The closer Daixiaomei got to the golden castle, the more her shock intensified. This game had something! Her experiences over the past three hours were vivid. She had not only endured several supremely torturous boss battles that nearly broke her spirit, but also met numerous NPCs with distinct personalities.
Normally, in exploration games, remembering the names of a few common NPCs was a sign of a player's dedication. But this time, she remembered:
* The loud-talking, confident, and flamboyant angel, Papyrus, who wore a red scarf and was uncharacteristically kind to players.
* Sans, the laid-back, mischievous, and stylish skeleton in a blue hoodie.
* Undyne, the stern Royal Guard captain whose impression was hard to shake.
* The little dragon, Alphd.
* Mettaton, the robot who loved passionate, awkward dances.
* Asgore, the mysterious and powerful King of the Underground.
* Toriel, the kind and benevolent "goat mom."
Simply mentioning their names brought their images to mind instantly, complete with their iconic movements. What was unbelievable was that she hadn't intentionally paid attention to these characters. She had only had brief conversations with them during her playthrough. Could you believe this was a game and not a collection of short stories?
"Ancient and creative gameplay."
"Rich story and world-building."
"Distinct and likable NPCs."
"Guys, I think this game has the potential to explode in popularity."
"The game designer is an absolute genius!!"
After an awkward dance with the robot Mettaton under the moonlight, Daixiaomei was somewhat exhilarated. In all her years of gaming, she had never been so deeply impressed by a game before. Despite its pixel art style, her mind could always conjure a complete world and NPC images based on the situational dialogues. This felt so real, as if a group of little spirits truly existed in some corner of the underground. She was merely a passerby who had accidentally glimpsed their world for a moment.
*Hiss…* Daixiaomei shivered, feeling her thoughts becoming increasingly bizarre.
'?? Are you sure you're not a paid promoter?'
'Who are you? How did you manage to progress so smoothly after Sister Yu?'
'I feel restless if I don't see the old woman throwing a tantrum for a day. Please, have a meltdown!'
'The streamer's analysis is good. It's evident the game designer put a lot of thought into creation. The memory footprint is small, but the details are really good!'
'I've been craving games that impress me like this for a very long time. I wonder who the author is; I want to play their other works.'
'Love it, love it!'
The viewers, who had been following along for five hours without realizing it, chimed in. They had even forgotten about time, not clamoring for Daixiaomei to win their usual battle royale games. After interacting with the chat for a while, Daixiaomei couldn't help but venture further into the ruins, temporarily putting aside the battle royale.
Leaving the core area, she approached the golden palace ahead. This was where the King resided. He was the one Goat Mom had repeatedly warned her to stay away from, and the one whom NPCs constantly mentioned as a fearsome figure. Daixiaomei was curious about what would happen when she met the King.
However, her path was blocked by a shadow before the golden corridor. Judging by the silhouette, it was Sans.
Sans:
* So you finally made it. The end of your journey, within reach.
* Soon, you will meet the King, and at the same time, decide the future of this world.
* That is a matter for later.
* For now, you will be judged. You will be judged for every action you have taken.
"Judged? What judgment?" Daixiaomei looked at her level 10 experience bar. "EXP, Execution Points? LOVE, Level Of Violence??"
Excuse me?!! It could be interpreted this way?
"So, the levels and health bars I've gained are all from inflicting pain on the creatures in the ruins?" Daixiaomei's heart tightened. She suddenly recalled that whenever a monster's health was about to run out, there was always an option to spare it.
If she killed no monsters, was that the trigger for the "Mercy" route? Conversely, if she executed every monster encountered in the ruins, would that trigger a different, "Genocide" storyline?
"Holy crap! Holy crap!" Daixiaomei exclaimed excitedly, as if she had discovered a new continent. "I think I know the core gameplay of this game!"
The chat:
Huh!!???
"Do you guys remember the first boss, the Spider Queen."
"When she was only one hit away from death, Muffet received a letter and wanted to make peace with me. I got angry and finished her off with one blow," Daixiaomei recalled. "Then the game prompted me that I had triggered the 'Normal' route. I remember that before that, I had spared all the small monsters I encountered and didn't deliver the finishing blow."
"Can it be understood that before killing the Spider Queen, I was on the Mercy route, and after killing her, the Normal route was triggered?"
"So, if I never kill any monsters, it's the Mercy route, and if I kill all of them, it's another route?"
"The easiest to trigger is the Normal route; it's triggered by killing just one monster. The other two routes are very extreme: one where you kill no one, and one where you kill everyone."
"This is the enlightenment I gained from my conversation with Sans in the Judgment Hall."
Daixiaomei's analysis was thorough and well-reasoned. Afterward, she proudly lifted her little head. Praise me!
'Brilliant! Truly brilliant!'
'The already content-rich game has suddenly become even more appealing!'
'I've been watching this playthrough, and the designer has crafted more than ten NPCs in a very short space, each with distinct personalities. That's awesome!'
'Game Designer: Come here, take the pen, you write it!'
'Although, I think the author probably didn't intend to hide anything from the players. The hints in the game are quite sufficient, perhaps there will be a direct choice after clearing it.'
'If there were hints, why didn't you mention them in the chat earlier? Now you're a Monday morning quarterback?'
'Oh yes, yes, yes, is it that hard to admit the streamer is observant?'
'I initially had no interest in the pixel art style, but after hearing this, I'm starting to feel a bit tempted.'
'Me too!!'
The viewers' generous praise made Daixiaomei feel very satisfied. At this moment, like the prompts that frequently appeared in the game, she was filled with determination!
"No need to argue, brothers. The answer will be revealed soon. The King should be the final boss," Daixiaomei said, regaining her usual spirit and confidence. "This time, I will surely get my revenge!"
Passing through the judgment corridor, Daixiaomei walked towards a small room in the unknown depths.
[A coffin.]
On the coffin was carved a name: "Xiaobawang" (Little Tyrant).
"Pah, pah, pah! Bad luck!" Daixiaomei's dissatisfied voice rang out.
[It is empty.]
"Of course, it's empty. I'm still standing here alive," Daixiaomei muttered, looking at the six neatly arranged coffins behind her. "What is this nonsense, unlucky, unlucky, let's go."
Leaving the small room, she arrived at the royal courtyard. This time, after much hardship, Daixiaomei finally met the final boss everyone was anticipating—Asgore.