A week.
Not long, not short, it felt like a long time. It caused many players on the front lines of exploration to stagnate for a long time, and also allowed many players with slow progress to catch up.
Then, everyone entered the cycle of being tormented together.
After obtaining the stone in the Water Folk Village, facing the adoption father, whether choosing to protect the prince or abandon him, players would face the game's two most powerful and torturous bosses.
Choosing to become a Shura, the aged Sword Saint Isshin, with his last breath, made players understand what a true Sword Saint was.
Choosing to protect the prince, the aged Owl, his adopted father Owl, would make players experience what a giant ninja who crawled out of the battlefield was like.
Besides the events within the game,
Many things happened outside the game as well, such as Penguin.
Nearly two months after Sekiro's launch, as the New Year approached, domestic game giants painted epic pies for their players.
Penguin announced the official launch of its brand new self-developed VR game, "Valorant," in March.
Pig Factory announced that it would release its second apocalyptic survival-themed VR game in June this year.
At the same time,
Overseas game giants were not idle. While actively developing VR games, they were also implementing restrictive measures against Ling Jing.
On various social platforms like YouTube and Twitter, discussions about Ling Jing games were restricted and throttled, and streamers were limited from broadcasting games produced by Ling Jing.
However, the effect was not significant.
After all, Ling Jing games had always been known for their reputation.
They had a considerable number of loyal players. Even without social media, they had private accounts, small circles, or communication within the game communities of Ling Jing's official game platform.
Seeing that this move had little effect, several major manufacturers became anxious and prepared to cooperate with the eight university alliances, the backing behind the Ling Jing game platform, to negotiate.
The specific content was unknown, but it was clear that the conditions offered by the major manufacturers had tempted the eight university alliances.
Otherwise, in the past, when social platforms throttled Ling Jing games, they would have stood up long ago.
It was possible that news of the masses taking to the streets to protest freedom of speech would have already made the news in various countries.
The fact that there was no movement until now could only mean one thing: they were not actively fulfilling their obligations.
Calling it betrayal might be too much, but it was true that they were no longer as diligently defending Ling Jing's rights in the overseas market.
Indeed,
After all, for them, Ling Jing was ultimately a foreign platform. Even Douyin's overseas version, with such a large user base, high profitability, and its own growth, was still ordered to be shut down and rectified.
It was all the same,
Sooner or later.
Returning to the game.
Pure Black, with dark circles the size of bowls under his eyes, went all out in his stream!
It was hard to imagine how outrageous a torture-style game would be in its mid to late stages in VR!
Skipping meals and rest, with less than seven hours of duels daily, Pure Black, in the Tenshu Kaku, launched attack after attack against his adopted father.
He was essentially using his own body to confront his adopted father head-on. In the last two days, Pure Black's playtime was even less than six hours before the health system kicked him out of the VR game.
Fortunately,
All his hard work was not in vain. Through continuous research and skill refinement, Pure Black finally succeeded in defeating his adopted father on the morning of the eighth day.
As the Zi Ying Sword pierced the throat of his adopted father, Pure Black stared blankly for a few seconds before shouting.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
Dispelling the gloom of a week of low spirits, Pure Black felt his life was complete, more colorful than ever before.
It was fitting for a comment in the chat:
The sense of accomplishment derived from being killed by a boss countless times and finally defeating it with great difficulty is indescribable!
This,
This was the charm of high-difficulty games like Sekiro!
Pure Black continued to laugh maniacally, internally replaying all the experiences of the past week.
From understanding the adopted father's power to constantly challenging him.
Dying repeatedly, then slowly discovering patterns, or perhaps the game designer's last shred of mercy for players.
When the player's posture gauge was maxed out, the adopted father would not immediately execute the player; he liked to stomp first. This was the most critical moment of the entire battle.
It was also the moment when players were about to turn the tide. As long as they successfully evaded this crisis, players would have a chance to switch from defense to offense.
The most practiced skill he had refined this week was evading the stomp in a staggered state. Due to the adopted father's thick health and defense, he had to increase the probability of evading the stomp to over 60%, and succeed in evading three consecutive times.
Three times was the limit his health bar could withstand.
Otherwise, even without the stomp, the adopted father could still wear him down to death.
In each battle, every successful evasion would make the adopted father's next stomp faster. By the third time, the success rate would be less than 3%.
Otherwise, Pure Black wouldn't have taken days to find an opportunity, successfully evade, and max out the adopted father's posture gauge.
Then he sent his sword into the adopted father's throat, piercing him through and through.
At this point,
This was only the first phase of the adopted father. In the second phase, the adopted father would release smoke, with wailing ghosts within the smoke, and he could use phantom attacks.
The true body was hidden among three shadows. If one chose incorrectly, or failed due to nervousness, they would instantly become a soul under the adopted father's blade.
A 3% chance in the first phase, and a one-third success rate in the second phase, combined, it was like a towering chasm, blocking the vast majority of players.
Fortunately,
The choice of three shadows was not without a discernible pattern. Pure Black was extremely cautious and finally found a trace by smelling: the adopted father's true body had a faint herbal scent. It was very subtle, but if he hadn't had this forbidden medicine sprayed in his face before, he might have overlooked this detail.
Finally,
Relying on that mysterious luck and several days of effort, Pure Black unleashed his most proud move.
Secret Technique: Featherfall Whirlwind!
Skyward purple energy permeated the entire Tenshu Kaku, and countless purple 'flood dragons' pierced the adopted father's body.
The posture gauge was instantly maxed out!
Pure Black roared, leaped into the air, channeling all his frustration and pent-up anger into the Zi Ying Sword, giving the adopted father a fatal blow.
Just like the surprise attack three years ago.
"Well… done…" The adopted father fell.
[KILLED]
[Obtained: Dried Cherry Blossom Incense Wood
Dried incense wood obtained from drying cherry blossoms, it is an item the adopted father picked and carried with him.
Cherry blossoms are flowers of thought.
Perhaps Jō might gaze upon the flowers that bloomed on this branch and reminisce about the immortal lands.
This incense wood is one of the incense materials that produces the scent of origin, something the Prince needs to sever immortality.]
Gazing at the scarlet text before him, Pure Black lost himself in memories for a moment.
After a while,
Pure Black finally reacted, his expression changing from dullness to elation.
"Hahahaha!!!"
"That was exhilarating!!"
"This kind of fight is so satisfying!"
"Woah!!!!"
As the sharp blade in his hand pierced through Owl's body, the spraying blood stained Pure Black's clothes.
Feeling the blood on his skin gradually lose its warmth, Pure Black finally regained a sense of reality.
He was too afraid that this was all just a dream.
Because for the entire week, he had been dreaming of this scene every time he slept!
At this moment,
The pent-up frustration that had been accumulating in his heart was released, and the exhilarating feeling in every cell of his body made him shout without restraint.
Only players who had experienced it could understand how much effort he had put into this moment.
This exhilaration and sense of accomplishment could only be achieved when released from a state of extreme suppression.
Only then could they appreciate the endless beauty within.
This,
This was the core element that made torture-style games originate from PC and remain popular, and flourish on VR without defeat!
"The three materials for igniting the scent of origin are ready."
"It's time to sever immortality!"
...