Chapter 185: A Scene from a Massive Disaster Film (Fifth Update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

After Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame launched,

Countless Dark Souls players rushed in to witness the epic tale of the Age of First Fire.

Before even entering the game, players mentally pictured themselves wielding a sword and shield, carrying a greatsword on their back,

clashing with ancient monarchs like Sun King Gwyn, Gravelord Nito, and the Witch of Izalith—showing them what it truly meant to be a Bearer of the Flame!

The gods? Nothing special!

Yet the moment they entered the game, these players were immediately subjected to all manner of thrashings.

First, the Asylum Demon delivered a stern warning to countless players.

Then, upon arriving at Firelink Shrine, many mistakenly wandered into the Catacombs or New Londo Ruins.

Some even ventured so far as to ignite a bonfire deep within the Catacombs,

only to tragically discover one horrifying truth—they couldn’t go back!

Meanwhile, players who reached the Undead Asylum outside the city fared no better.

Black Knights, Javier, Wyvern Bridge—

each taught them exactly what it meant to be Undead!

Instantly, regardless of borders or time zones, every major game forum across the globe was flooded with players’ tearful complaints.

Though languages differed and phrasing varied, one core sentiment rang universally true:

"This prequel is freaking hard!"

After being tormented, countless players cried out in despair.

Even though they had mentally prepared themselves,

once inside the game, they instantly understood what it meant—there’s always a higher mountain, a wider sky.

This difficulty, these routines, were even more brutal than the original Dark Souls!

The Bearer of the Flame who stepped into Lordran full of ambition

quickly learned what truly makes a sequel.

Familiar graphics? Familiar story? Familiar combat system?

Dead wrong! A true sequel is only worthy when, upon playing, you feel that stirring deep within your soul.

And without a doubt, Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame delivered exactly that.

This brutally惨 death experience? It’s pure nostalgia, deeply familiar.

It instantly brought back that old feeling—being tortured until you were practically dead and back again.

The suffering countless players endured in the world of Dark Souls...

was nothing short of a massive disaster film, with no repeats.

Almost every scene bore the mark of their torment.

…………………

One player who accidentally wandered into the Valley of Drakes lost all sense of direction. When he finally spotted a giant dragon—long dead and already rotting—he smiled in relief.

Beside the dragon’s head lay two items glowing with white light.

After cautiously scanning the area to confirm no sky-falling traps,

the player grinned: "Wonder what great loot I’ll get!"

Full of joy, he ran toward the items—only for the dragon’s corpse to suddenly move.

With a violent head swing, it launched him into the air, then spat a thick glob of mucus, sending him straight back to the bonfire.

"What the hell!? The body’s rotting—how is this thing still alive!?"

Staring at the familiar three words on screen, the player’s Mindset shattered.

…………………

Returning from the water channel to Lower Undead Burg, a player who had previously teamed up with Solaire to defeat the Gargoyle Demon was brimming with excitement.

Clad in majestic knight armor, he stepped through the white fog gate.

Another thrilling BOSS battle was about to begin.

Amidst the collapsed ruins, the BOSS came into view—a fearsome Goat Head Demon, towering and imposing.

"Bring it on! Let’s see who’s stronger—this goat or the Taurus Demon I fought earlier!"

The player charged in, full of battle spirit.

The next moment, a fierce sound rang in his ears.

‘Woof! Woof! Woof!’

Alongside the charging goat came two crimson dogs.

"Damn it! What’s this? You’ve got backup!?!"

"What the hell? Why are these dogs so damn fierce!?"

"False advertising! Selling dog meat under a goat’s name!"

Staring at the words 【YOU DIED】 on the screen, the player was stunned.

Wasn’t this BOSS supposed to be a goat monster?! Why are there two dogs?! And why are they so damn vicious!?

Is it possible... the dogs are actually the real BOSS?

…………………

Beyond this, nearly every scene in Dark Souls was insane and depraved.

Take the infamous Blighttown, hailed by countless players as rivaling—or even surpassing—Farron Keep in difficulty.

In Blighttown, visibility was extremely low.

The vertical layout was massive, and players easily lost their way. Progress required items like the Sunlight Maggot just to see properly.

Every monster here was poisonous, and Blighttown’s mosquitoes were modeled so small that many players couldn’t even hit them.

Once poisoned, health drained as if from a severed artery—unstoppable. Without the Spider Shield and Antidote, passing through Blighttown was nothing short of hellish.

And in the lower levels, countless dogs roamed, paired with Blowdart Snipers on the second floor—utterly merciless.

There were also grotesque monsters—lunatics wielding corpses as weapons, Fatty the Mace-Poop Monster, giant maggots, mosquitoes, and Mad Dogs. The entire map felt oppressive and suffocating.

But here’s the kicker—Blighttown was only the beginning.

On the pillars of Anor Londo, a narrow path like a log bridge stretched across.

But from the rooftops of distant high-rises, two archers aimed at you and fired.

Well, “archers” is generous—what they shot weren’t arrows, but javelins.

High damage was one thing, but the real danger lay in the extreme height above the ground.

Without Black Iron Leggings, a single hit would send you flying into the abyss. Even with the armor, the impact was explosive.

Elsewhere, Sen’s Fortress featured deadly traps—blade pendulums, spike-filled elevators, and narrow bridges under giant axes.

In the Great Hollow, one-punch mushroom men and the boss battle against the Table-Clearing Master, the Bed of Chaos, presented not just a challenge against the BOSS, but the constant threat of Environmental Kill.

The ground was riddled with cracks—step wrong and you’d fall to instant death. Meanwhile, the BOSS would use its massive hands to sweep enemies off like debris.

Even the player’s first destination, Undead Burg, was filled with malice.

Ambushing Black Knights, the insane Wyvern Bridge.

Upon reaching the Church District, the stairway corners and great hall swarmed with Hollow Blademasters—teaching players the true meaning of despair.

If the Hollow Blademasters weren’t bad enough, the worst part was that some of them had allies casting buffs.

Combined with the fact that bonfires couldn’t teleport players before obtaining the Lordvessel, countless players were pushed to the brink of collapse.

Though the game offered many shortcuts, you needed the skill to reach them.

No one could forget the sheer mental agony of the short journey from Blighttown back to Firelink Shrine.

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