During Song Ren's bewildered state, the in-game Ethan had already arrived at the destination.
With a 'bang' as the car door closed, Ethan stepped out of the vehicle.
Before him lay a rural path, while behind stretched a broad road.
Song Ren instinctively took two steps back.
Then, he heard Ethan mutter to himself in the game: 'Mia... Is she really here?'
Hearing Ethan's words, Song Ren felt frustrated.
Whether Mia was here or not, he didn't know, but he was certain that nothing good awaited him ahead.
He considered quitting the game immediately, but at the same time, he felt a twinge of curiosity.
After all, the last horror game Chen Xu had made was several years ago.
'Outlast' had turned Mount Massive Asylum into many people's nightmare.
As for the later 'Silent Hill PT,' it was just an incomplete demo.
Now, faced with this new game called 'Resident Evil,' Song Ren was both curious and a little scared.
After pacing back and forth a couple of times, he finally decided to test the waters.
After all, there's a saying: 'Since you're here.'
He had specifically logged in at midnight to playâhow could he not take a look inside?
Besides, unlike Mount Massive Asylum, this was broad daylight, and the surroundings were bright.
Looking at the environment, Song Ren relaxed slightly. At least here, he felt relatively at ease.
Controlling Ethan, Song Ren advanced along the path deep into the forest, encountering many mosquitoes and insects along the way.
However, there were no particularly intense scenes until a large villa appeared in sight, blocked by a heavy iron gate.
Approaching to investigate, he found the gate chained shut, impossible to open directly.
'Isn't this just like the routine in "Outlast"?'
Song Ren thought to himself, looking at the impassable front gate and the conspicuously obvious side path.
He knew this all too well!
Continuing forward, as he rounded a corner, Song Ren saw a shadowy figure dart past.
But it didn't scare himâwhy?
Because the figure moved too quickly. He only heard footsteps, and by the time he turned his head, it was already gone.
Following the path, Song Ren noticed rotting corpses and various animal remains tied together with cutting blades, ropes, and chains. Under normal circumstances, this would have been too much for him.
But thanks to the Awakening Mode, he felt relatively unfazed. Besides, the corpses were stylized, not overly graphicâjust a bit gross.
On the way to the house, controlling Ethan, Song Ren also found Mia's handbag in a pile of garbage, along with a driver's license inside.
But that wasn't the highlight. The real surprise was a treasure map fragment in Mia's bag.
[Treasure Map Fragment: If you can find the other eight fragments, you might discover something extraordinary.]
Reading the note, Song Ren was genuinely surprised.
Chen Xu had mentioned on the official Weibo account that treasure map fragments were randomly placed in different scenes for each player.
They weren't hidden unfairlyâusually in collectible spots like trash piles, tables, or bedsides, not deliberately tucked away in obscure corners.
'My luck is amazing!'
'Found a treasure map fragment right off the bat?!'
Song Ren was astonished, and the excitement even dispelled some of his lingering fear.
Of course, this good mood lasted only until he opened the front door of the house.
The outside was bright, but stepping inside plunged everything into darknessâzero hospitality!
Worse, the visual presentation of 'Resident Evil' was outstanding, rivaling even 'Uncharted.'
The moment the door creaked open, dust particles floated visibly in the air, caught in the light.
Combined with the VR immersion, the hollow echo of the door's groan amplified the eerie atmosphere.
It was undeniably immersive.
'Mr. Chen, why'd you have to make an event game this good?! With graphics like this, selling it for 88 is practically a scam!' Song Ren grumbled in frustration.
In horror games, better graphics meant greater realism, and greater realism meant stronger fear.
This 'Uncharted'-level presentation left Song Ren unnerved.
Should he keep playing or just chicken out?
As he debated, he soon experienced what he dubbed 'Mr. Chen's love.'
Player can't make up their mind?
No worriesâMr. Chen will help you decide!
After hesitating at the doorway, Song Ren watched in shock as Ethan moved on his own.
'I've come this far... There's no turning back now. Mia, I'm coming for you...' Ethan muttered, stepping inside.
Clang!
The door slammed shut behind him, plunging the screen into darkness. Ethan's heavy breathing filled the air as he pulled out a flashlight.
'Mr. Chen, I really appreciate this!' Song Ren sarcastically thanked the pitch-black room.
Clearly, this was a forced action to prevent players from backing outâa downright devious design!
Song Ren tried the door handle. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.
Now, he was trappedâno way out unless he quit the game.
At this point, quitting wasn't an option. Besides, in Awakening Mode, he was still holding up fine.
Exploring the house cautiously, he braced for jump scares at every step.
While nothing startled him, he was disgusted in what seemed to be the kitchen or living room.
The microwave held a rotting animal carcass, the grimy fridge door oozed with an unidentifiable yellowish substance, and a container on the table teemed with cockroaches.
The VR immersion made it all the more revolting.
He'd been a little hungry earlier, thinking about making dumplings laterâbut now, his appetite was gone.
After some searching, Song Ren found a clue: a videotape on the second floor.
Inserting it into the TV, he watched footage from three years agoâa crew of three exploring a haunted house for a show.
The leader was Peter, accompanied by Andre and Clancy.
In the original game, this segment switched the player's perspective to Clancy, the cameraman.
But for the VR version, Chen Xu avoided this approach.
Sudden perspective shifts could break immersion, and this segment wasn't criticalâjust lore and puzzle hints.
So, players watched the tape alongside Ethan.
Ironically, watching the tape was scarier than being in it.
The eerie audio echoed through the empty house.
Song Ren alternated between glancing at the screen and nervously checking behind him, fearing a monster might sneak up mid-viewing.
Luckily, nothing happened.
As expected, the tape showed all three daredevils meeting grim fates: one missing, one impaled by a steel pipe, and one unaccounted for.
Song Ren remained fairly calmâthe environment was unsettling, but manageable.
Even the impaled victim's gruesome death didn't faze him much, thanks to mental preparation.
Following the tape's hints, he found a lever under the fireplace, unlocking a hidden wall compartment.
'Guess this is the way down...' Song Ren peered into the dark, watery abyss below.
After hesitating, he climbed down the ladderâonly for it to snap mid-descent, sending him tumbling.
No jump scare, though.
'Huh... Did Mr. Chen change his style? Not much horror so far. Feels more like "Silent Hill PT," where I'm scaring myself!' Song Ren mused, intrigued.
Funny how things workâbefore playing, he feared being scared, but now, the lack of scares felt off.
Wading through murky water, the rising level and low ceiling added tension.
The splashing sounds were unnervingly loud in the silence.
'Old Zhang would be amazed if he could see me now,' Song Ren sighed.
But the moment he spoke, a scream tore from his throat.
'Damn it! HOLYâ!'
Bubbles erupted in the water as a rotting, maggot-infested head lunged into view, pressing right against his face.
Even in Awakening Mode, Song Ren jolted in terror.
(End of Chapter) <