Chapter 186: A Thousand Undead, A Thousand Dark Souls Stories (Sixth update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Chapter 186: A Thousand Undead, A Thousand Dark Souls Stories (Sixth update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Just like the original Dark Souls, when the prequel Age of the First Flame was released,

many players took to online forums to grumble and complain.

The main point of complaint was almost always the inability to teleport from bonfires.

"Ah, I'm disgusted! Why can't bonfires teleport in this game? I'm stuck in Blighttown!"

"Same! I got completely lost and can't find my way back to Firelink Shrine!"

"Exactly, count me in on being lost! Why remove bonfires at all!"

"Ahem, let me clarify—bonfires weren't removed. Once you reach Anor Londo and meet the Sunlight Princess to obtain the Lordvessel, teleportation will be unlocked."

"I read that strategy guide too. Gotta say, the Sunlight Princess is really big!"

"Oh, that kind of big, huh? There's definitely something there!"

"Hehe, nothing too special, pretty average."

"But honestly, the cutscene when fighting Chaos Witch Quelaag was absolutely intense—I couldn't resist it!"

"Damn, bro, you've got guts! You get excited even seeing a spider body?"

"You Lewd Persons stop derailing the thread! Aren't we discussing bonfires here?"

"To be honest, I wasn't used to it at first either, but later I realized the map design in Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame is absolutely brilliant, with interconnected pathways everywhere."

"+1, Firelink Shrine connects directly to Undead Burg Outskirts, New Londo Ruins, the Catacombs, and more—it's incredibly rich!"

"Yeah, rookies should check out the maps and strategy guides made by veteran players online. Even without teleportation, there are plenty of shortcuts. Traveling isn't actually that hard."

"Exactly! Don't listen to those who say 'not using guides preserves the purest experience'—Dark Souls isn't a story-driven game. Your first playthrough is when your passion is highest. Use a guide to avoid unnecessary detours and don't let your first Firelinking journey end in regret!"

"+1—I only saved my Solaire from going hollow because I followed a guide!"

"Maps and guides from veterans? What good are they! While the pros are already challenging named bosses like Gravelord Nito, the Witch, and Artorias, I'm still suffering in Blighttown!"

As a sequel, many players already understand what kind of game Dark Souls truly is.

So while there's plenty of criticism, there's even more support.

And as more people played, they began to appreciate the intricacy of the map design, and praise for the game grew steadily.

Meanwhile, on gaming community forums and live streaming platforms, Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame became a viral sensation, dominating feeds and streams.

After all, the game's hardcore masochism label is inherently explosive for livestreaming.

Add to that the massive reputation of its predecessor.

Despite Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame being even harder than the original,

its sales performance was outstanding—2.4 million copies sold domestically in the first week, and 3.1 million overseas.

Moreover, the game's popularity and discussion热度 far exceeded even its impressive sales figures.

Chen Xu wasn't surprised by this.

After all, no matter how you look at it, Dark Souls remains a niche, hardcore game.

This inevitably means that most players will choose to watch rather than play themselves.

Even though the difficulty curve is reasonable and most players could clear the game if they persevered,

perseverance itself is a rare quality.

But for those who truly love Dark Souls, especially story-focused players, this was nothing short of a celebration.

Because Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame enriched the Dark Souls worldview in unprecedented ways.

It also answered many long-standing questions players had.

Of course, due to the game's inherent characteristics, there are no definitive answers—players are left to mental visualization based on the game's intentional gaps and ambiguities. In truth, every player has their own version of Dark Souls, and each interpretation differs.

Should you link the fire, or let it die?

This question runs through the entire game.

It's the core dilemma in every player's mind.

From the game's content, players can sense that the ultimate fate of the flames is extinction.

In Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame, if the player chooses to link the fire, the First Flame appears as a massive, sun-like Portable Grill.

But in the original game, if the player chooses to link the fire, only a small flicker remains.

Clearly, if the cycle of Firelinking continues, the flame will eventually die out.

Similarly, whether Firelinking is a deception has sparked endless debate.

Beyond the simple views that Firelinking is or isn't Gwyn's lie, some players have proposed bold theories.

The opening cinematic introduces four beings who obtained a shard of the Lordvessel: the Sun King Gwyn, the Witch of Izalith, Gravelord Nito—and an obscure Dwarf.

Based on careful analysis, this Dwarf is highly likely to be the ancestor of humanity.

Gwyn and the other three gods received Lord Souls—but what if the Dwarf received not a soul, but the Dark Soul itself? And what if he later distributed fragments of this Dark Soul to countless humans? This could explain why the Dwarf didn't join the war.

In Dark Souls: Age of the First Flame, the description of humanity states:

[If the soul is the root of all life, then what is humanity, which only humans possess?]

This offers a subtle hint—humanity is the Dark Soul.

Then, what is the power of the Dark Soul?

Here’s a bold hypothesis: the Dark Soul is intrinsically tied to the Abyss.

The dark arts in the game are described as being infused with intense human emotions—

anger, sorrow, love, jealousy, greed. These powerful emotions amplify the raw energy of the soul.

This might be the true power of the Dark Soul: intense emotion, or desire itself.

This is further supported by the description of Manus' soul. Once a resolute man, Manus' soul is now saturated with humanity, thick and viscous like a polymer of human essence.

It's plausible that the power granted by the Dark Soul stems from the deepest longings of the human heart.

And that's precisely why fragments of the Dark Soul are called humanity.

Both gods and dwarves feared the Dark Soul spiraling out of control, giving birth to the Abyss.

So they used the First Flame to create a flame seal, spreading its power across the world and implanting the seal into every human.

This cycle became a curse, eternally binding those who carry the Dark Soul.

But one day, the First Flame will inevitably fade. So each of the Lords sought their own solution.

Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, led by example—sacrificing himself to link the fire, preserving the Age of Fire and the flame seal, all to suppress the Dark Soul's rampage. The Witch attempted to create a new First Flame but was consumed by chaos, becoming the origin of demons.

Yet, just as ancient dragon slayers eventually become dragons themselves, over countless ages the gods began using Undead to link the fire—not to prevent the Abyss, but merely to preserve the gods' eternal reign.

Of course, whenever some players put forth these theories, new skeptics emerge,

always finding new evidence to challenge them.

Souls scholars flood game forums, dissecting every line of text, every punctuation mark, determined to prove their interpretation is the one true ending.

Ordinary players, meanwhile, just enjoy the spectacle. What version of the story is canonical?

A thousand Undead, a thousand stories of the Dark Souls world.

Every player has their own understanding of the story.

And beyond the main quest, it's the characters introduced in this prequel that truly immerse players and move them to tears.

Solaire of Astora, the Sunlight Warrior, is the first NPC to help the player.

Like the player, Solaire seeks the purpose of the Undead. He worships and praises the sun, hoping to shine brightly like it.

But unlike the player, in one of the bad endings—if certain conditions aren't met—Solaire goes hollow and must be killed. Upon defeating him, you learn his armor is just Regular gear with no divine power, and the sun emblem is merely painted on. He advanced solely through sheer willpower.

But if you meet the right conditions—unlock the shortcut to the Ruins of Izalith early, and kill all the Sunlight Maggots in advance—you can save Solaire. Though afterward, he appears crestfallen, becoming the Crestfallen Warrior.

Yet in the end, he regains his resolve and joins the player in fulfilling the Undead's purpose, challenging Gwyn himself.

A single "Praise the Sun" gesture makes him the most radiant figure in Lordran.

Then there's Artorias, who, to save the world of Oolacile from being consumed by the Abyss, signed a covenant with Abyssal monsters, gaining the ability to walk freely within the Abyss and fight it alone.

The Golden-armored knight who murdered the Fire Keeper. The Crestfallen Warrior, once inspired by the protagonist's courage, but later turned Hollow in New Londo Ruins.

The White Spider Maiden, Quelaag, Siegward of Catarina, Gwyndolin...

Each NPC and boss carries a deeply moving story of their own.

Personal interpretation—just one perspective. Please forgive any inaccuracies.

(End of Chapter) <>