Chapter 171: As Long As the Heart Remains, Dreams Will Too! (Sixth update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Chapter 171: As Long As the Heart Remains, Dreams Will Too! (Sixth update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Probably just like Song Ren, everyone assumed this area was reserved for staff or for cosplayers’ props, so the place was completely empty.

Song Ren was the first to arrive.

Under the guidance of a staff member, he sat down on the fishbowl sofa and zipped himself in. From the outside, it looked as if half his body had been stuffed inside a water tank.

"Is this really a new game!?"

Grasping the hammer in his hand, Song Ren widened his eyes, filled with surprise and delight.

The moment he picked up the hammer, an image appeared on the monitor before him.

Then, the Nebula Games logo drifted across the screen.

A valley scene appeared, with a hammer hanging from a rock beside it.

Three UI options were displayed: 'Enter Game,' 'Options,' and 'Exit Game.'

Look what he’s discovered!

A brand-new game! And such an unexpected find?

Other players nearby noticed this as well, all wearing looks of astonishment.

But upon seeing there were still three open spots, players quickly rushed over.

Those who didn’t get a seat began lining up nearby.

However, after hearing the staff’s explanation, they immediately became upset.

"How can it be like this!?"

"Yeah! This new game trial only has four spots—how can the playtime be so long!?"

"Exactly! Half an hour per session is way too long!"

"Right, right! There are so many people waiting in line!"

The players in line instantly grew dissatisfied.

From the staff, they learned that this unknown game had a trial time of a full thirty minutes.

That meant even the second person in line would have to wait half an hour.

And there were only four spots total.

Yet, the game looked intriguing—apparently it used motion control, with the giant hammer in hand serving as the input device.

It must be an action game. Fighting monsters with a giant hammer—how awesome would that be!

Hearing the commotion, Chen Xu arrived.

"Mr. Chen, okay, maybe you don’t have a new Dark Souls game, but setting such a long trial time is just unreasonable!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

Seeing Chen Xu appear, many players voiced their complaints.

"Everyone, please calm down. The reason we’ve set such a long trial time is that this game is quite special. It requires certain skills from players, as well as persistent determination, hence the extended duration," Chen Xu explained.

Heaven and earth as his witness—every word he said was true.

"Hmm… how about this: everyone stay quiet and watch for ten minutes first. Then you’ll understand. This game needs time for players to truly appreciate its unique characteristics. To ensure every player experiences its essence, we’ve set a longer trial time," Chen Xu reassured them.

Though still somewhat discontent, the players at the exhibition quieted down and turned their attention to the scene.

The spectacle even attracted a group of players who had been waiting in line for the Dark Souls Challenge and It Takes Two.

Seeing the order restored under the staff’s supervision, Chen Xu smiled, then silently turned away, concealing his brilliance.

Meanwhile, Song Ren, the first to experience the game, entered with a heart full of excitement.

But the scene that appeared the next moment left both him and the onlookers stunned.

Scattered stones littered the ground. Beside them lay a dark, jar-like object and a large hammer.

The jar began shaking, and from within crawled out a man.

A bald, muscular hardman with a small beard, his upper body exposed, all muscle.

He gripped the hammer with both hands.

His appearance was nearly identical to Song Ren outside the exhibition.

"This journey is far too difficult. You'll never reach the peak. Just give up!"

At that moment, a cartoonish old man popped out from the ground, grumbling just like the Crestfallen Warrior from Dark Souls.

The game also displayed its control interface.

Normally, the game could be played with just a mouse, but now the hammer in hand replaced the mouse.

But seriously, wasn’t this game just too primitive!?

The onlookers at the exhibition all grumbled inwardly.

Still, they didn’t say much—after all, Chen Xu had started out making Independent Games.

Compared to Dark Souls and It Takes Two, weren’t Chen Xu’s earlier games also unremarkable in visuals?

Song Ren tried swinging the hammer in his hand. Since it was inflatable and only contained a motion sensor device inside, it wasn’t heavy. Plus, the specially designed sofa was comfortable, leaving plenty of room for swinging the hammer.

As he swung the hammer, he saw the muscular character in-game begin swinging his own.

The gameplay wasn’t difficult—just swing the hammer and move forward, backward, up, or down.

But this game felt really weird!

Not just Song Ren, but all the onlookers shared the same thought.

The game’s objective was crystal clear: climb the mountain using the hammer.

The control mode? Simply swinging the hammer.

But unlike the spectators, Song Ren, who was actually playing, quickly noticed something different.

This game actually had a bit of difficulty.

Swinging the hammer and moving forward—sounded easy enough.

But when he actually tried it, he realized it wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

Especially with the first tree ahead—he had to hook the hammer onto the Greatwood’s branch and slowly pull himself over.

But the point of force application for the hammer in-game was far too sensitive.

Any variation in the size or speed of his movement was reflected in the game.

For instance, slamming the hammer hard into the ground created a rebounding force, allowing the character to perform a jump-like motion.

Or hooking the edge of a trunk and yanking hard could also pull him over.

But knowing and doing were two different things. The hammer refused to obey.

He swung wildly, yet remained stuck at the tree.

The other three players currently experiencing the game were in the same boat as Song Ren.

The onlookers outside, however, found the situation quite amusing.

Players sat in the fishbowl sofa, mimicking the game’s actions with the hammer controller, yet their characters couldn’t progress at all. The sight was genuinely comical.

"Bro’s been stuck here for two minutes now!"

"Everyone else is stuck here too—so it’s actually pretty hard?"

"Wait, really? I thought it’d be simple—just hook around the edge and swing over, right?"

Hearing the quiet murmurs of the surrounding players, Song Ren’s lips twitched. He really wanted to shout, "If you can do it, you go ahead!"

But after all, he was a player who had cleared Dark Souls—he had some gaming talent.

After a couple more attempts, he successfully cleared the first tree.

Seeing the other players still stuck at the tree, a hint of triumph appeared on Song Ren’s face.

He continued forward with the hammer. Now, Song Ren more or less understood what kind of game this was.

Wasn’t it just about clearing levels to the end?

Only the method of control had changed—swinging a sledge instead.

But this game was too easy, wasn’t it?

No sense of urgency, no pressure.

Continuing to control the Jar Man forward, Song Ren felt puzzled.

Soon, he reached a small canyon. The next task? Climbing a mountain.

Clearly visible were several protruding spots—likely designated points where players could hook their hammers for leverage.

"The controls are a bit odd, but actually pretty simple. You just have to control the force of your swing," Song Ren summarized, noticing that the other three players had also passed the first tree.

"Yeah, it’s definitely a bit challenging, but overcoming the obstacle feels quite rewarding," another player nearby remarked.

"Exactly. Just like back in Dark Souls—these kinds of games require a good mindset, because it’ll probably get harder later," a player said with deep feeling.

"Right, everyone, keep pushing. You’ve got to play with a smile," added another.

"Of course, you’ve got to play with a smile," Song Ren agreed. Everyone seemed motivated.

But soon, they began noticing something off.

"Why are the game’s models so messy?" a spectator behind voiced their confusion.

The scene ahead looked bizarre—an odd house suddenly appeared on the mountain, half of it embedded in the rock.

There were also cement pipes resembling construction materials, giving the whole thing an incongruous look.

It felt particularly immersion-breaking.

The overall art style also seemed slightly grotesque.

Though strange, Song Ren and the others didn’t pay it much mind.

Just keep playing—no level was blocking progress.

They were now on a tall, steep slope. Houses, logs, and rocks provided numerous points of leverage.

Swinging his hammer, Song Ren climbed slowly upward. A small mistake caused his character to fall back down, making all his previous efforts wasted.

But Song Ren didn’t dwell on it or lose heart. After all, the distance wasn’t that long. He simply continued swinging the hammer.

This time, he carefully hooked the edge, found the right point of leverage, and began climbing again.

"After one failure, you analyze and learn from the experience—just like in Dark Souls," Song Ren smiled, glancing at the screens of the other three players.

One had reached the same height as him, while the other two were still in earlier scenes.

"Yeah, bro, keep going!" the player at the same progress level smiled and encouraged Song Ren.

Calmly settling his emotions, Song Ren continued guiding his character forward.

A cluttered stone path. This time, a narrow space required climbing onto a steel platform resembling a construction crane.

But the passage was extremely narrow.

The protrusions on both sides made the situation slightly awkward.

Song Ren took a deep breath, slowly raised the hammer with both hands, and swung it hard.

Instantly, the muscular character in-game leapt high. Seizing the moment, Song Ren swung the hammer again, hooking it onto the anchor point.

Then, preparing to go all out in one go, he aimed to leap directly onto the steel platform.

The next moment, as Song Ren swung the hammer, the in-game Strongman shot into the air.

As Song Ren expected, he would land on the steel platform. But in reality, the trajectory was off.

He was flying in the opposite direction.

"No!" Song Ren shouted, eyes wide.

But it was useless.

Like a falling stone, the Jar Man landed firmly at the bottom of the valley.

Ahead stood the very first tree.

Song Ren’s mouth hung slightly open, his eyes fixed on the screen, completely stunned.

Then, the old man from earlier reappeared, popping out of the ground.

"You’re back? I told you—you’ll never make it. But I think you should listen to a song to relax your mind."

The next moment, a BGM began playing.

"As long as the heart remains, dreams will too. See success or failure, life is bold and free—just start over from the beginning… again!"

The hand gripping the hammer trembled slightly. Song Ren’s expression remained slightly dazed.

At that moment, another cry rang out nearby.

Song Ren looked over.

That graceful falling arc was so familiar!

The player stared at the screen showing their return to the valley, their expression as dazed as Song Ren’s.

Once again, BGM played.

But this time, it wasn’t the same song Song Ren had heard.

It was a different, unfamiliar melody.

"Back to the starting point again, the path you first began in memory."

In that instant, the group of onlookers could no longer hold back.

Though they didn’t want to gloat, the scene was just too comical!

"Haha… I’m dying of laughter. Chen Xu did this on purpose, didn’t he!?"

"I fell for Chen Xu’s trick—this game, my god!"

"It won’t get worse later, right? Like falling from the highest point after climbing all the way up!?"

"Given this vibe, I think it’s very likely!"

"Damn it, now I finally understand why they set a 30-minute trial time!"

Three updates first, more later (before 1:30 AM)

(End of Chapter) <>