Chapter 501: Players with Shattered Morale (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Looking at the shield in his hand, Song Ren harbored a tiny bit of doubt.

Because the design of this shield was simply subpar.

It was tattered and broken, like a wooden door plank.

This is supposed to be the wooden shield?

However, despite his slight doubt, Song Ren had to admit that with the shield, he felt his confidence had significantly increased.

Wielding the shield, he explored in other directions, and soon Song Ren saw a giant holding a great axe.

Its enormous size and the visually impactful great axe in its hand unmistakably indicated that this was a formidable foe.

“I’ll try out my shield on you first!”

Song Ren looked at the short-handled hunting axe he held and the wooden shield, taking a deep breath.

Facing the Great Axe Giant before him, Song Ren declared he wasn't scared in the slightest.

With a shield in hand, he felt invincible, and he still had 20 blood potions on his back. How could he possibly not defeat the Great Axe Giant in front of him?

He ran directly up to the Great Axe Giant and swung his axe.

The opponent’s health bar visibly dropped by one segment. Song Ren’s heart brightened; a good omen!

At least this Great Axe Giant wasn't unbeatable.

The attacked Great Axe Giant turned around, fiercely swinging its great axe down.

If it were before, Song Ren would surely have used a nimble sidestep to evade, but now?

Song Ren stood his ground, raising his shield to face the enemy, even though there was no Perfect Guard in Bloodborne.

But Song Ren felt it was still very reasonable.

Gun and shield, one for offense, one for defense.

Perfect Guard for stun lock, then a Visceral Attack – that’s offense.

Holding a sturdy shield, playing steady and cautious while seeking a counterattack – that’s defense.

One game, two styles and playstyles!

Perfect!

‘Bang!’

The great axe struck the shield, emitting a crisp sound.

Song Ren only felt his vision shake slightly.

Then he saw his stamina bar in the upper left corner instantly disappear.

The in-game character immediately fell into a stun locked state.

At that moment, the Great Axe Giant’s big foot lifted, kicking Song Ren in his lower abdomen, and then the axe, with its handle reversed, savagely plunged into his body.

【YOU DIED!】

Three blood-red characters appeared on the screen.

At the same time, all the Blood Echoes he had accumulated earlier in the top right corner disappeared.

Returning to the lamp, Song Ren’s mouth hung open, still not having fully recovered his senses.

Wha… what just happened?

Where’s my stamina bar? Where’s my health bar? I just died like that?

This shield was broken by one axe blow!?

Song Ren looked at the broken wooden shield in his left hand, and recalling the experience from a minute ago, he fell into deep thought.

Is this the shield in Bloodborne?

He didn't even do anything!

Blocking the Great Axe Giant’s attack with the shield, and then his stamina bar was emptied, and he was stun locked?

This is too much, isn't it?

“Maybe it’s only when facing the Great Axe Giant that it’s so useless?”

Song Ren looked at the shield in his hand, a hint of doubt.

After all, that Great Axe Giant looked truly fierce.

Perhaps this shield was just a basic shield, incapable of blocking elite monsters or BOSSes.

There might be more advanced shields later.

Or perhaps he could upgrade this shield in the Hunter's Workshop?

With these thoughts, Song Ren lit the lamp in Central Yharnam and found a torch-wielding enemy holding a farm tool.

Looking at the charging torch-wielding enemy, his face showed a hint of expectation as he raised his shield.

One minute later, having respawned at the lamp again, Song Ren silently tossed the shield into the depths of his inventory and re-equipped his shotgun.

What trash!

Song Ren, returning to the Cathedral Ward, was almost flabbergasted.

Now, how could he not know that this shield was a complete scam?

What was this broken wooden shield good for?

Even crows pecking at rice could drain a large chunk of his stamina and health, let alone blocking the attacks of common enemies, not to mention future BOSSes.

Lamenting, Song Ren continued to explore the Cathedral Ward. There, he followed a broken staircase to a place called Old Yharnam.

A seal was affixed to the gate of Old Yharnam: “This street has been abandoned. Turn back.”

But he didn't pay much attention, pushing open the gate directly.

What met his eyes was an old street enveloped in lingering bonfires and black smoke.

The moment he stepped into Old Yharnam, someone shouted from a tall building in the distance.

‘Hey! Hunter! Did you not see the warning?! Turn back, there’s nothing worth exploring here anymore.’

A living person?

Hearing the voice, Song Ren couldn't help but be surprised.

“If you tell me not to explore, and I don't, I’d lose all face!”

But soon, Song Ren would find out if he had any face left.

As he advanced, the voice from before continued: “You are a very sharp hunter, your hunting skills are very mature… But precisely because of that, I must stop you!”

Stop me, with what...

“Damn it!”

Just as he muttered something in his heart, Song Ren's eyes widened in shock.

What did he see?

On the distant, white mist-shrouded tower, the person who issued the warning was shooting at him with a Gatling gun?

Song Ren, who was fighting a monster, was caught off guard and sprayed with a burst of bullets, losing more than half his health.

He was also stun locked, and the next moment, the monster swiped at him with a claw.

Before Song Ren could recover, his health bar disappeared.

【YOU DIED!】

The familiar three big characters appeared on the screen.

Song Ren opened his mouth.

Damn it! It was bad enough that he used a gun like Father Gascoigne before, but what the heck is this Gatling gun?

He respawned and tried again. This time, Song Ren ran a little further than before, but the key was, what did he see?

A hunter just like him!

A hunter who knew how to do everything: rolling, gun parrying, Visceral Attacks!

Coupled with the Gatling machine gun on the rooftop, Song Ren’s fragile heart was utterly shattered here.

Of course, it wasn't just Song Ren. All the players experiencing the 'hospitality' of the Yharnamites in Bloodborne had their ardent hearts shattered by malicious monsters and traps.

Many of the first players to enter Bloodborne were veteran players who had cleared Dark Souls.

Among them were many gaming masters; an eighth playthrough was a piece of cake.

Only those who could clear the eighth playthrough with low-level characters and various impressive tricks could be considered true masters.

Yet, even these players found themselves dying until their minds were hazy in Bloodborne.

Besides malicious level design, complex maps, and stronger mobs, there were other reasons, such as art design choices.

For example, Insight: some traps in the game environment could only be seen if your Insight was high enough.

If your Insight wasn't high enough, you wouldn't even know how you died.

There was also the Cthulhu Mythos-style background setting, which made the monsters and atmosphere in the game barely better than a horror game. Especially with the VR immersive experience, it caused players' SAN values to plummet, leading many players to completely break down.

On major video and live streaming platforms, countless players' suffering experiences were like unedited movie clips.

They were the kind that needed no editing; they could be taken as-is and played.

(End of Chapter) <>