Chapter 495: Suffering (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Chapter 495: Suffering (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

After dying and respawning at the location of the lamp, Song Ren couldn't help but grimace as he saw his previously collected Blood Echoes reset to zero.

What is the most terrifying thing in Souls series games?

Encountering monsters, or getting lost?

Neither!

The most frightening scenario is being trapped in a narrow space, surrounded by a group of common soldiers.

The infamous 'Three Dogs Blocking a Lord of Cinder' from the previous game, Dark Souls, wasn't just a joke.

And clearly, this rule still applied in Bloodborne.

No matter how strong a Hunter may be, when surrounded by a swarm of mobs, they will still fall.

"I wonder when I'll finally get a shield. This rifle just doesn't feel useful at all," Song Ren sighed as he respawned once again from the lamp.

At this moment, he deeply missed the shield from Dark Souls. Though wielding a hunting axe in one hand and a hunting rifle in the other certainly looked cool, the lack of security it provided was unbearable!

While grumbling, he continued back along the path he had come.

Sure enough, just like lighting a bonfire in Dark Souls, in Bloodborne, all the monsters respawned when returning from the lamp.

The minor enemies along the way posed no pressure at all to Song Ren. When he reached the staircase again, this time he had learned his lesson.

He temporarily stayed above, not descending immediately. As the monsters slowly patrolled forward, he waited for them to pass before stepping down from the stairwell.

Behind the patrol group was a door leading directly to the large gate on the first floor, the same one he had exited from Iosefka's Clinic earlier—clearly a shortcut.

However, what caught Song Ren’s attention was a fat, heavy-axe-wielding enemy lurking in the alley beside the large iron door—obviously an elite monster.

Watching the Great Axe Giant pacing back and forth, Song Ren stood still for a moment, glanced twice, then smiled.

He switched his axe to long-handle mode.

"Nope, nope, I'm out..."

Without any intention of testing the enemy, Song Ren immediately chose to run.

Just thinking about the Bugatti Veyron in the Cemetery of Ash, or Javier beneath the guard tower in Undead Burg Outskirts—

This Great Axe Giant, judging by his Appearance/Shape, was definitely an elite.

And with Old Zhang as his rival, he had no intention of deliberately seeking torment.

So, better to play it safe and flee.

Song Ren continued forward.

Yharnam’s town was perilous. Ahead, in the direction the patrol had taken, a bonfire party was underway—likely a welcoming ceremony for outsiders like Song Ren.

Tall pillars of fire dotted the area. Upon closer inspection, Song Ren realized these were wooden crosses with kindling burning at their bases, each one binding a werewolf atop.

Unlike the werewolf he'd encountered at Iosefka's Clinic, these werewolves were severely beast-transformed, their bodies covered in thick black fur, claws and fangs clearly visible.

Moreover, Song Ren noticed that the Yharnamites holding torches also showed signs of beast transformation—some with black fur sprouting on their heads and faces, others with entire arms morphed into wolf limbs.

Considering the earlier story fragments, Song Ren couldn’t help but speculate wildly.

Could it be that Yharnam's so-called blood ministration was the cause of this beast transformation?

And were Hunters meant to hunt these transformed monsters?

Many questions stirred in Song Ren’s mind.

Though confused, one thing was clear: he shouldn’t expect to understand the entire story before clearing the game.

This was a hallmark of the Souls series—its story was fragmented, requiring players to piece it together bit by bit.

And this was precisely the attraction of Souls games.

As for the story, Song Ren hadn’t grasped it yet. The only thing he clearly understood was that the Yharnam villagers—resembling peasants wielding pitchforks and farming tools, or axes and other weapons—were far too热情.

Yharnam’s treatment of outsiders was unique.

Back at the lamp again, Song Ren recalled what Gilbert had said earlier near that house.

"The conscientious folk of Undead Burg, the scenic Wyvern Bridge"—those famous scenes from Dark Souls.

Now, Song Ren felt the people of Yharnam were no less remarkable.

Here, many Yharnamites offered Song Ren, the outsider, the warmest of welcomes.

Inviting him to join their bonfire party, they kindly poked him with torches to keep him warm.

Even those lying on the ground would rise to greet him as he passed.

Around every corner or past every cart, a Yharnamite would burst out to deliver their most sincere greeting.

Even the little dogs and crows in Yharnam would warmly dance alongside him.

Even an old man in a wheelchair would kindly offer him a peanut upon seeing the outsider.

The only thing Song Ren struggled to endure?

Every time he received such a warm greeting, he ended up having to return to the lamp.

"The villagers of Yharnam are just too热情. It’s hard to keep up!" Song Ren sighed with emotion.

Of course, while most Yharnamites were热情.

But as the saying goes, in a big forest, all kinds of birds appear. Likewise, many Yharnamites treated Song Ren, the outsider, with outright hostility.

When Song Ren, the foreigner, sought shelter, they’d shout:

'Who would believe the words of an outsider like you!'

'Give up! I won’t open the door for you!'

'Vile outsider, leave at once! Don’t think I’ll fall for your trick to open the door!'

'Vile outsider, on the Night of the Hunt, who would open the door for you!'

Having wandered Yharnam for some time, Song Ren couldn’t help but grumble inwardly at their words.

Vile outsider?

Though Song Ren wanted to protest—

Who exactly was the one playing corpse in Yharnam?

Who was the one setting up traps and luring others into ambushes?

Who was the one pulling off pincer attacks?

And who was the one ganging up during bonfire parties?

Calling him the vile outsider—didn’t your良心 ache at all?

Song Ren wandered through many paths in Yharnam. Yet what puzzled him was that, so far, he hadn’t found a second lamp.

Adding to that, Yharnam’s design remained consistent—cleverly placed enemies, traps filled with malice.

The map was layered and distinct, with Yharnam divided into multiple levels, including elevators and sewers.

And in the sewers, the werewolves wielding scythes and spears had far greater aggressive intent and damage compared to the earlier Yharnam villagers.

Similarly, on the path toward a large bridge, Song Ren spotted two werewolves.

But these werewolves weren’t the weaklings from Iosefka’s Clinic. Confidently, Song Ren charged in—

Only to be clawed to death in an instant. These two werewolves had significantly higher health and aggression.

The only thing that brought Song Ren some joy was finding a Hunter Set on a corpse in the sewers.

It was the same outfit worn by the Hunter in the promotional video, with slightly better stats than his current gear.

Though only on paper. In Dark Souls, swapping into armor with higher defense power changed your fate from dying in two hits to surviving three.

But in Bloodborne, Song Ren noticed that the werewolf who previously slapped him twice to death still killed him in two hits—even after changing clothes.

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