'Quite self-aware.'
'Shuan Daoke: I heard you're very arrogant?'
'Good grief, that damage is really high. Counting everything, Sister Zhou took two solid hits and then died.'
'This clanging and banging sound of blacksmithing, you'd think I was watching some sword-casting documentary.'
'How the Steel Was Tempered'
...
*Pfft!!*
Hearing the bullet screen broadcast, Sister Zhou suppressed a chuckle, "What a joke, 'How the Steel Was Tempered,' those silly viewers are quite talented."
Her first death, Sister Zhou's mentality was still stable.
After resurrecting at the nearest Ghost Buddha, Sister Zhou quickly organized a second wave of attack.
"Again!"
This time, she no longer used stealth assassination. She jumped directly down into the courtyard and charged at Shuan Daoke, hacking at him!
*Clang, clang, clang!!*
As usual, the beginning was barely manageable.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!!!*
Then, the Shuan Daoke in combat suddenly accelerated his sword rhythm, and Sister Zhou was a bit overwhelmed.
Two minutes later, the bright red word [Noob] appeared in Sister Zhou's vision again.
"Hahaha..."
Sister Zhou let out two sinister laughs, pink petals scattering. She had already revived on the spot and beckoned to the low-health Shuan Daoke, "Come on, come on."
Another three minutes later, the glaring [Noob] appeared again!
A repeat performance, dying twice in one game!
At the stage of lacking skill, repeating the performance only increases the chances of death.
Sister Zhou's mentality was still relatively stable because she felt she was always making steady progress, lasting longer each time.
And so,
After being repeatedly tormented for half an hour, without keeping count of how many times she had died, Sister Zhou could finally keep up with Shuan Daoke's attack rhythm.
The sound of blacksmithing could be heard from the stream every so often.
The viewers, from initial mockery and goading to numbness, then habit, eventually grew a little impressed by Sister Zhou's persistence.
*Clang, clang—Clang, clang, clang—!!*
A series of blacksmithing sounds rang out. Sister Zhou could handle each one with ease.
Sometimes she could even organize effective counterattacks, and gradually Sister Zhou's health began to gain the upper hand, with more instances of initiating counterattacks.
The ensuing problem also gradually surfaced—greed for hits.
Although Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice belongs to the Soulslike genre, its combat style is very different from Dark Souls.
Dark Souls emphasizes technique, with many famous "two-person dance" moments appearing.
Sekiro is different; it emphasizes getting stronger through setbacks and facing enemies head-on!
The habit of hitting once and running, cultivated in Dark Souls, gave Shuan Daoke plenty of breathing room, leading to Sister Zhou subtly gaining the upper hand in combat but never being able to finish the enemy effectively, eventually allowing the enemy to seize an opportunity and ruthlessly take her down.
After dying repeatedly a few more times, Sister Zhou began to understand her core issue: too conservative!
Many times when she could attack but chose not to, she wasted excellent offensive opportunities in her hesitation, leading to her being counter-attacked by Shuan Daoke and defeated.
A true Sekiro player, regardless of their health, must constantly dance on the edge of their blade with the mentality of "I will win with the next strike," daring to try.
Otherwise, true opportunities will slip away through constant hesitation.
At the same time, this feeling of living on the edge of a sword, of being on the brink of life and death, is the unique charm of Sekiro.
The playstyle of struggling to defeat an opponent, then grinding for equipment to improve stats, like in Dark Souls, doesn't work here.
This is because Sekiro removes the massive character development system, leaving only vitality and attack as the two panel attributes. The weapon is directly reduced to a single sword and a cybernetic arm.
In Sekiro, there is no "curve to save the country" playstyle.
If you can't win, you can only improve your technique and reaction speed, not rely on grinding for equipment to increase stats to pass.
With each fall in combat, Sister Zhou gradually became familiar with Sekiro's gameplay.
Her technical level had greatly improved under the tempering of Shuan Daoke, but her mindset still lacked a bit.
She lacked a bit of decisiveness. After a new year of open-mindedness, Sister Zhou's confidence gradually grew.
The whetstone sharpened the wolf's fangs, and Sister Zhou's attacks also became decisive.
"Alright everyone, we're doing great!"
As Sister Zhou's sword pierced Shuan Daoke's throat fiercely, the boast she had made for half a year was finally realized, and she felt utterly exhilarated!
The more difficult a monster is to defeat, the greater the sense of accomplishment at the final moment, after repeatedly practicing techniques, tempering one's mindset, and improving one's strength.
"That was exhilarating!!"
Sister Zhou exhaled the suppressed frustration in her heart, tucking away her sharp edge. She no longer boasted about mowing down enemies and secretly looked forward to encountering stronger opponents later.
The stronger they are, the higher her potential for explosive power, and the more satisfying the victory at the last moment!
'Sister Zhou is too resilient!'
'Tears of joy, truly witnessing a novice transform bit by bit!'
'What a grand inspirational drama, it almost made me cry!'
'Through Sister Zhou's gameplay journey, I've gradually figured out the old dev's pattern: the prologue boss gives a tough intro, then a story kill brings you to the temple to find an external aid, the low-level mobs outside the temple let players slowly inflate their egos, and finally, they unleash Shuan Daoke to brutally beat them back to reality. Damn it all!'
'Thanks, I can feel the malice through the screen.'
'You haven't even mentioned the essence of it: after the brutal assault, the player reflects, constantly hones themselves, perfects their technique, and finally defeats the insurmountable mountain through their own persistence, feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and secretly looking forward to encountering stronger enemies and more severe challenges next time!'
...
"You've stripped bare the old dev's secrets, this isn't good."
Sister Zhou was in a great mood after killing Shuan Daoke, feeling a sense of transcendence.
In Sekiro, when players are abused by bosses, there are few skills to seek; only practice makes perfect.
Only through continuous death can techniques be honed and patterns be found.
After several or dozens of resurrections before the Ghost Buddha, then embarking on the journey again, finally achieving revenge!
Sister Zhou did it.
Chunchi did it!
Sanren did it!
PDD did it!
Tens of thousands of players did it!
As long as you don't give up, you will eventually create your own miracle!
The core element that draws countless players to Soulslike games, despite their torment, is this very essence.
After laying the psychological groundwork for the players, Lu Li did not hold back when he began to increase the difficulty.
When Sister Zhou, with surging emotions, arrived at the core area of Ashina Castle, preparing to enjoy the benefits of her mastered swordsmanship,
She was surprised to find that everyone in the core area of Ashina Castle was a Sword Saint.
Each person's swordplay had techniques no less than Shuan Daoke's. If she relaxed even slightly, she could capsize in the gutter.
This is a bit too much!
Sister Zhou, who was preparing to vent her heroic ambitions on the minor soldiers, was indignant. Now she felt like she was back in her novice days, struggling against everyone.
Absurd!
Fortunately, Lu Li wasn't too excessive; she could still deal with the guards and mobs in the city with a little effort.
However,
When Sister Zhou, with great difficulty, defeated various mobs and prepared to return to the temple to improve her strength...
The Ogre appeared!
...