Chapter 56: Do We Always Need to Draw Blood Between Us?

In other games, it might take a week or even a month, with continuous investment in marketing, to make a game dominate most of the online discussions.

But Elden Ring is different.

From the very beginning, with its depiction of a realistic world of swords and magic, to the countless discussions about high-difficulty bosses, and the vast open world, Elden Ring has made its mark.

Even before its release, there were signs on the internet when the trailer came out.

Within just one day of its official launch, every corner of the internet was filled with discussions about Elden Ring.

With its unique online mode, as well as the invasion mode, coupled with the intriguing interaction provided by comments and bloodstains, and the challenging, impressive bosses, Elden Ring unsurprisingly became a sensation.

It even contributed to the global economic recovery, accelerating Otto's original recovery plan and advancing the development of the world.

The pain caused by the Second Eruption to the civilization was akin to a nuclear bomb, leaving everyone battered and bruised, with the lingering effects of nuclear radiation continuing to afflict this civilization.

Repairing such damage would require a considerable amount of time.

Nine years might not seem like much, but children have yet to grow up, and economic recovery is slow. Nevertheless, life goes on.

Bronie purchased festive goods, and the inside of the bar was bustling with activity.

Outside, crooked couplets and bright red lanterns adorned the entrance, while inside, the atmosphere was lively.

Kiana, resembling a joyful elf, played happily in the room. Cioara, feeling resigned, followed behind, tidying up after Kiana, either picking up knocked-over toys or clearing away paper scraps left from cutting.

Siegfried was in the kitchen, assisting Bronie.

Though he couldn't cook, he was adept at chopping and preparing vegetables, having been taught how.

Among the two adults and two children, only Bronie knew how to cook, so the task of cooking fell to her.

Who knows, perhaps in the future, Bronie will become a culinary expert, honing her skills through daily practice.

"Hahaha! The final dish is ready! Come and feast, everyone!"

At Bronie's call, everyone gathered around the large square table.

"Today, in my hometown, it's an important annual festival where families come together to welcome the new year. I may not know many people, but each one is significant, whether it's Kiana, Mr. Siegfried, or, of course, the most important, Cioara. Eden and the others couldn't make it due to some special circumstances, so this New Year's Eve dinner will be just the four of us."

As Siegfried looked at the array of delicious dishes on the table, memories surfaced of the days when he and his wife, Cecilia, celebrated the Spring Festival with their children and Theresa.

When she first learned about this festival, she wanted to experience it and join in the festivities.

Little did she know, it would be their last Spring Festival together.

And little did anyone know that afterward, he would encounter such a festival again in this cold, foreign land.

"Honestly, you seem like a local, but I didn't expect the festival to be like this," Cioara remarked, expressing her surprise.

Kiana, who had never experienced it before, naturally looked around with curious eyes.

"You may have local roots, but not the living environment. Life is tough every year, and only during the Spring Festival does the atmosphere improve slightly. So, I'm used to it. But now, after leaving that place behind, I still occasionally reminisce about that life when I'm alone."

Well, first of all, let's rule out Anti Entropy and Schicksal.

After all, although both sides are fighting against the Honkai, it's not bad for their subordinates.

Why are the Valkyries so loyal?

The truth? Hatred?

Brainwashing?

Anyway, all of these are present, but the treatment won't be too bad. Not to mention Anti Entropy, there are only a few who can go to the front lines, and the rest are controlling mechs behind the scenes. Although life is a bit stricter, the treatment is equally good.

"To be honest, did the person who adopted you often mistreat you?"

Cioara's question naturally referred to another her who grew up in another world and spent day and night with Bronie.

"She only praised me three times in my life. Once was when I was adopted and wore a maid's uniform, the second time was when I almost blew up the city before I left, and the third time was also the last time, when I said goodbye to her."

"She's really strict..."

Siegfried could probably understand.

"Mm-hmm, that's why I didn't give her a good look either. After all, I'm a genius. Later, I ran away from home, and then I started playing games here. But it's not a memorial service for New Year's, let's eat first. Let's not talk about this for now!"

New Year's is supposed to be full of joy, so why suddenly reminisce about the past? Oh well, blame it on Siegfried. He asked herself why she celebrated the Spring Festival in the first place. It's not like she should suddenly be affected by the atmosphere of nostalgia.

"The good days are just beginning now. I'm going to make heaps and heaps of games to bring joy to everyone. A new year, a new start, let's toast!"

"Cheers!"

In a sense, Bronie simplified many of the things to do for New Year's.

Because the environment outside was very cold, they didn't dare to set off fireworks at night, and it didn't make much sense to do so at noon either.

In the end, they just made a symbolic effort, throwing a few that sounded loud.

But for Kiana, it was a very happy day.

Because Siegfried allowed her to go out and even accompanied her to play at Sister Bronie's house. Bronie also gave her new clothes.

Although she could ask Siegfried for whatever she wanted, and he would never refuse, receiving new clothes from Bronie gave her a strange feeling.

She hoped for better days ahead. Kiana made this New Year's wish.

But compared to the joyful New Year's on Bronie's side, in the world of data, within the Elysian Realm, it was a different scene, but still like New Year's.

"Hahaha! Aponia! I've come to find you!"

In the game, after becoming familiar with the operation of Elden Ring, Kalpas began invading Aponia's world.

"Eden, Eden, look, I found Ranni! Isn't she cute?"

"A magical puppet princess? It's quite rare in this world, but Ranni... you can explore her story more."

Eden, having participated in Bronie's game production, naturally knew a lot about the background stories of the characters.

She also saw the feelings of the players from Bronie's perspective when playing these games. It was indeed a proud feeling.

But everyone in the Lands Between was quite miserable. The little ones were miserable, and so were the big ones.

The Greater Will was like a huge hand, invisibly manipulating everyone's fate, operating this world according to its own will.

And Ranni was the rebel.

"Since Eden said so, I will continue to explore! But the traps in this dungeon are endless. Bronie is really naughty!"

"It's easier for boys to handle. This game is indeed very suitable for boys. The plot is too fragmented. If you want to understand it carefully, you need to carefully read it. This is actually very difficult. But inspired by Bronie, Vill-V said that the next time she sees Bronie, she will let her experience the dungeons she made herself."

Inside the Elysian Realm, Elden Ring received great praise.

But playing it was also a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Although everyone's reactions were quick and they were all seasoned warriors, the performance of the characters in the game was there.

Even if you reacted quickly, the characters inside might not.

Accidentally dying and losing all your runes was a common occurrence. Almost all players played this game in a state of pain and joy.

Even Flamechasers were the same.

And Kalpas was even more of a tough guy.

When he heard that Aponia was also playing this game, he crazily started invading. And Aponia?

She was using Agheel's Flame to directly block Kalpas.

After all, why did Kalpas insist on fighting with her in such a narrow space?

"It seems that the relationship between Bronie and Vill-V is getting better!"

Elysia was very happy. And Eden shook her head slightly and said, "The next time Bronie is trapped by Vill-V, please also help out a bit."

"Of course, but Ranni, hehehe, Ranni seems to be planning something big, so how can I help her?"

"You need to explore more for that. Maybe the underground areahas what you're looking for?" "The underground area?"

"Mm-hmm, Bronie seems to have mentioned it to me, but I don't remember it very clearly. This map is so huge that it takes a lot of time to explore, so take your time. I'll accompany you, Elysia."

"It's a pity that this game is a single-player world, saving the world by yourself feels a bit lonely."

"In fact, you can summon other players to fight bosses together. Although the boss's health and attack power will increase, and didn't Bronie connect the Elysian Realm to the outside world? You can totally team up with people from the current civilization."

"Eden, you know about me. After playing online games, you never know if the person on the other side is a beautiful girl or a boy. It's much less fun to play together like that!"

Elysia's request for playing games online with others was quite special.

A beautiful girl was enough.

But this game didn't show that. And most of the time, wearing a helmet directly covered the face, it didn't feel romantic at all.

It was hard to finally create a perfect self, but if you didn't wear a helmet, your attributes would drop significantly.

Faced with such a choice, Elysia ultimately chose strength. It was inevitable.

After all, this game was so difficult.

"For the main plot of this game, according to what Bronie said, there should be several variations. Every decision you make will change the course of the world."

"Saving the world? Although the game is very interesting, if it were placed in reality, it would give people a very heavy feeling."

Elysia sighed like this, still caring about Kevin's thoughts. Kevin, whom Elysia was thinking about, was not by her side but Su's.

Among all the people, Su cleared the game the fastest. No one knew how he did it, but Klein discovered that someone had made a region within the Elysian Realm and accelerated time.

"Hmm?"

Meanwhile, Kevin was exploring the dungeon.

"There's a hidden passage to the left up ahead."

"Got it." Kevin didn't say much either, directly controlling his character to go to the hidden place Su mentioned.

With a fierce slash, the wall in front disappeared, revealing a treasure chest.

Not bad. Generally, the hidden room's treasure chests should have a lot of good stuff.

Then Kevin opened the chest.

But the chest suddenly turned into a monster with sharp teeth, biting Kevin's character's head fiercely.

"You schemed against me, you bastard!"

Yes, there were no mimic chests in Elden Ring, but Bronie liked this kind of setting.

So in some dungeons, Bronie added a few mimic chests, but the rewards inside were still there. It was just to give people a little surprise. Of course, the concept of mimic chests had appeared early in Dungeons & Dragons, and later on, Homu's Dragon Quest also used a similar setting.

But a mimic chest in a 3D game was the first time.

The mimic chest bit Kevin's head and sent him back to the Site of Grace, rendering all the exploration of the dungeon before useless.

Most importantly. This dungeon was actually a maze-type dungeon, and so far Kevin was still lost. He didn't know how he got there before.

And now.

Almost everything was in vain.

Kevin's blood pressure rose rapidly.

And Su laughed.

"When Bronie made the game, it was to bring smiles to everyone, but recently, she has started to show her true colors. While this game brings smiles to others, it also has the potential to transfer those smiles elsewhere. This is my retaliation for you recommending me the game 'Getting Over It With Haxxor Bunny'!"

"Tsk, don't sleep too hard at night."

Kevin's warning just made Su smile.

"Hehe, can you tell exactly when I'm sleeping? I'm a MANTIS with spiritual perception, I can foresee before you do anything bad."

Is this how you use your foresight?

But Kevin also had a clever idea. "Before you foresee it, I'll freeze the entire space you're in."

"Do we have to fight each other to the death?" Su also pointed his thumb at a nearby portal.

"Let's have Kalpas make some room for us. It's been a long time since we sparred. The loser will have to complete 'Getting Over It With Haxxor Bunny' three times!"

"Then, don't cry too ugly when that time comes!"