Chapter 490: Heading to Yharnam to Begin the Hunt! (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

On an island in the Nebula World, Song Ren was feeling quite excited at this moment.

It wasn't just Song Ren; Zhang Yi next to him felt the same way.

As for why?

It was naturally because Bloodborne was launching today.

Although many players had remarked that Bloodborne, as Nebula Games' New Year's gift to them, was a huge 'surprise', despite the complaints, many players were eagerly anticipating Bloodborne's arrival.

Moreover, this game was very mysterious; the content revealed so far was mostly what Chen Xu had previously disclosed on his official Weibo account.

Among that content, the BOSS battle between the Hunter and Maria alone had already surpassed 60 million global views in just two months.

“I wonder if Bloodborne will be difficult,” Song Ren mused on the island in the Nebula World. At this moment, he was clad in a Hunter's attire: a tricorne hat, a Victorian-style trench coat, and tall boots. Only the word 'handsome' could describe his current appearance.

Zhang Yi next to him was similarly dressed.

Since the game hadn't unlocked yet, these outfits were naturally not obtained through gameplay. Instead, they were unlocked with gold coins or Nebula Games Points.

Most players typically used gold coins, as earning them in the Nebula World wasn't difficult; there was just a weekly cap, requiring players to decide which items to exchange for.

However, both Song Ren and Zhang Yi chose to spend real money.

After all, the vouchers from the Double Eleven event hadn't been used up yet, and they could also get vouchers for Hunter collectible figures – it was practically a steal!

“It’s definitely going to have some difficulty; otherwise, how could it be a Souls-like game?” Zhang Yi chuckled.

“True, but I think for us veteran Firelinkers, we should be able to get the hang of it pretty quickly,” Song Ren said, still quite confident.

“Absolutely!” Zhang Yi also exuded confidence.

“I wonder who the newbie-discouraging BOSS in Bloodborne will be. Could it be Maria from the previous gameplay trailer?” Song Ren speculated.

“Who knows? Oh, by the way, why don't we have a speedrun to see who can take down the first BOSS? The loser treats for dinner?” Zhang Yi suddenly suggested to Song Ren.

“Just taking down the BOSS, I don't think that's too difficult for us. Let's add some conditions. Doesn't the game track death data? For every death, we add five minutes to our time,” Song Ren pondered.

In Bloodborne, Chen Xu had previously announced a new feature: players would be able to see their death count within the game world on the game platform. While he claimed it was to let players record their arduous journey, many players felt it was purely Mr. Chen’s way of poking at their tender spots.

“No problem!” Zhang Yi readily accepted the challenge.

“Get ready, get ready! It's about to unlock!” Song Ren reminded, keeping an eye on the time.

“Time to go hunt in Yharnam!” Zhang Yi was full of anticipation.

As the clock struck and the game unlocked, Song Ren and Zhang Yi immediately opened Bloodborne through a portal in the Nebula World. As before, they passed through a cosmos-like scene, and when Song Ren's vision gradually returned, he saw a dim, flickering lantern.

This lantern hung on a wheelchair, casting a very faint light. An old man wearing a black top hat sat in the wheelchair.

Utilizing the lantern's dim light, Song Ren rotated his view, observing the surrounding environment. It was a dark, small room, with rows of disordered bookshelves in the corners, and many miscellaneous items scattered on the floor.

At this moment, he seemed to be lying on a sickbed, with an IV drip above his head. Was this the scene from the beginning of the promotional trailer?! Song Ren wondered, but then his heart slightly trembled.

Because this scene, indeed, felt a bit grim!

The dim yellow light, combined with the strange old man in front of him—what happened to the promised Souls-like game? Why did it feel like a horror game?

In the darkness, steam slowly rose, illuminated by the lamp. The old man in the wheelchair tilted his head, watching Song Ren, and spoke in a hoarse voice:

'Hmm, you've come to the right place.'

'Yharnam is the land of Blood Healing. You must unravel its mysteries.'

'But how does an outsider like you begin to understand?'

'It's simple. You just need a taste of Yharnam blood.'

'First, though, you must forge a contract.'

As the old man's words fell, a book was presented before Song Ren's eyes. Then, the relevant UI interface appeared on the book: gender, age, appearance, and origin, among others. Clearly, these were the character customization options.

Gender and age wouldn't affect ability points; instead, origin was the primary factor. For example, the Coward with balanced stats, the Survivor with stronger vitality, the Tragic Childhood with stronger resistance.

There was also the Cruel Past with high strength, the Veteran of the Old Wars with balanced physique and strength, and the quintessential Waste of Skin from the Souls series.

“It really is a Souls series game! These options feel so familiar!” Song Ren exclaimed, looking at the origins before him.

Song Ren then decisively chose the Veteran of the Old Wars. This origin offered a good balance of health and strength, meaning both HP and attack power.

As a veteran Souls player, Song Ren genuinely wanted to choose the Waste of Skin; after all, in Souls series games, the starting identity wasn't as important as skill, execution, and understanding the game. He felt he lacked none of these, so his choice shouldn't matter. However, considering his speedrun challenge with Old Zhang, the Veteran of the Old Wars would still provide a tiny advantage, and sometimes, a professional's victory hinges on such small edges.

Next came the much-anticipated character customization phase. Song Ren didn't opt for the default face, as it was rather unattractive. Of course, he didn't go for anything too outlandish either. While many Souls players sculpt their characters to resemble demons and monsters, calling it 'unique,' Song Ren preferred to make his character handsome or beautiful. After all, he was the one playing the game; staring at an Eldritch face every day would make him sick to his stomach – how unpleasant!

Starting with a standard female character, with a slender figure and maximum bust size, he chose beautiful hair, picked a random name, and Song Ren officially entered the game.

'Excellent!'

'The contract is complete.'

'Now, let us administer the blood transfusion!'

'Oh, don't worry.'

'No matter what happens… you'll simply believe it was a nightmare…'

'Hehehehe…'

Accompanied by the old man in the wheelchair's low voice and his final, chilling laugh, goosebumps erupted on Song Ren's skin. He had a strange feeling that Bloodborne was going to be a bit grim!

(End of Chapter) <>