Chapter 129: Malice Overflowing

Honestly speaking, after overcoming the monsters encountered at the High Wall of Lothric—including the Curse-Rotted Greatwood that fell into the deep pit—even these bosses felt simpler to fight than mobs like the Black Knight.

Some elite monsters encountered along the way, such as the Outrider Knight, Black Knight, and Giant Crab, could even be bypassed entirely.

Regular mobs were slightly tougher than previous monsters, but the difficulty coefficient hadn’t escalated to anything terrifying.

As long as players figured out the attack routines and mechanics of these enemies, they weren’t particularly hard to defeat.

But the core issue was the cost paid before gaining familiarity—death.

Moreover, during combat, players weren’t merely facing enemies.

They also had to contend with the terrain and environment of the map itself.

Inside Farron Keep, for instance, should you endure the thrashing from the toxic pool, or just play it safe and retreat?

Traps combined with enemy placements—this combination alone brought countless players to tears.

Many players even felt that facing the Great Machete Ghru and Darkwraith in Farron Keep was harder than fighting actual bosses.

Yet, at this point, although players were actively complaining about the excessively grim map design, they weren’t directing their anger at Dark Souls.

After experiencing the earlier levels, they clearly understood what kind of game Dark Souls truly was.

They had also begun to appreciate its unique attraction. Instead, their criticism was squarely aimed at Chen Xu.

After all, he was the true mastermind behind it all.

‘I’m done. What kind of person designs a map like Farron Keep?’

‘Look at my meme. It’s clearly this guy!’

‘Honestly, Mr. Chen, this map design is just too grim!’

‘Haha, I already knew Mr. Chen’s style back during Outlast. He’s finally revealed himself! Warrior of Love? More like Warrior of Deceit!’

‘Well said! But bro upstairs, judging from your Nebula Games Platform account, why have you purchased every single game by Chen Xu? And your linked overseas account shows you’ve played Mirror (Game) for 420.1 hours? You’ve been using that for the past year?’

‘Ahem! Limited resources, and I was young and foolish back then.’

Because of the Farron Keep map, countless players became active on forum communities.

But to many people’s surprise, at this moment, Chen Xu actually shared an official Weibo post from a player complaining about how difficult Farron Keep was, then left a comment underneath.

The post was simple: ‘The Farron Keep map is indeed quite difficult—it belongs to the top tier of maps.’

Seeing Chen Xu’s reply, countless players were left speechless.

You actually know this map is packed with malice!

But after their brief grumbling, many players began to feel hopeful.

If Farron Keep represented peak-level malice, then surely things would get easier after pushing through it, right?

Of course, some players suspected it wouldn’t be that simple.

And indeed, after barely surviving the Farron Keep area and progressing forward, they quickly realized:

Yes, Farron Keep was indeed a top-tier malice-filled map.

But that didn’t mean the maps ahead were necessarily easier!

After defeating the Farron Breakdance—no, the Farron Undead Legion—and unlocking the entrance to the Catacombs, players fully experienced what ‘love’ truly meant.

The Carthus Swordsmen wielding great machetes and the endless hordes of skeletons were bad enough.

But the traps in this area left countless players bewildered.

Walking along, a row of crossbow bolts would suddenly shoot from the walls, obliterating the player.

Walking along, a massive skeletal boulder would plummet from above, sending you flying.

Random jars and vials sat around—your ADHD self couldn’t resist rolling into them, only to be engulfed by eerie mist that taught you ‘YOU DIED’ all over again.

Meanwhile, players with exceptional talent and hardcore grinders, upon reaching Irithyll Dungeon and the Profaned Capital, faced even greater mental torment.

Beyond the countless malicious, trap-laden environments, the monsters and scenes here made timid players tremble, reminiscent of their Outlast days.

Wretches wailed incessantly. Maggot-ridden Wretches and Cage Spiders delivered pure mental pollution. Corpses shrieked when you tried picking up items from the ground.

After defeating a group of rats and giants, the items they dropped might just be Dung Pies.

Seven Jailers, each wielding red-hot irons, formed the Seven Jailers' Kindling Slaughter Formation, teaching players firsthand what it meant to be Butt-Roasting Experts.

Many players had faced Gundyr the Ash without flinching, gritted their teeth through the High Wall of Lothric, motivated themselves in the Undead Settlement, and finally transformed in Farron Keep.

But here, they broke completely, openly declaring they’d rather keep company with the Crestfallen Warrior.

This fire? Let whoever wants it carry it!

Compared to regular players, who could simply quit if they wanted to,

streamers on various platforms were suffering yet enjoying themselves.

The suffering came from the game’s relentless malice and extreme difficulty—it was absolutely perfect.

The joy came from the fact that players loved watching.

Especially those who had been scared off the game—they loved watching streamers play, feeling a sense of shared struggle.

When the streamer died, they could send sarcastic bullet comments. The joy was indescribable.

Likewise, the popularity of live streams and videos on video platforms fueled the game’s sales and popularity, which steadily climbed.

This brought wave after wave of new players, as everyone understood that playing and watching were two entirely different concepts.

After watching streamers get mentally broken, many viewers thought, ‘If I played, I’d definitely do better.’

Then, after purchasing the game, they quickly realized it wasn’t that simple at all.

Players responded in various ways.

Some immediately requested refunds.

Some bought it but never played.

Others chose to persevere, gradually awakening a special kind of resilience, discovering the unique texture and charm of the Souls series.

And while everyone else suffered, in the office of Nebula Games, Chen Xu watched his points rise and couldn’t stop smiling.

For Dark Souls, emotional harvesting was simply unstoppable!

Initially, most players contributed Resentment Points.

Later, upon defeating powerful enemies and acquiring better weapons, joy and happiness began to emerge.

This was the hallmark of Dark Souls—it wasn’t merely a game designed to torment players.

Beyond the broken resentment, once players truly immersed themselves and adapted, they could experience numerous satisfying moments.

The joy of growing stronger. The joy of seeing through the producer’s sneaky traps. The joy of discovering new playstyles and routines.

Truly, Dark Souls was a top-tier emotional harvesting machine.

‘The resentment bar is completely overflowing!’

Looking at the golden item he had drawn earlier in his inventory, Chen Xu noticed that among the four different progress bars, the one for Resentment—previously the lowest—was now full.

Clearly, if visualized, it would already be spilling over.

Happiness was just a tiny bit short. Anger and sadness lagged behind, each still missing about one-sixth.

But judging from the current progress, it was only a matter of time.

Leaning back in his office chair, Chen Xu was contentedly observing the numbers when a knock sounded at the door. His assistant Lin Rou’s voice followed.

(End of Chapter) <>