Chapter 179: Died Way Too Naturally! (6th Update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Chapter 179: Died Way Too Naturally! (6th Update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

In the previous game, BOSSes that looked difficult to fight were mostly predictable.

For example, the Ancient Wyvern would climb to the top and then dive down from the sky with a single execution strike.

Or Yhorm the Giant, upon obtaining the Storm Ruler, would charge up five times and instantly obliterate you.

Song Ren believed that there must be a countermeasure for the Asylum Demon before him, rather than relying on his current tactic of barely scraping through like trimming toenails with a pocket knife.

He entered the Conduit once again, and this time, he finally noticed something different.

Near the pillar in the center of the room, there was an in-game message on the ground.

When examined, it displayed a warning: 【Run Fast】.

However, this message was placed close to the pillar, requiring the player to take two steps forward.

And in those two steps, the BOSS would leap down from above, immediately capturing the player's attention and diverting it away from the message on the ground.

Additionally, Song Ren敏锐ly noticed that after the demon landed, it would stand still and daze for about two seconds.

Clearly, this brief window was intentionally left for players to read the message.

Yet, just like most players, his first instinct upon seeing the BOSS was to try and defeat it.

Because in Dark Souls (informal), BOSS battles generally followed a design principle: one scene, one BOSS—only by defeating the BOSS could you proceed to the next area.

Only exceptions like the Ancient Wyvern, a story kill BOSS, allowed escape routes after the health bar appeared.

"So this is where you were waiting for me! But unfortunately, the excellence of a worthy Lord of Cinder isn't just reflected in skill, but also in intelligence!"

Dashing into the narrow passage, watching the gate slam shut behind him, Song Ren wore a faint smile.

A new work of Dark Souls? Is this it!? Is this really it!?

He lit a bonfire at the entrance of the corridor. In that instant, it felt as though he had reignited the last embers—confidence surged through his body.

Continuing forward through the passage, Song Ren came across a knight’s weapons: a shield and a sword.

"So the weapons only become available here, huh!" Looking at the sword and shield now in his equipment inventory, Song Ren couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Picking up the gear went smoothly, except for the annoying archer lurking in the narrow corridor.

Without caution, Song Ren was hit by two arrows, leaving him with only half his health bar. He felt a bit uneasy.

In the world of Dark Souls, being at half health was extremely unsafe—any misstep could lead straight to death.

"Where are the Estus Flasks? Did they remove the Estus Flask mechanic?"

Muttering to himself, Song Ren pressed forward.

He also noticed some differences from the previous game.

In the earlier title, a fog gate typically meant you were about to fight a BOSS you’d already encountered.

At first, seeing the fog gate, Song Ren assumed that passing through would trigger another fight with the Asylum Demon. After all, he was already at half health and hadn’t found any Estus Flasks yet.

But once he passed through, he realized it was merely a new scene. The fog gate had become a device to obscure the player’s vision.

It struck him as odd—why design it this way? Wasn’t it somewhat redundant?

While muttering, Song Ren discovered a knight locked inside a prison cell—the very same knight who had saved him earlier.

"How do I open this!? Could it be that I need to defeat the previous demon and get a key from it? But that doesn’t make sense! Didn’t I choose the Master Key as my birth gift? And where’s the lock anyway?" Staring at the prison cell, Song Ren felt puzzled.

He tried attacking it, but nothing happened.

With no other choice, he had to continue exploring elsewhere.

Following a narrow staircase downward, Song Ren was amazed to discover that the iron door he couldn’t open earlier actually led outside—the courtyard from the previous BOSS battle. Through the gaps, he could even see the burning bonfire.

So passing through that small door after the BOSS actually allowed returning here?

This realization left Song Ren astonished.

In fact, the previous Dark Souls had similar interconnected designs, but they were generally simpler.

But this Undead Asylum—traversing long sewers, then using a door on a staircase to loop back—it was a vertical, top-to-bottom spatial connection that truly amazed Song Ren.

After all, this was just the beginning of the game, essentially the map for the new player tutorial.

After a brief moment of amazement, Song Ren could only choose to climb the other staircase upward.

First, he’d look for any alternative exits.

With that thought, he guided his character up the stairs.

Just as he reached the middle, a loud ‘BOOM’ echoed in his ears.

Then he saw a large, pitch-black iron ball suddenly rolling down the stairs.

Caught completely off guard, Song Ren had no time to dodge.

To make matters worse, the archer in the corridor rained down several shots, leaving him with roughly half health.

And so…

The familiar three words reappeared on the screen.

【YOU DIED】

Damn it!

Song Ren mentally cursed.

This is so frustrating!

Traps were one of the major features of Dark Souls.

Like Mimics, and various environmental traps.

But in the previous game, you didn’t encounter the first trap—a Mimic chest—until after defeating Teacher Gundyr and reaching the High Wall of Lothric.

Yet here, a massive iron ball just came rolling down out of nowhere.

He never saw it coming.

The first BOSS isn’t even dead yet, and traps are already showing up!?

Moreover, this iron ball felt almost identical to the rolling bone spheres in the Catacombs of Carthus.

The only difference was that neither side here was a bottomless cliff.

But still… died way too naturally!?

Though he died, Song Ren made a new discovery.

The iron ball had smashed straight through the wall of the prison cell where the knight was held.

"So the earlier fog gate was actually warning me about danger behind me?" After respawning at the bonfire, Song Ren retraced his steps. Since he had opened a shortcut earlier, he didn’t rest at the courtyard’s save point, so he respawned at the bonfire in the weapon corridor.

After respawning, he sprinted back to the death spot and spoke to the knight in the prison cell.

‘Ah, you… you’re not a Hollow… that’s a relief…’

‘I’m nearly gone. Once I die, I’ll lose all my sanity.’

‘There’s something I must ask of you. And since you, like me, are Undead, please hear my plea…’

A dialogue option appeared: Yes or No.

This seemed like a main quest task. Song Ren selected Yes without hesitation.

The knight continued speaking.

‘It’s shameful to admit, but the task I wish to entrust you with is my mission…’

‘I wish to pass it on to a complete stranger like you…’

‘In my family, there’s a saying.’

‘To be Undead means to bear a mission. With this Undead body, one must journey from the Undead Asylum to the ancient land of the Kings and ring the Bells of Awakening, to learn the true purpose of the Undead.’

‘Thank you… now, I can finally die with hope.’

‘Ah, one more thing—please take these and keep them safe.’

After the brief dialogue, Song Ren obtained the familiar Estus Flask, along with the key to the eastern side of the second floor of the Undead Asylum.

"Five Estus Flasks? Seriously, this many!?"

Staring at the Estus Flasks he had obtained, Song Ren was surprised.

After all, in the previous game, before fighting Teacher Gundyr, you only had three.

Even after converting the blue Estus into Fruit Pulp Orange Juice at the Firelink Shrine, you only had four.

And now, right at the start, there were five!

"But fellow players, did you forget something?"

<>