yeah, no, I just like to immerse myself completely when I'm acting," I said. "Sometimes I lose myself a bit."
He nodded, not pressing further. "That kind of makes sense. But if there's anything you want to talk about... you can."
I didn't respond. There wasn't a version of this story I could explain to him that would make any kind of rational sense. I couldn't exactly tell him I had memories of two lives, that I was technically from the future, or that I had this system that gave me perfect acting abilities by literally turning me into the character I was portraying.
Every gift came with its cost, and I was beginning to feel mine. Right now, my emotions were all over the place. I watched Crystal walk away a few moments earlier, and the ache in my chest was too sharp to ignore. In my mind, I had been living as Scott McCall for weeks, feeling all the feelings he felt—falling in love with Allison, fearing for her, being rejected by her. And then to suddenly snap out of it, only to see her walking away from me in real life? It messed with my head.
If anyone could understand the bizarre emotional spiral I was in, maybe it was a fictional character like Barry Allen. The guy literally loved Iris since childhood, lost her in one timeline, found her again in another, and had to deal with endless resets and heartbreaks. That sort of weird emotional limbo? Yeah, that's where I was living now.
I heard footsteps, and then a familiar voice. "Hey, you were pretty amazing out there—as per usual," Crystal said with a light smile.
I glanced over at Dylan, unsure of how to react, but this time he stayed. He didn't walk away or make an excuse. He stayed with me.
"Yeah, actually," Dylan chimed in, trying to help shift the conversation, "we finished relatively quickly, don't you think?"
"Well, it's all because of Mr. One-Shot Wonder over here," Colton said as he walked up to join us, grinning. "Seriously, man, you're insane. I really hope you can give us some tips."
I took a breath. The emotions were still swirling, but I needed to snap out of it, just for a bit. I smiled slightly, nodded, and let myself slip back into the role I knew I had to play now—not Scott McCall, but Jace, the up-and-coming actor just trying to make his mark.
For now, the best thing I could do was act like nothing happened, and according to the system I was perfect at that.
While we were gathered and engaged in light conversation, Crystal nonchalantly reached for her phone, opened the YouTube application, and passed it over to me. The screen displayed our collaborative video titled [A Day in the Life with Wannabe Celebrities,] now sitting at an impressive twenty thousand views. Though not astronomical by viral standards, it was a meaningful milestone given the context in which we had released it.
Almost immediately, the System responded with a familiar alert. I was awarded an additional 5,000 Entertainment Points. This interaction confirmed a pattern I had begun to suspect—each view appeared to be equivalent to 0.5 EP. It was a remarkably efficient return, especially when compared to the effort and time-intensive processes of acting or writing. With this realization, the implications began to crystallize in my mind. If I continued to produce and upload video content with regularity, I could establish a consistent and scalable method for accumulating EP.
Reflecting on the initial release of the video, I recalled that in its earliest hours, it had only managed to gather a modest number of views—likely in the low hundreds, possibly a thousand. During that phase, the System had not issued any rewards. However, once MTV's production division commenced public promotion of the video, there was a noticeable and immediate spike in viewership, followed almost simultaneously by the influx of Entertainment Points. This sequence suggested that the System was not rewarding views in real time, but rather waiting for specific performance thresholds to be reached before disbursing EP.
From this, I inferred that the System operated on a kind of milestone-based reward structure. Rather than gradually issuing EP with each incremental increase in viewership, it seemed to track progress internally and then release rewards in consolidated batches, likely once views reached neat benchmarks such as 10,000 or 20,000. As a result, even if my content attracted consistent attention, I would only receive recognition from the System when these pre-defined markers were crossed.
This speculative model raised further questions. For instance, if I were to reach 70,000 views, would I receive 35,000 EP immediately, or would the System delay its acknowledgment until a higher benchmark—perhaps 100,000 views—was achieved? These uncertainties made it clear that there were still several aspects of the System's logic and reward mechanisms I did not fully understand. Nonetheless, the emerging structure provided enough clarity to inform my short-term content strategy.
Given this information, it was apparent that comprehensive documentation of my daily activities would be essential moving forward. Whether it involved informal moments with the cast, behind-the-scenes footage, or everyday interactions, each of these events held potential value if captured and edited effectively. With Crystal often by my side, exuding her natural charisma, the content practically created itself. Audiences valued authenticity and relatability, and with minimal effort, I could provide both.
This evolution of understanding marked a shift in how I viewed my role in this new reality. The System was no longer just a peripheral advantage—it had become a framework around which I could build an entire strategy. Each day brought new insights, and with them, a growing sense of control over the opportunities now unfolding before me.
After checking my System balance, I noted that I had accumulated exactly 18,000 Entertainment Points. While that number was significant by any reasonable standard, it still felt distant from my longer-term goal—100,000 EP, the cost of a single spin on the lottery wheel. For now, it was a figure that felt lofty, though perhaps only because of where I stood currently. In time, it may very well seem negligible.
Still, with what I understood of the System's logic, I couldn't help but speculate further. Coming from an era where online videos could easily rack up hundreds of millions of views, the math wasn't lost on me. If every YouTube view equated to 0.5 EP, then a single video reaching 100 million views would net me 50 million points. That's an absurdly large number and would translate to an overwhelming number of lottery wheel spins. It stood to reason that as I advanced, the System would raise the stakes—likely increasing the cost of those spins or introducing higher thresholds.
Regardless, the conclusion was obvious: I needed to shift gears and produce content at scale.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the camera I had purchased back when I was first experimenting with vlogging alongside Crystal. I turned it on, faced the lens toward our group, and began. "Say hi, guys," I said casually.
Everyone responded with a cheerful "Hi!"
I slowly panned the camera toward Dylan and zoomed in slightly. "Name one thing that's horrible about filming with us."
Dylan gave it a moment's thought before responding, "Well, I'm stuck with a bunch of morons, so it's really boring." He chuckled to himself, only for Colton to hurl a pillow directly at his face, causing another round of laughter.
Next, I turned the camera to Holland. "And what about you, Holland? What's the best part of filming with us?"
Holland gave a thoughtful hum before answering, "Well, I play an annoyed high school teenager who bosses everyone around, so I guess the best part is getting to boss everyone around."
Right on cue, Dylan dramatically fell off his seat, dropped to his knees, and began mock-begging. "Please, give me my next orders," he said in a theatrical voice, prompting another round of laughter from everyone.
I then shifted the camera toward Colton. "What's one thing you wish you could say to your character?"
Colton didn't answer immediately. He paused, then said dryly, "I wouldn't say anything to Jackson."
Crystal looked like she was about to interject, but Colton continued without missing a beat. "I'd punch him in the face. He's probably one of the most arrogant characters I've ever seen."
Finally, I pointed the lens toward Crystal. "Is there anything you would change about your character?"
She answered without hesitation, almost like she'd already spent time thinking it through. "She jumps to conclusions far too quickly. She likes to believe she gives people the benefit of the doubt, but in reality, she needs to learn trust. That said, I empathize with her. She moved to a completely new state, is trying to adapt, and is dating someone who's inconsistent. There's a lot going on, but yeah, she needs to stop making snap judgments."
I nodded in response, internally agreeing with her take but keeping to myself the knowledge of how Allison's character would evolve in season two.
As I went to turn the camera off, Dylan suddenly snatched it from my hand. "Dude, we're not going to forget the main character, are we?" he said, already recording.
He swung the camera to face me and adopted a mock-professional tone. "Alright, Mr. Jace," he said. "What's one thing you'd like to say to your future audience—and all the female fans who are definitely going to thirst over you?"
Being on the other side of the lens, I realized how different it felt. Asking the questions was easy. Answering them under pressure, less so.
Still, I replied, "I'm sure there'll be a lot of edit compilations of all of us floating around in the future, but I won't comment on how female fans might react."
That earned some chuckles.
I continued, more earnestly, "To my future audience: Scott McCall is an antisocial teenager trying to navigate a supernatural world while balancing a hundred other responsibilities. Just... don't judge him too quickly. He's figuring it out."
"That's a fair answer," Dylan nodded, returning to his announcer role.
He flipped the camera into selfie mode. "Everyone come in."
We all huddled in tight, some flashing peace signs as the lens focused on us. With that final gesture, Dylan ended the recording.
…
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator