It had to be said, the old designer had a knack for game construction.
He always knew how to immerse players in the world he built at the right moment, through clues both obvious and subtle.
Allowing players to shift between a god's perspective and becoming part of the vortex itself, to grasp the root of issues and stir their emotions.
Even without deliberate effort to understand, a few conversations, or even just fighting their way through, the rough outline of the entire world would gradually form in the player's mind.
Paired with universally praised scenes, compositions, and character art... the immersion was unknowingly elevated by several levels.
Players fought and were beaten in the game, yet they remained captivated, unable to stop. This was inseparable from the immersive sense of identification.
It was also the core of the enduring "torment" playstyle. Even in VR, Lu Li proved his skill, showing that the torment playstyle adapted to all platforms!
Senpou Temple.
A temple on Mount Kongo, built against the mountain, adjacent to the Six-Fold Falls to the east and a perpetually green bamboo forest to the west.
Bamboo was a rarity in the north, difficult to grow and propagate. The phenomenon of spring shoots appearing overnight after a clap of thunder was something only seen in the south.
According to the records of Ashina geography, the entire Ashina country was located in a more northern region. The fact that southern bamboo could survive and reproduce on Mount Kongo was not unrelated to Senpou Temple.
Pure Black fought his way up the winding mountain path to the interior of Senpou Temple. The deeper he went, the fewer ordinary monks he encountered, and the more he saw warrior monks wielding cross spears.
The abbots inside were much more troublesome. Many abbots would mutate after having their heads cut off, their lower halves controlled by centipedes at their necks.
Only by killing the centipedes could these fellows be considered truly dead.
He desperately needed the Mortal Blade!
Insect-possessed!
These damn things!
When Pure Black first encountered these disgusting creatures, he felt a physical discomfort. As he encountered more insect-possessed individuals, Pure Black felt an increasing hatred for these bald monks!
During this time,
He obtained a skill book, "Senpou Temple Fist Technique Secret Manual," and learned the Senpou Temple Fist Technique in just a few minutes.
However, this skill was somewhat redundant for the Wolf, who never parted with his sword. Pure Black rarely engaged in close-quarters combat with opponents.
Afterward,
Pure Black arrived before a dazzling golden Buddhist hall. On an altar lay a bell.
【Investigate】
With a thought, Wolf walked directly to the altar and rang the bell.
Swish swish swish~~~
A strange, demonic wind swept in outside the Buddhist hall.
Pure Black's vision suddenly went black. When light returned, he found himself in a mystical space.
Hiss!
Pure Black couldn't help but shiver. The buildings before him were covered in snow.
The sound of bells gradually faded here, and the bamboo forest outside had transformed into red maple trees, their red leaves vying for beauty with the white snow.
"A phantom realm?"
Surveying the unfamiliar scene, Pure Black murmured, stroking his chin. His gaze finally settled on four painted screens not far away.
Three of them depicted monkeys of different shapes and colors, while the last one was a blank canvas, utterly empty.
"What's the connection between three monkeys and a blank space?"
Thump~
Suddenly, a monkey dressed in a deep purple brocade silk poked its head out from the side.
"Ooooh hahaha~~~~"
Seeing a living person, the purple-clad monkey shrieked and scattered.
"Don't run!"
Pure Black gave chase decisively, but as he pursued, the monkey disappeared. At the end of the corridor, a monk, naked from the waist up, clasped his hands together in deep devotion.
"Are you also trapped in this corridor?" the monk said proactively as Wolf approached. "But you have a mission and wish to escape from here..."
"How?"
"Then you must capture the monkeys depicted on the screens."
Capture the monkeys on the screens?
"The one in purple is the 'Monkey Who Sees,' whose eyes perceive in all directions, seeing clearly even into the distance. It has a high level of vigilance... Normally, it will be discovered before you can get close, and it will immediately flee."
"The one in orange is the 'Monkey Who Speaks.' Its eyes and ears are not particularly sensitive, but as soon as it sees someone, it will make a loud noise, and the other monkeys will immediately flee. Perhaps that monkey is playing a trick."
"The one in green is the 'Monkey Who Hears,' whose ears listen in all directions, hearing clearly even from afar. It has a high level of vigilance... Normally, it will be heard before you can get close, and it will immediately flee. It is a very timid monkey."
After explaining to Pure Black, the monk noticed Pure Black staring at him and immediately understood, exclaiming, "As for me, I have no desire to leave the illusory corridor. It is always quiet here, and in a sense, it is very close to attaining Buddhist enlightenment."
"In that case, this illusory corridor seems to be the true holy land for cultivating Buddhism. The Senpou Temple outside has long since become a place where demons and monsters dance."
Pure Black commented with a faint smile. The people and monkeys here seemed mysterious, and it had a bit of a puzzle-solving element.
"By the way, there was someone else before who carried a mission just like you. During that time, he persistently chased those monkeys... but I don't know when he quieted down. Lastly, I wish you success in catching the three monkeys."
After delivering his final piece of advice, the monk entered a state of meditation, becoming as still as a chicken.
"So... the secrets hidden in the illusory corridor, the desire for the Mortal Blade... all of it hinges on catching monkeys?"
Pure Black turned to the camera and asked for help, "Does anyone have any insights?"
'Puzzles, I'm the worst at them...'
'How is this game supposed to be played without a guide?'
'The fourth painting clearly holds a secret, otherwise, they wouldn't have put all four paintings together.'
'I know! The fourth painting refers to Wolf himself. He needs to personally sacrifice to comprehend the ultimate truth.'
'I suspect the previous person the monk mentioned is either Isshin or Owl. Only they would have this motive.'
'I think the three monkeys should represent the Confucian Analects: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.'
'Holy crap, we have a genius!'
......
"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil..."
Stroking his chin, Pure Black murmured the words. After pondering for a moment, he exclaimed excitedly, "It seems there really is something to it. I have to say, there are indeed geniuses in the bullet comments. If I had to figure it out myself, I really wouldn't have thought of this."
"However..."
Pure Black showed a troubled expression. "Even if I know what it's trying to convey, what's with this revealed health bar?"
In his vision,
At some point, long health bars labeled "Monkey Who Sees," "Monkey Who Hears," and "Monkey Who Speaks" had appeared.
"So, I still have to kill?"
"Fine."
Pure Black drew his sword, Ziying, and began to try.
The key in this stage was to remember the colors and abilities of the different monkeys. The purple one had good eyesight, the green one had good hearing, and the orange one liked to make noise.
When one function was particularly prominent, the other functions were diminished.
For example, the orange one liked to make noise, but its sight and hearing were poor. It could be dealt with last, so there would be no fear of it alerting the other monkeys.
The purple one had good eyesight but poor hearing and didn't make noise, so you could choose to flank it.
The green one had good hearing and required surprise.
Now... it was time to figure out the monkeys' patrol routes.
It took half an hour, and after playing hide-and-seek with the three monkeys more than ten times, Pure Black finally figured out their common respawn locations.
After resetting the illusory corridor with the bell, Pure Black charged towards the maple trees!
Fwip!
Using his grappling hook, he leaped onto a nearby maple tree and then threw a firecracker.
Squelch!
The audience didn't even see his movement before the green monkey was eliminated. What was interesting was that the health bar only dropped by a quarter after one monkey died.
Immediately after,
Pure Black again used his grappling hook to climb onto the roof beams, heading straight for the tallest structure. The purple monkey was inside.
Monkeys didn't have much attack power; their main strength was their agility, and they had many openings.
In front of Pure Black, who had fully grasped the pattern, the monkeys were like lambs to the slaughter.
After eliminating two monkeys, only the last one, the noisy orange one, remained. This guy hid in a blind spot on the roof, its sight and hearing both poor. Pure Black had already crept up behind it without it noticing.
Squelch!
The last one was dealt with. Only then did Pure Black notice that the health bar had only decreased by three-quarters.
"Still one missing?"
"Am I really going to have to sacrifice myself?"
Pure Black was stunned. He scoured the entire illusory corridor but found no trace of other monkeys. Only he and the monk who had guided him remained.
"Could it be you?"
Pure Black placed his butcher's knife on the monk. There were only two options: he died or the monk died. He chose the monk first. If he was wrong, he would commit suicide, which would definitely lead to victory.
Squelch!
A single sword easily dealt with the monk, but the health bar still had a quarter remaining.
The problem was once again pushed back to Pure Black – should he commit suicide?
"Why not give it a try?"
Since there were no other options, Pure Black walked to the edge of the cliff. After a moment of hesitation, he decisively jumped off.
【Scum】
Pure Black: Huh???
Audience: Hahahaha!!!!
......