After leaving Kiana's house, Bronie began to ponder.
How could Kiana's tears flow like a faucet, turning on and off at will?
If she was truly under a lot of pressure, would she cry like that instead of turning into a pupperfish and causing a major Honkai in minutes?
Lately, Bronie felt like Kiana's behavior was deliberately imitating someone.
Was it... Elysia?
"What's wrong? You have that subtle expression as soon as you come back. Did you accidentally sneeze and cause a butterfly effect, changing the future?"
Back at the bar, Cioara noticed Bronie's subtle expression.
"Natasha, I think I might be the target of Kiana's practice for flirting."
"Huh? Kiana is a girl, right?"
"Isn't Elysia also a girl? And she even has the ultimate playboy Siegfried as her father. Do you know what we talked about at the dinner table when I visited his house last time?"
"His flirting techniques on Shigure Kira?"
"His flirting techniques on Shigure Kira, making her shy."
"What a jerk."
"Yeah."
Bronie wasn't envious of the dazzling flirting techniques of others.
"Speaking of which, is the rumor about Siegfried groping all the Valkyries true?"
"Of course... not! How could I spread such rumors!"
Almost let it slip.
"Haha~ I'll pretend I believe it."
But Cioara probably understood why there was such a rumor about Siegfried in the world.
Let's not talk about the defection from Schicksal.
Cecilia, Idol of Valkyries and pursued by countless Valkyries, was suddenly taken away by a ruffian like Siegfried.
Wouldn't anyone hold a grudge?
"It's been pretty peaceful lately, hasn't it?"
Bronie chose to change the subject.
"Indeed, it's been very peaceful lately. Gray Serpent hasn't brought me any new work, and there haven't been any troubles from the Herrschers. Why, do you want to stir up trouble because it's too peaceful?"
"Of course not, I still have to make games!"
"Under Civilization, there are two DLCs called 'Winds of Change' and 'Rise and Fall,' right? I've already planned them out. The production will definitely be handed over to subordinates. Do you have anything else to do?"
"Kiana wants to play my new game, otherwise, she won't study properly."
Hearing this demand from a Herrscher, especially such a whimsical demand, raised Cioara's blood pressure.
Damn, this little girl's childhood is too happy!
But then Cioara saw Bronie's subtle sinister expression.
"It seems like Little Bunny is up to something mischievous?"
"It's not like that. I just had a burst of inspiration! That's how creativity works; sometimes inspiration suddenly strikes, and money comes like a gust of wind. Isn't live streaming becoming popular lately?"
"Although I haven't been paying attention, it seems like there's such a thing."
"Taking advantage of this trend, should we let Elysia do live streams too?"
"That's a bit too high-profile. Even if Elysia agrees, the World Serpent won't. Maybe one day I'll receive an order to assassinate you."
That's true.
But that doesn't stop Bronie from making games.
"Is the new game you're making going to be very difficult?"
"Why would it be? I guarantee that everyone can complete it in one go. There won't be any games where you die thousands of times!"
"Your scamming skills could use a bit of improvement."
After hearing Bronie's words, Cioara smiled at the obviously inducive rhetoric.
That's right, it's impossible to die.
But whether you can clear the game is another story.
Back in her room, Bronie turned on her computer.
Looking at the overwhelmingly positive comments, a glaring comment caught her eye.
[(Negative review) Why isn't Tesla among the great figures in this game? You already have Einstein and Schrödinger!]
Ugh.
This attitude of being impulsive without thinking stirred up memories from Bronie's past life.
Wasn't it Hephaisutos Barbados?
Bronie logged into the author's account and replied to the comment.
[In progress, in progress.]
[Really?]
Almost an instant reply.
[Please stay tuned for the upcoming DLC, along with others]
Shortly after, numerous likes flooded the comments. However, Bronie couldn't be bothered to pay attention.
Perhaps the commenter was just a Tesla fangirl?
That was also possible.
After symbolically promoting the upcoming DLC for her game, Bronie prepared to close Sbeam and start making games. However, she received a private message on her account.
"Hello, Miss Bunny, this is Schicksal Live. We sincerely invite you to participate in our Sbeam Award Game Network Awards Ceremony. Your game 'Undertale' has been honored with the Best Independent Game of the Year award. Please connect via video communication next Sunday night at 8 PM US time. Of course, if you have any urgent matters, please let us know in advance and prepare a winning speech beforehand."
Shortly after, Bronie's company phone also received the same message. It was almost simultaneous.
Did she win an award? But that was to be expected.
It was more surprising that the award ceremony was scheduled for autumn, and she happened to be chosen.
It seemed that her game 'Undertale' had indeed made a significant impact on gamers.
"Natasha! My game won an award! Best Independent Game of the Year!" Bronie immediately shared her joy and even showed the message to Cioara.
"Wow, congratulations! But you indeed deserve such an honor. 'Undertale' has brought so much change to many people, too much..."
Cioara generously praised, making Bronie quite happy.
"After all, it's also one of my dreams! After all the hard work, I finally achieved something, right?"
"Yes, congratulations. But if you keep showing off in front of me, I might start charging for compliments!"
"If compliments cost money, will I get a hug as a reward for free?"
"Oh, come on, how old are you? Still acting cute? I can't handle you."
Cioara hugged Bronie again. But when giving Bronie the reward, Cioara actually felt that her mood had improved quite a bit for the day.
A feeling of mutual trust? No, it was more like mutual dependence.
Big brother, I have new family members now too...
...
The elusive Miss Haxxor Bunny from the legendary game agreed to participate in the award ceremony!
At Schicksal Entertainment, as well as Sbeam, there was a big publicity campaign after receiving a response.
There was no other meaning; it was just that 'Undertale' had a far-reaching impact. In a sense, it also opened up a path to bypass the curse of Schicksal Entertainment.
Excellent independent games also received more attention.
With the market confidence restored, there would also be more capital entering the AAA game market.
From the perspective of capital, Bronie's 'Undertale' was like Columbus discovering a new continent, directly creating a new money-making blue ocean.
So, it was inevitable that 'Undertale' would win an award, and the identity of Miss Haxxor Bunny, the independent game developer, would also receive the highest honor in the gaming industry.
Game of the Year!
Participating in the live broadcast award ceremony, the most important thing was still to promote one's own game.
Whether it was an old game or a new game planned for the future.
With a good promotional channel, there would be more money in the pocket.
If there were any major changes in the future, such as Miss Cioara's island suddenly exploding, Bronie could still afford to support her.
But for now, Bronie thought it was unlikely that Cioara's island would explode. After all, everyone could see Kiana's growth, and no matter how bad the future might be, it wouldn't be that bad.
Perhaps it was the first time they tried to present awards, so it was done online.
Actually, this method was quite suitable for Bronie.
After all, if Bronie had to go to such a crowded event, she would be quite scared.
Checking the live broadcast equipment, Bronie focused on the award ceremony.
The annual game inventory was not just about awarding a single game.
Awards would be given for graphics, innovation, independent games, player feedback, and more.
This meant that a single game could receive multiple awards.
The award ceremony had actually been held for some time.
First, they would play trailers for some new games, as well as some ads for other games.
Then they would announce some less important awards, such as Best Music, Best Voice Acting, and some Best Graphics awards.
These awards had little to do with 'Undertale,' and even less to do with the Spiritfarer.
From a musical theory perspective, the music of these two games was not of a very high standard.
[Hurry! Hasn't Miss Haxxor appeared yet? When will Miss Haxxor come out? Clearly, there were so many nominations!]
[Isn't it obvious? The heavier the award, the later it will be announced!]
[What does Miss Haxxor Bunny look like? I'm curious!]
[Skip! Skip!]
"All right, everyone, I'm sure you've been waiting! Next up for announcement is the Best Independent Game award! The nominees are—'Bounce Ring 3,' 'Wandering Howl - Homu,' 'The Fall of Arahato,' 'Spiritfarer,' and 'Undertale'!"
As each name was announced, its corresponding promotional video or game footage would be shown.
But 'Undertale' looked relatively simple. After all, it was a pixel game.
[Hurry!]
[Will Miss Bunny come out? She must come out!]
[Why is there no news about Miss Bunny's new game? It's been two weeks already, and the production team can't afford to rest like this!]
"It seems that everyone is very interested in 'Undertale.' That's right, the winner of the Best Independent Game award is naturally 'Undertale'!"
Then the plain music of 'Undertale' started playing.
The peaceful town, the friendly monsters, all brought back countless memories for many players.
"Now please welcome our game developer, Haxxor Bunny, to join the live broadcast."
The screen was then split in half.
One half showed the host, and the other half showed a silver-haired girl with twin turbines.
"Hello, Miss Bunny, do you have any thoughts on winning this award?"
"I make games to bring smiles to everyone, so when I received this award, I actually thought, I didn't expect that I really did it. My dream has finally come true!"
"Later, I began to wonder, how many people will remember my game, and how many people will build good bonds with others because of this game".
"Thank you, Schicksal Entertainment, and Sbeam, for recognizing 'Undertale.' Thank you all for your support. In the near future, I will bring more smiles to everyone through more games."
Appearing on camera, Bronie was a bit shy and embarrassed, to be honest. However, her speech was already prepared, so reciting it wasn't a problem.
But looking up at the barrage of comments:
"???"
"Wow, it's a cute girl!"
"Prprprprpr~"
"OMG, only a genius could make such a game!"
"Art, music, story, all done by this little girl!?"
"From now on, I declare, Haxxor Bunny is my wife!"
"Don't you dare look! Haxxor Bunny is mine!!"
"Police: I'm listening."
"Well, it seems the audience is indeed very surprised by Miss Bunny's age, but the joy you've brought us is undeniable, isn't it?"
"Hmm~" Bronie cooperatively made a slightly proud expression.
"So here's a question that our audience is most concerned about: will there be new content for 'Undertale' in the future? Just like how 'Civilization' releases DLCs."
"Uh... well, actually, we're working on it."
Bronie felt a bit guilty, as she had only played 'Undertale' herself. Although he had heard about other fan-made games or the 'sequel' of the game, she wasn't interested in them.
"As we speak, we're working on it! (Create new folder)"
"Why does that sound familiar?" The host tilted his head.
"Is this an automatic reply from private messages?"
"We're working on it, we're working on it! (New folder created)"
"Perhaps, one day, everyone will indeed see a sequel, but I'm more willing to explore more possibilities in games. Through 'Civilization,' I discovered that this game also appeals to different audiences. Some players don't like this type of game, so I'll focus more on other games."
"So, Miss Haxxor, are you planning to release other games next?"
"Yes, and they'll be completely different from 'Civilization,' 'Spiritfarer,' and 'Undertale.' I'll try out more themes and gameplay styles to bring joy to more people. Before the next big project, I'll release a small game called 'Getting Over it with Haxxor Bunny' as a warm-up. I hope everyone can share this game with others."
Want to read advanced chapters? go to my patréon for 150+ chapters.
patréon.com/PorterOfSomething
"Why did I create this game?"
In a side-scrolling game screen, a dark pot revealed a girl with twin spiral drills emerging, then she picked up a hammer nearby.
This was Haxxor Bunny, almost mirroring the scene from the livestream.
"Here lies a winding and challenging mountain to climb."
The plain melody, reminiscent of being in a jazz bar, set a relaxed atmosphere.
Then, Haxxor Bunny controlled the hammer swinging it around the pot she is stuck in, successfully using it as a pivot point to clumsily move along the ground.
"I could have made a game you'd enjoy, a game that gives you a sense of grandeur and progression."
"A game with save points, a gradual progression."
"But I'll be honest, this game is anything but merciful. Playing it leaves a bitter taste."
"Full of twists and turns, causing ambitious people to face repeated setbacks."
In the scene, Haxxor Bunny arrived at the foot of a mountain, where there were many strange objects on the mountainside, while inside, Haxxor Bunny struggled to control her hammer to climb upward.
Although her clumsy movements along the way caused Haxxor Bunny to fall many times.
"But people are different. I made this game for a certain type of people."
Then, the pot containing Haxxor Bunny fell from the mountain again.
"To hurt them."
The screen went black, and the trailer ended.
Simple content, plain background music—it seemed like everything was said, yet also like nothing was said at all.
However, the gameplay had been clearly demonstrated.
"Haxxor Bunny's grand debut!"
"A trial work sponsored by the magical engine under the banner of Schicksal Entertainment."
"Unveiling the glorious story under the golden tree at the border."
Although Civilization hadn't been released for long.
Although the award ceremony hadn't ended long ago.
But Bronie's new game was quickly listed on SBeam.
And in the store interface, the first trailer was clearly trying to deceive people.
But because of the use of Schicksal Entertainment's magical engine, coupled with the exquisite modeling and graphics, it made people want to buy it.
Anyway, it's only around five dollars, right?
Undertale also cost around five dollars, yet it provided such rich and memorable content.
So almost everyone had labeled Bronie in their hearts.
Bronie's productions are always of high quality.
Yes, even those who don't particularly like playing Civilization, after experiencing Civilization, can feel the producer's painstaking efforts. It's very time-consuming to organize such a large amount of text.
And there's nothing to say about the gameplay.
Although Civilization may not satisfy everyone, it's still recognized by everyone for its excellent production.
And next, Schicksal Entertainment actually collaborated with Haxxor Bunny, and even released a brand-new game engine!
Is Schicksal Entertainment planning to give up its advantage in Kallen Fantasy?
No, actually, this is also thanks to Bronie.
Although she rejected Schicksal's headhunting invitation, Bronie proposed a cooperation application.
Using game engines to make money and such, Otto didn't even think about it and agreed directly.
After all, Otto himself knew that his Schicksal Entertainment had a recent trend of making money. Instead of holding onto that high-end engine for monopolistic purposes, it's better to give it to Bronie, put it on the market, and see what interesting games can be born.
Of course, what's more important is that Haxxor Bunny wants to use the game engine.
After experiencing Bronie's game-making ability, Otto also developed a curiosity about what kind of games Haxxor Bunny could make with a very powerful game engine.
It must be said that these three games really caught Otto's eye and earned his appreciation.
And the game engine was first used by Haxxor Bunny, resulting in this experimental, hands-on work.
Yes, Bronie did mention this in the game's description.
But after seeing Bronie say this, many netizens became even more curious.
There's no other meaning, they just wanting to see what the new generation of game engines can really achieve.
Of course, Kiana didn't know about these things.
Only after Bronie won the award did Kiana gradually understand what awards meant.
However, she didn't feel any jealousy; instead, she remembered what Elysia had said. "If you don't hesitate to praise yourself and others, it'll be easier to get closer to the girls!"
"Sister Bronie is the most amazing game producer in the world!"
This time, Bronie brought a new game over.
As soon as she entered, she heard Kiana praising herself like this.
Not good!
Now she's feeling a bit guilty!
What did she come here for?
To deliver a game.
What game was she about to deliver?
Getting Over it with Haxxor Bunny.
A game specifically designed to bring smiles to people's faces. Specifically people behind the player, not the player themselves.
The more Kiana coquettishly praised Bronie, the more uneasy Bronie felt.
No, no! How could she back out at this point!
"Yes, I am indeed the most amazing game producer in the world! This time, I've created a new game called Getting Over It with Haxxor Bunny!"
"Wow! It's Sister Bronie!"
The exquisite modeling indeed left a great first impression.
Even though Haxxor Bunny was contained in a pot, it still sparked endless imagination, right?
After all, soon there were adult images on the internet, like the pot being full of tentacles, or full of machinery...
Really, why are the people in the Honkai Impact 3rd world so strange!?
No, actually they reverted? After all, Bronie felt that this was still miles better than Homu on those sites.
It still felt weird.
"Yes, it's me. If Kiana grows up, do you want me to put you in the game too?"
"Of course!"
"Alright, then I'll wait for your authorization. But do you still remember our agreement?"
"You make a game, and I'll play to clear it!"
"After clearing it, you can take a one-week break, and you don't have to go to class every day during these days."
"Yes!"
"So I brought the game."
Because Kiana's house had the computer Bronie had given her, Bronie just took out the mobile storage device and plugged it into the computer.
The game wasn't very large, but because it used the magical engine, it was slightly larger than the game Bronie remembered.
However, the physical parameters, the blood-pressure-raising friction, and the control feel were definitely the same as always.
And the game had been tested by Cioara, almost knocking Bronie out in the process.
Of course, it was only almost.
How could she bear to hit her when she were so cute?
But overall, the biggest workload of the game was actually in the voice acting.
The entire game was voiced by Bronie alone, but it still felt strange speaking in her own room.
To ensure the voice acting wasn't too poor, Bronie naturally used the best recording equipment in Arc City Technology.
If you have good headphones, this game can totally be enjoyed as ASMR.
Now Bronie felt she only dug her grave futher.
"Wow! If we overcome challenges with Sister Bronie, it must be like the knights of the Kaslana family protecting everyone, right?"
"Uh... how should I put it, you'll know when you play it."
"I don't think so either."
Siegfried also came over to join in the fun.
How could a new game not have his involvement?
You know, Siegfried was a playful person when he was young.
It's just that reality smoothed out his edges, and pain made him too preoccupied to notice the beauty around him.
But now, everything is getting better.
The game installed, Haxxor Bunny emerged from the pot and picked up the hammer on the ground.
"Wow~"
Such a scene, such lighting, was truly rare.
Kiana couldn't help but exclaim.
Then she controlled the mouse according to the prompts.
"So I can only control this hammer? So our goal is to help Sister Bunny climb to the peak?"
"Yes, very simple, right?"
"Um! Seems... simple?"
Kiana swung the hammer and began to control Haxxor Bunny forward, but there was a tree blocking her path as soon as she started.
After actually operating it, Kiana realized that this game might not be simple.
Clumsily climbing the tree, just the first point made her fall several times back and forth.
😭
Tears began to well up in Kiana's eyes.
"This... you should do it like this, Kiana. Haven't you noticed you can pole vault?"
Siegfried watched on the side, feeling that it seemed quite simple just to watch.
Isn't it just controlling a hammer to climb up? Although the tree feels a bit weird in shape, it might pose a bit of a challenge for the protagonist's progress.
So Siegfried immediately transformed into a Commentator commander, pointing and guiding on the side.
Kiana also listened to Siegfried's words and finally managed to overcome her first challenge.
"The worst thing is having to start over. If you're like me and delete your homework the day before the deadline. Or you've been walking to work for an hour and realize you left your wallet at home and have to go back to get it. Or you win some money at the casino, bet it all on red, but it all comes up black. Or you win an argument with a friend, only to realize you've just come full circle to your original point. So starting over is much harder than starting. Next, you may face too many things, but you can leave anytime you want, find a safe place to leave me there, and then close the game. I'll be waiting here for you, whenever you want to take a break, I understand."
"Huh?"
Kiana didn't quite understand. Was Bronie trying to say something?
"Does this game have a plot?"
"No, it's just idle chatter to keep you from losing motivation during the game."
"Is there such a thing?"
Siegfried felt like he had witnessed the inner journey of a game maker, never expecting that a simple aside could contain so many intricacies.
"360 lines of code, every industry seems simple to understand, but if you want to delve deeper, it takes a lot of effort."
"Got it! Stop reciting, or I'll grow a brain!"
Siegfried didn't want to hear any more, but wanted to know what kind of game Kiana was playing.
And Kiana didn't disappoint, starting to climb further.
In fact, the tree was already a very simple level. What appeared next in front of Kiana was a huge mountain.
A piece of art made up of various architectural debris, with an unclear meaning.
"Our goal is to climb to the peak?"
"Yes, that's right. It's to climb to the peak."
Kiana remained silent for a long time, but still slowly controlled the hammer to climb up.
But without climbing far, a careless move caused her to fall back to the starting point.
"I didn't expect you to come back here again. There's probably nothing here."
She made a mistake!
Luckily, she didn't go too far.
"Weird move."
But after hearing those subtle words, did Kiana feel like she was being mocked?
"It's indeed a game that looks strange, but such games also have many players. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because the peak is there, and there are always people who want to see what kind of scenery is there."
"Um... just because the peak is there?"
"That's how humans are. If you don't do something, if you don't challenge something, you won't realize the meaning of your life. But I made this game purely for fun."
"Ah! I Fell again!"
Kiana finally managed to climb over the oar, but the steep slope that followed made Kiana inadvertently return to the starting point again.
Messing up with the hammer, she accidentally bumped herself off.
"What's up there? Oh!"
Clang.
When the jar landed, it made a collision sound with the ground, but there was no harm.
Finally climbing to a very high place, but who knew that the iron sheet was so smooth that with a little force, she returned to the original point.
"I hope the next song can ease your bad mood a little."
"A Feeling of Walking on This Road Isn't Good" - Cliff Carlisle
The cheerful tune started playing on the ukulele, and the slightly dated music made Siegfried's expression subtly change.
Obviously, it was a mocking tune, and it was that very ancient style.
😭~
"Fell again!"
"Now, the pain I feel is the happiness I used to experience. This is a trade." - C.S. Lewis
"Is this saying I'm too bad?"
"No, it just empathizes with the pain you feel. Remember what Professor Eden taught you about reading comprehension?"
😭
At this moment, tears began to swirl in Kiana's eyes.
The mountain in front of her seemed like an insurmountable peak, impossible to reach no matter what.
"Dad! Help me!"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!"
Siegfried also realized that this game might not be as simple as it seemed.
After all, Kiana was still young and didn't know how to play the game, but Siegfried felt like he could handle it himself.
Bronie picked up Kiana and sat down, making way for Siegfried.
"Watch! Watch your dad clear it in one go!"
And he started playing the game.
Want to read advanced chapters? go to my patréon for up to the current available chapters: Chapter 221.
patréon.com/PorterOfSomething
Kommentar absatzweise anzeigen
Die Absatzkommentarfunktion ist jetzt im Web! Bewegen Sie den Mauszeiger über einen beliebigen Absatz und klicken Sie auf das Symbol, um Ihren Kommentar hinzuzufügen.
Außerdem können Sie es jederzeit in den Einstellungen aus- und einschalten.
ICH HAB ES