Chapter 183: The Difference Between Reality and Imagination (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

In realizing clearly that the Catacombs was not a map suitable for the early game, and having accidentally lit a bonfire that created a dead end,

At first, Song Ren still wanted to salvage the situation, hoping to find a way out.

After all, having played the previous Dark Souls game, he had a decent understanding of Dark Souls.

That is, whether it was bosses or level design,

the game was undoubtedly designed to be frustrating, tormenting players to the point of tears.

Yet it was never completely unsolvable. If the original path led nowhere, and the game started with an area like the Catacombs, then surely there must be a way from the Catacombs to somewhere else—or at least back to Firelink Shrine.

So, driven by the last shred of pride a veteran Firelinker could muster, Song Ren decided to investigate further.

After wandering through the pitch-black Catacombs for what felt like hours, dying countless times, Song Ren finally came to a realization: it was time to face reality.

Time to start over properly!

Song Ren had fully felt the malice of this game.

So far, apart from that demon boss at the beginning who used environmental kills, he hadn't encountered a single real boss—not to mention renowned gods like Gwyn, Nito, the Witch, or Seath the Scaleless.

The terrain and mere mobs had already delivered him countless harsh warnings.

Out of the last remnant of his lingering 'pride,' when he started a new save file, although he knew the Knight class was a frustrating choice for a starting class, Song Ren still resolutely chose it. He once again selected the Master Key as his starting item—a key whose purpose he still hadn't figured out.

With prior experience, the journey through the Undead Asylum was smooth. In under five minutes, he collected everything he could and returned once more to Firelink Shrine.

The only thing that somewhat comforted Song Ren was that, in Online Mode, the bloodstains scattered across the ground showed he wasn't alone in suffering.

He even saw several bloodstains on the ground within Firelink Shrine itself.

When he examined them, he was actually amused.

Opening the bloodstains revealed that these players hadn't died to monsters or provoked the Crestfallen Warrior in the shrine. Instead, they had all fallen to their deaths within the shrine.

There were various items glowing with white light scattered around, some placed high above the ground on crumbling ledges. One misstep, and down you went.

For Undead, falling was one of the greatest threats.

Even in the previous game, even with a Trainer enabled, fall damage remained one of the biggest dangers.

After enjoying a wave of rookie players' bizarre deaths in Firelink Shrine, Song Ren wandered around for ten minutes before finally arriving at a cave-like tunnel. After killing a few Skeleton Soldiers and some rats from the sewers, a new world opened up before him—a new map called Undead Burg Outskirts, the very one Zhang Yi had mentioned during their chat.

At the entrance stood only two Hollows wielding shields and axes. Compared to the endless waves of Skeleton Soldiers in the eerie graveyard before, this scene felt like paradise.

"So this must be the correct path... What was I even doing before...?" Song Ren stared at the new map, feeling tears welling up in his eyes.

Clearly, the previous map was pure malice from Chen Xu—deliberately placing high-level areas near the spawn point to trick players into entering.

And upon further reflection, Song Ren felt even more frustrated.

He didn't know what New Londo Ruins looked like yet, since he hadn't found it.

But the Catacombs? That was just outright frustrating!

The skeletons in the graveyard served as the first line of defense. The exploding skulls and Skeleton Soldiers along the steps into the cave formed the second. The skeletons on the descent into the Catacombs proper were the third. And finally, the Lantern Hollow that immediately shot fireballs upon the player's entry acted as the final deterrent.

Typical rookie players would die on the way and respawn back at Firelink Shrine.

Only veteran Undead who had played the previous game would likely venture in and light the bonfire.

Thus, this high-level area adjacent to Firelink Shrine was clearly targeting veteran players!

Sighing with emotion, Song Ren began exploring the new map.

But soon, the idea of 'paradise' was completely thrown out the window.

Was it just his imagination, or were the minor mobs in Undead Burg far more enthusiastic than those on the High Wall of Lothric?

They didn't even wait for you to approach. The moment you got close, they charged like hospitable villagers, brandishing knives and axes.

And they didn't just rush in—they came at you with combo attacks. One hit, and you were either dead or crippled.

Before playing, Song Ren had imagined his in-game persona to be impressive and sophisticated.

Graceful rolling, lethal backstabs, swift Perfect Guards.

Sword in hand, every obstacle on the Firelinking path would fall before him.

But in reality, everything was the opposite!

Moreover, Song Ren noticed that the mobs in Undead Burg were far more agile than in the previous game.

Even in the corridor just past the first bonfire, Song Ren encountered a Black Knight wielding a sword and shield.

In the previous game, the Black Knight first appeared in a small room beneath the Road of Sacrifices—and wasn't even a blocking mob.

But now, this Black Knight had taken the role of the old 'Lothric Knight,' becoming a roadblock in this narrow corridor barely wide enough for one person?

"Maybe its stats were nerfed?"

Song Ren speculated. And as an excellent Undead, he had fought Black Knights before.

Facing an old acquaintance should be easy to handle, right?

Locked on, moved in, stabbed once—only for the enemy's health bar to drop a tiny bit.

Then the Black Knight turned and launched a continuous slash.

Song Ren blocked with his shield—but his stamina bar vanished instantly.

【YOU DIED】

Respawning at the nearby bonfire, Song Ren returned to the spot, silently staring at the motionless Black Knight.

Farewell! Wait until I get a full Havel's Set and a Black Greatsword. I'll definitely come back to settle this!

Making a bold statement, he pressed forward, narrowly avoiding a powder keg pushed down by a Hollow, and entered a scene resembling a Guard Tower.

Here, Song Ren discovered his Master Key actually had a use—it could unlock a door in the tower.

Behind the door lay a descending corridor. He sprinted down.

At the very bottom, Song Ren saw the Havel's Set he had been yearning for.

But right now, it was worn by someone else.

And this guy was also holding a Dragon Tooth.

One swing of his hammer, and Song Ren watched his health bar go from full to empty in an instant.

Again, those familiar three words: 【YOU DIED】

After respawning once more at the bonfire, Song Ren decided to take a break. Leaning back in his chair, he quietly pulled out his phone and browsed the forum, where he found an inquiry post from a rookie.

'Hey fellow players, could someone tell me how Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame compares to the previous game?'

There were no replies yet. Glancing at the time, Song Ren reflected on his past hour of gameplay and silently typed a response.

'New details, yet equally brilliant map design!'

'Different timeline, but the same familiar experience for players!'

'A must-play sequel for any Dark Souls player!'

Looking at his comment, Song Ren nodded in satisfaction.

Not a single lie.

Opening with several high-level maps filled with sneaky traps—wasn't that brilliant design?

That familiar feeling—look at the 【YOU DIED】 screen after death. Isn't that nostalgic?

If you're playing Dark Souls, doesn't that mean you're here for the masochism? Don't you want to feel the passion of being thrashed in the game experience?

(End of Chapter)<>