Chapter 842 Pure Love, Netorare, and Simps

In Song Ren's imagined ending, Melina and the Tarnished should have lived a beautiful and happy life.

Well, this wish seems a bit too much to ask for in Souls-like games.

At the very least, it should be like the End of Fire ending in Dark Souls, the Dragon's Homecoming in Sekiro, or the rebirth of the Great Ones in Bloodborne.

But what about the current Elden Ring?

Great flames consumed the Tarnished; the Frenzied Flame incinerated the entire Erdtree, sweeping across the Lands Between. In the bleak ruins, a disheveled woman gradually came to the center. On the ground lay a ring shimmering with firelight—the Tarnished's Spectral Steed Ring.

The woman knelt and picked up the still-burning ring, muttering: 'Lord of Frenzied Flame...'

That was Melina's voice.

'I will surely come to your side...'

Her hand, clutching the ring, slowly tightened. At the same time, her previously tightly closed eyes opened for the first time.

One eye, like a starry sky, displayed a purplish-blue hue, while the other is a lifeless white pupil.

'To deliver unto you... Destined Death!'

Watching the final ending, and as the credits began to roll, Song Ren remained stunned for a long time.

This wasn't the ending he wanted! Melina even wants to kill him in the end!? I shed so much blood for you, suffered so much for you, and this is what I get in return!?

At this moment, Song Ren felt a bit bewildered.

Then he exited the game and opened the official Elden Ring community on Nebula Games.

He wanted to see the other endings for Melina in the game.

However, he couldn't find any endings. Instead, he found other anguished players who were just as bewildered as him.

'Melina... my Melina, why this ending? Am I truly just a Tool-man?'

'Melina, I hate you for being like a block of wood! Even if you just said 'help me,' I would gladly die for you. But you said it was a transaction. Who do you think I was leaping up and down across the heavens and beneath the earth for? I don't want to clean up demigods' messes, nor do I want to high-intensity dungeon crawl to increase my strength. I just want to feel needed by you. I've hacked my way from Caelid to Altus Plateau. If staves could get dull, I'd be holding a chainsaw right now. I've killed miners for ten years; my heart is colder than dungeon crystals. For you, I chose to burn myself in the end, yet you turn against me and even hunt me down. What will you use to repay what you owe me here!?'

'Damn! Bro, that's too much!'

'Seriously, Ranni can marry, Fia can hug, and the teacher even left me a way out. Why should I be a Tool-man and a Simp?'

'Tarnished: [Melina, even though I can't even beat Margit the Fell Omen right now, I'll take you to Lothric Castle. If one day I become Elden Lord, would you consider being with me?], Melina: [Are you never going to stop?]'

'Masters, I understand! What is the ending of the Lord of Frenzied Flame? It means I've gone mad!'

'As for Melina being wife material, can she be? No, she can't, you know? She doesn't have the capability. Next, she'll lose to Ranni, then Ranni will lose to the teacher, then to the Turtle. After that, there's no one left to lose to.'

Despite some teasing, for many players, Melina's actions were truly frustrating.

As a Souls-like game, even though it wasn't explicitly stated, many players tacitly considered the Fire Keeper character as the main heroine, just like Emma in Sekiro and the Doll in Bloodborne.

But who would have thought that Melina, who plays the role of the Fire Keeper here, would end up in such a situation?

Although the game has corresponding dialogues that show emotional interaction between Melina and the Tarnished, such as the initial cold transaction, and later in the snowy mountains, Melina wanting to hold the Tarnished's hand but then retracting it, and also the dialogue before the Royal Capital sewers where she pleads with the Tarnished to stay away from the Frenzied Flame.

But these are all restrained expressions. If it were still like Sekiro and Dark Souls, Melina's character portrayal would have been sufficient.

But the key is that in Elden Ring, there isn't just Melina.

Not to mention the teacher who cares about the Tarnished and assures him a permanent place in the magic academy.

The tsundere Ranni, even in the final Age of Stars ending, takes the initiative to hold the Tarnished's hand, welcoming the new era together. The only one who ends up pretty miserably is the Wolfman bro.

There's also Fia, offering hugs throughout, which is also a kind of transaction. See how sincere Fia is? The first time she directly seduced the Tarnished – only the poor Prince of Death suffered. Of course, the most tragic was the Death Dragon, who didn't understand that the Prince of Death just wanted to die, and earnestly tried to prevent the Prince of Death's demise, refused to listen to advice, and then was killed. One could say he died a very unjust death.

Pure Love Warrior, Netorare Warrior, and Simp – all these elements are completely present!

What? You say Ranni's questline also involved simping?

Can that be the same? An ending where you get everything – can that be called simping?

Song Ren sighed as he looked at the online discussions from players about Ranni, Fia, and Melina's various storylines.

Of course, players focusing on Melina, Ranni, and the Tarnished's emotional connections were not the mainstream.

More players were diligently studying 'Ringlore.'

This is also a major characteristic of Souls-like games. For players of Souls games, the initial experience is always the same: suffering.

After adapting to the suffering gameplay and labels of Souls games, players' curiosity shifts to another aspect: what story does the game actually tell?

Souls-like games give players a very special feeling: a sense of unfamiliarity with the world.

Just like when players first encountered Dark Souls or Bloodborne... they are extremely unfamiliar with this world.

And unlike ordinary RPGs, Souls games hide all content within various items and corners of the map.

Players need to discover it little by little and piece it together mentally.

Just like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro, with players' continuous exploration, Elden Ring's side characters' backstories and the game's entire worldview slowly became richer. Coupled with the conditions for achieving the six endings already discovered.

Connecting all the discovered clues, players then realized that the main storyline of Elden Ring only revealed the tip of the iceberg of its content.

In this land called the Lands Between, the so-called Age of the Erdtree and even the Elden Ring itself are merely transient visitors in the long annals of time.

(End of Chapter) <>