The next day, Sunday.
Early in the morning, Akifumi logged into his Steam creator's account, following his usual habit from the previous day.
The sales numbers that appeared on the screen made his eyes widen in disbelief.
"No way!?"
The last time he checked before going to bed, the sales were just over 180,000.
Now it's 274,655!!
A nearly 100,000-unit increase in sales overnight!
It's not even the first day of release. Even with a feature on the recommended page, this is way too ridiculous!?
"What the hell happened?"
What exactly is going on here?
The sales boost from the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate only lasted for a short while after the airing. By 11 PM, the sales had already stabilized.
Yet, in less than 10 hours...
"That means nearly 10,000 units per hour!?"
Even on a Friday release day, such numbers were unheard of!
"So, what exactly happened during these 10 hours!?"
With this thought, he instinctively opened the game's review section.
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"An amazing game! I was in tears after finishing the ending!!"
"A classmate recommended this to me. After playing, I realized how incredible it is! I'll definitely 'thank him' properly when I see him on Monday!"
"The gameplay and storyline are irreplaceable masterpieces!!"
"From this game, I felt the indescribable essence of Love and hope."
"This is the best horror and puzzle-solving game I've ever played!!"
"Even without considering the genre, this is an absolute masterpiece!!"
"The must-play game of the year!"
"..."
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"Huh!?"
At a glance, the review section was filled with nothing but praise. The overwhelming positivity stood out like a beacon.
Even players who had previously left one-star reviews had edited their comments and ratings!
The harmony and praise were so surreal that Akifumi almost thought he was witnessing a review bombing.
But that was impossible.
On Steam, players can only leave reviews after playing for more than two hours.
That means every review was genuine!
If he had actually paid for fake reviews, he wouldn't even break even.
"Then what exactly is going on here?"
Before going to bed, the reviews were still mixed.
How did the comment section completely flip overnight!?
Instinctively, he refreshed the page.
Akifumi's eyes narrowed.
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"Damn it! You bitch! How the hell did you feel 'Love and hope' from such a despair-filled story!? Isn't it nothing but despair!? Just thinking about the plot makes my brain tremble!! What kind of twisted story is this!? Is the developer even human!? Aaaaaahhhh!!"
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The sheer despair and resentment in the comment could be felt through the screen.
But what caught Akifumi's attention was the reply below it.
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"Yo~hooooooo!"
"Nice! Another newbie trapped! Keep up the good work, guys!!"
"Feeling hopeless, huh? Feeling miserable, huh? Just imagine how much better you'd feel if someone shared that pain with you."
"I'm feeling absolutely euphoric right now!"
"See all those positive reviews? That's our will! You got that?"
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When Akifumi refreshed the page again, the original comment had mysteriously disappeared, replaced by a new one.
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"This is the best game I've played this year!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"
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"Tsk."
Akifumi clicked his tongue and then smirked.
"This guys are really something else."
He couldn't deny it. Their strategy was working perfectly.
After all, the glaring sales figures on the creator's dashboard don't lie!
To the players who were eagerly pulling others into the pit, Akifumi only had three words to say...
"Keep it up!"
While the players were enjoying the twisted satisfaction of dragging others into despair, Akifumi was not only having fun but also raking in the profits.
Humming a cheerful tune, Akifumi walked out of his room.
"Mugiho-kun seems to be in a great mood today," Mahiru said curiously.
"The game is selling like crazy."
Mahiru tilted her head. "But when your manga sold well, you weren't this happy."
"It's different this time."
Akifumi didn't bother explaining further.
At least with his manga, he showed some restraint.
But with The Witch's House, he went all out. He wouldn't be surprised if some players rage-quit and unfollowed him.
Now that the players were experiencing both pain and the satisfaction of sharing that pain, there was no need to worry about losing fans.
Why wouldn't he be happy?
Seeing his smug grin, Mahiru simply smiled and changed the topic.
"Come have breakfast after you wash up."
The morning passed in a flash.
Looking at the sales that had already surpassed 300,000, Akifumi let out a sigh despite his joy.
"Even with this many players, no one has unlocked all the endings yet!?"
Judging from the players' reactions, the true ending had already been discovered.
Someone even managed to complete the no-save, one-life clear.
But there was still one final achievement left — the hidden, special ending.
Staring at the "???" achievement on the dashboard, Akifumi sighed at the Ellen's Diary displayed before him.
"How am I supposed to give you guys this final gift?"
At that moment, the dimmed achievement icon suddenly lit up!
"Huh?"
"All endings unlocked!?"
Akifumi blinked in surprise before grinning.
Without hesitation, he logged into his account and posted an update.
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"Congratulations on unlocking all endings of The Witch's House! As promised, here's your reward!
Link: xxxx (Click to access)"
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A full volume of light novel content couldn't fit in a simple post.
Akifumi had even built a dedicated platform just to upload Ellen's Diary.
Thinking about it...
"Going through all this trouble just to deliver a reward... I really am such a good person!"
Good thing the fans couldn't hear him.
Otherwise, they'd be gritting their teeth and cursing through clenched jaws—
"Fuck you, and thank you so much!!"