Chapter 138: Feedback on the Random Mode (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Regarding the brand-new Random Mode, discussions quickly multiplied across major Dark Souls-related forum communities.

"This mode is absolutely unfriendly to African big chiefs! I have a friend—okay, maybe it's me—who only ever picks up things like Faint Soul or Dung Pie. And when it comes to weapons? Only whips!"

"Wait, this game actually has whip weapons!?"

"Just a wild guess, but that 'friend' of yours… wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"

"Honestly, the first boss being the Dancer of the Boreal Valley right from the start? I'm done for!"

"What's that? On the path through Cemetery of Ash, I met Black Knights, Corvians, and Snake-Men—didn't miss a single one!"

Facing this new Random Mode, many players who had begun to lose interest in Dark Souls now felt a renewed urge to boot up the game once more.

Although in terms of balance, luck in the Random Mode sometimes outweighed skill.

Some players, blessed with the same fortune as Liu Xiu, were 'Lucky Kings' who managed to pick up powerful, top-tier weapons and even Lord Souls right at the start, turning the game into an effortless 'mowing-the-grass' experience.

Meanwhile, unlucky players with 'Chieftain-level' misfortune might struggle endlessly to find a single item, only to discover upon pickup that it was a Dung Pie—an awkward situation that escalated their gameplay into a 'mowing-the-grass' scenario of a very different, hellish kind.

This mode also triggered a new attribute in many players, beyond their existing masochistic tendencies: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder!

In the original version, many players ignored collectible items entirely, since they were likely just souls or seemingly useless weapons that contributed little to the actual gameplay—mere gratification for collectors.

But in Random Mode, things were different. That one item you skipped might have been the Lord Soul of a nameless king or a Black Knight Shield.

So naturally, players couldn't afford to miss a single item.

What if the next item was something incredibly powerful!?

Moreover, this was also the greatest allure of the Random Mode.

Players never knew whether the next item they opened would be a Dung Pie or a priceless treasure.

This lottery-like thrill was undeniably enticing.

Combined with these new elements, even ordinary players who had already cleared the game once and watched numerous Souls scholar videos analyzing Dark Souls' lore and story on video platforms were now reopening Dark Souls and embarking once again on the Firelinking journey.

After all, prior to this, multiple playthroughs in Dark Souls were mostly about repetition. True, monsters and bosses became stronger in subsequent playthroughs, and certain items only appeared in later runs.

But for most ordinary players, that wasn't enough incentive to replay.

The Random Mode, however, was different.

It offered far greater entertainment, making each new game feel like a completely fresh journey.

Players could never predict what items they'd find, what bosses or mobs they'd encounter.

After the Random Mode launched, Dark Souls not only saw a resurgence in popularity but also experienced a modest spike in sales.

The mode's entertainment and visual appeal, as showcased on live streaming platforms and video platforms, proved highly attractive.

Of course, whether players drawn in by the Random Mode could truly awaken a special constitution and remain in the world of Dark Souls depended entirely on their endurance capacity.

For players, the original content of Dark Souls had already been sufficient to keep them occupied for a long time. The Random Mode simply offered them several more weeks—or even months—of grinding.

But beyond all this, there was another question players deeply cared about.

When would Chen Xu finally begin developing the Dark Souls sequel?

………………

In the office at Nebula Games.

After completing Dark Souls' development and launching the new mode, the entire team was currently quite relaxed.

Aside from the Operations Department managing customer service and forum communities for the Nebula Games Platform, and the Audit Department overseeing the Workshop (modding platform),

the only departments within the Game Department still busy were those handling Sanguosha, Fall Guys, and Overcooked—three titles requiring continuous operation.

Unlike single-player games like Dark Souls, these three games relied on multiplayer modes as their main selling point, thus requiring ongoing support.

While Sanguosha maintained exceptionally high user retention, the other two titles, though past their peak, still had sizable active player bases.

Chen Xu naturally didn't ignore them, though his personal focus had shifted elsewhere.

Stretching lazily, Chen Xu glanced at the information gathered by his assistant, Lin Rou.

Since his primary focus was on game development, he sometimes missed key news in the gaming industry.

Lin Rou, however, collected all the essential updates for him.

Skimming through, there wasn't much major news recently.

The gaming industry's main focus remained on TengHua and NetDragon's two new VR titles.

However, the information Lin Rou had collected on AI technology companies caught Chen Xu's attention for a longer moment.

As for top-tier AI firms, they were naturally involved in facial recognition, iris scanning, healthcare, security, and military applications—huge markets that clearly weren't Chen Xu's target.

Moreover, large AI companies typically grew not through organic development but through aggressive acquisitions—buying up smaller firms to build massive data moats.

Meanwhile, average AI companies lacked significant scale.

Reviewing the data Lin Rou had gathered, Chen Xu noticed several AI technology companies that met the prerequisites for using item cards.

He pulled out their documents and placed them in a separate folder nearby, then stretched and stood up, leaving his office.

It was lunch break. In the recreation area, employees like Yang Xin, Ruan Ningxue, and Qin Yi were either napping on lounge chairs with headphones on, or playing games together.

Nebula Games now had 85 full-time employees—including the janitor—so while it wasn't quite a medium-sized company, it was definitely no longer a small studio.

As Chen Xu walked over, employees greeted him.

On the only sofa, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were connected via controllers, playing the new Dark Souls mode on the big screen.

"Xiaoxue, your luck is terrible! Irithyll Straight Sword? What junk! Wait till I pull a Dragonslayer Greataxe for you!" Yang Xin complained, seeing what Ruan Ningxue had obtained.

"And what about your luck, Sister Xin? A Fire Pot?" Ruan Ningxue shot back.

"You two and your luck—pfft!" Chen Xu opened a can of coke he'd taken from the fridge.

"Mr. Chen, why don't you give it a try?" Ruan Ningxue said, offering him the controller.

"Nah, you two keep playing," Chen Xu waved it off. Truthfully, he had no confidence in his own luck—he'd only ever won two Special Items from the system gacha, and even those probably came after countless failed pulls.

Ruan Ningxue continued playing, while Yang Xin suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Mr. Chen, when are we starting development on the Dark Souls sequel? I've seen tons of players asking about it on forum communities and the official Weibo account!"

Hearing this, Qin Yi, who had just arrived, immediately chimed in: "Yeah, Mr. Chen, when are we making the sequel? Judging from the current story and worldview, it should cover earlier events—so a prequel would make more sense!"

Other employees nearby perked up, watching Chen Xu with full of anticipation.

They, more than ordinary players, clearly understood the significance of a sequel.

Throughout development, the team had deliberately planted plot hooks, clearly laying the groundwork for a follow-up.

The one thing they shared with players was their intense curiosity about the complete worldview and Story-driven narrative of Dark Souls.

Facing the group's eager eyes, Chen Xu shook his head. "You're right—it will be a Prequel. But there's no plan for it yet. Besides, Dark Souls has only been launched for less than two months. It's way too early to talk about a Sequel."

"Let players settle down first. Of course, if you don't mind, I can create a folder named Dark Souls: Prequel right now. And, unless something unexpected happens, the company is about to make a big move."

"A big move!?" Hearing Chen Xu's words, everyone grew even more curious.

"You'll find out soon enough," Chen Xu smiled, offering no further answers, then stood and returned to his office.

I'll keep posting 20,000 words daily. Though I don't have any saved drafts, since this isn't the early stage of a new novel anymore, I can finally let loose—plenty to satisfy you so you can't call it 'short' ever again.

(End of Chapter) <>