Bab 50: Chapter 50: The approaching Elden Ring

This journey to Elysian Realm has evoked many emotions in Bronie.

This time, she was informed of her special identity, likely making Elysia feel as if she's seeing her past self, right?

Knowing that she's somewhat special but not knowing exactly where creates a slight unease in her heart. Bronie's afraid that once her identity is exposed, others will easily turn their backs on her.

Human emotions can be so fragile; a small lie, a seemingly harmless deception, can be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

At the most crucial moments, the time spent together can collapse in an instant, like a house of cards. It's indeed a very frightening thing.

Elysia is particularly interested in Bronie because she has experienced these things.

After all, she can see that Bronie has been hiding something from Kiana and Cioara, but fundamentally, she still likes them very much. If this lie isn't handled well, wouldn't it be heartbreaking?

Elysia's method of dealing with it is through her flirting skills: being more caring, more intrusive, and dressing up more.

These "threes" are the key secrets to Elysia's popularity, and she handed them over to Bronie.

How should she put it? For Bronie, the benefits are immense!

With such benefits in mind, Bronie traveled a long way back to the icy land. "I'm back. Has anything happened near the town recently?"

Like returning home, Bronie entered the bar, shaking off the accumulated snow on her body.

Cioara was alone at the computer behind the bar, doing who knows what, and the bar was empty, making one wonder if everyone in the town had died.

"Nothing much happened. The temperature dropped suddenly, school's out, and everyone's staying home. Even the journey to the bar was too much for them. In the end, I had to deliver the alcohol to their homes, but most of the delivered alcohol ended up frozen."

The outside environment was extremely harsh, and Bronie was well aware of that.

To be honest, Bronie had never seen such cold weather before, but for this land, it was normal.

"Was there any honkai outbreak afterward?"

That's what Bronie was concerned about. "There was a little, but not much. At most, there was a Seraph-type Honkai beast born, but it was quickly killed by Siegfried. The Judgement of Shamash is really useful; the huge heat generated fog directly covered the creature's whereabouts, making me afraid to approach and observe."

"You don't trust his combat power like that?"

"I'm just cautious, you know!"

Cioara's words weren't wrong; when it came to Honkai, there was no harm in being cautious.

Even if it's the Judgement of Shamash, so what? If you encounter something you can't beat, you'll end up dying together.

Then there'll definitely be a major Honkai outbreak near you because the Second Herrscher doesn't like it.

That's not what Cioara wants to see.

Although Bronie repeatedly assured that everything was fine and that love could influence the Herrscher.

But adults have their own ways of dealing with things; even if they're protecting a child's dream, adults need to approach things from a realistic perspective to prevent such incidents.

So Cioara tracking Siegfried ended up exhausting her.

"Thank you, tonight I'll make you something delicious. But come to think of it."

"Hmm?"

"The Spring Festival in Shenzhou is coming soon, or Christmas. Which holiday do you prefer?"

"Christmas has passed, it's a pity you weren't home that day, and we didn't have a video call."

Huh? Christmas has already passed?

Bronie didn't pay attention to the time; she just felt it was probably around December, almost Christmas time.

As for the Spring Festival, it's probably still a month away. Bronie would have plenty of time to prepare for New Year goods, or even clothes for everyone to wear during the New Year.

But come to think of it, what was she doing on Christmas Day?

"I apologize, but I might have been working on Christmas Day. I was probably in the middle of writing the logic program for the boss in the game... It was probably Blade of Miquella, right?"

"I knew it. You were really immersed in your work. Have you been eating properly lately? Are you sleeping regularly? Don't let your work ruin your health."

"Shouldn't that be something I should be saying?"

Bronie was quite touched by this. Although it was a bit strange to hear such motherly concern coming from Cioara, there was no doubt she cared about her.

"Really, if you want to care for others, you better take care of yourself first. You little rascal, I've grown up this much, and it's not your turn to care for me."

Hearing Bronie's reply, Cioara felt sweet in her heart, as if she had picked up a thoughtful little coat.

"But if I missed Christmas, I'll make up for it during the Spring Festival. Otherwise, I might get distracted even from work."

"I've never celebrated the Spring Festival before. Would you be the one handling all the arrangements for that holiday?"

"No, generally speaking, it's more meaningful for the whole family to prepare together. So don't think about slacking off. I'll teach you well when the time comes. We'll continue to celebrate together in the future."

"Is it troublesome?"

"It's troublesome to the extent that you'll never forget it in your life. So prepare yourself properly!"

But for now, Bronie still focused on the game.

The game "Getting Over It with Haxxor Bunny" was small but gained popularity quickly.

This game didn't have unbeatable situations as long as you spent time on it. And seeing streamers suffer in the game increased audience engagement.

It was all about the streaming effect, which gave a boost to the streaming industry.

2009, a timeline vastly different from Bronie's previous life.

If it were in her previous life, Bronie's most vivid memories would probably be the major online games from certain big companies.

Streaming and such, not to mention, the battle among streaming platforms only began to rise later past 2012.

But Bronie's game sparked it all early.

It gave her a sense of accomplishment.

Did she set off a trend in the era?

Who knew what the future held? Was the butterfly effect real?

Time passed.

Work progressed steadily.

With the assistance of weak AI programming and the persistent efforts of many, coupled with Eden's sole responsibility for composing the entire game's music.

By the time Spring Festival approached, the game was almost 90% complete.

Some games would start releasing actual gameplay demos once they reached this stage.

But was Bronie the type to use CG as an actual gameplay demo?

Of course not!

Bronie chose to use actual gameplay footage to create a promotional video that looked like CG.

This way, the graphics improvements brought by the game engine and the intricate designs of each monster could be showcased.

What was a masterpiece?

The exquisite style that could be seen at first glance, the elements on the monsters alone showed the scale of the entire game.

High cost, large scale, high quality.

That's what a AAA game was.

Of course, others might think it was costly, but for Bronie, the cost might not be as high as imagined.

Yes, after all, the art was projected directly by Bronie, programming used weak AI, the story was already in Bronie's mind, and the music was provided by Eden.

Low cost meant potentially huge profits.

"To be honest, the profits from making games are much higher than your mercenary business. Do you ever think of retiring and managing my game company? After all, the mercenary business often ends up with heads rolling, and even if you're lucky enough not to lose your head, you might end up in jail if caught."

"There's no such thing as a clean break in this world. Every step leaves a mark. Since I entered this line of work, my hands have been stained with blood that can never be washed away. As for you, you have a complicated relationship with the mercenary world. What attracts you to that place?"

"Do beautiful girls count?"

"Be careful not to get bitten by the venomous snakes. Female mercenaries in this business are often unclean, both physically and mentally twisted. It's best to avoid too much contact with them."

"I'll make my own judgment on that. But now that the game is almost done, aren't you interested?"

"Oh? Is it finally done? I see you working tirelessly every day, and now you're bringing home boxes of stuff. Are those days finally over?"

"The things brought home are not related to the game, but to the Spring Festival. But that's not important. What matters is the game! Aren't you interested in the game?"

"So, it's done?"

According to Cioara's understanding, if even the trailer for the game hasn't been released, then it's definitely not done.

Perhaps there's some progress that Bronie wants to show off?

"It's almost done. Just a few minor things left, like setting up servers, finding game-breaking bugs, and anti-cheat measures."

"But that's not done yet!"

"It's the promotional video! I spent a lot of time on both the story trailer and the actual gameplay trailer!"

Is it really just a promotional video?

"Undertale was without a trailer, Spiritfarer did, Civilization did. But I always felt there wasn't much description of the gameplay mechanics inside, so this time I finally decided to make an actual gameplay trailer, right?"

"After all, it's a big project, so the promotional methods should also go with the flow. If we don't properly explain what kind of game we're making, many people will hesitate because of the high price. So do you want to see the story trailer first or the actual gameplay trailer?"

"Then let's start with the story. I trust your storytelling abilities."

"Well, this time you might be slightly disappointed because the narrative style we used is more fragmented."

With that, Bronie took out her laptop and placed it in front of Cioara.

At the same time, the pre-order page for Elden Ring appeared on the screen.

Two trailers, along with many in-game screenshots.

Swords and magic, knights and armor.

Monsters and warhorses under the setting sun.

Medieval, magical style, just like what's depicted in "Getting Over It with Haxxor Bunny," is an eternal world shrouded under the Erdtree and the Greater Will.

"The fragmented storytelling is for the sake of...?"

"Increasing immersion and discussion, and making the descriptions of in-game items more meaningful."

"Oh, right, that's what it was."

Saying that, Cioara controlled the mouse and clicked the play button.

...

Joint Production of Haxxor Bunny Studio and Schicksal Entertainment.

"It happened an age ago."

A girl's voice slowly came.

On the pitch-black screen, a pair of clasped hands, two pairs of blue puppet hands gently resting on each other's thighs, as if praying for something.

"But when I recall, I see it true.."

The scene shifted, and in the dark forest, a group of people in black robes rode horses.

"On a night of wint'ry fog.

The rune of death was stolen."

Accompanied by the sound of blades piercing flesh.

A man with golden hair lay before the camera.

The dark wound on his back resembled a crawling centipede.

"And the demigods began to fall, starting with Godwyn the Golden.

Queen Marika was driven to the brink."

The body was gradually mutating, and black tears were left in the eyes of the corpse as they opened.

Then an old man slowly placed a golden crown on the throne.

With the old man holding a staff under the golden tree, the camera gradually zoomed out.

It was a royal city under the golden tree, now engulfed in flames of war.

"The Shattering ensued; a war that wrought only darkness.

The Elden Ring was broken, but by whom? And why?"

Countless knights gathered at the city gates, even giants joining the fray.

Giant weapons fell from the sky, wiping out only a small fraction of the sea of people.

The war looked so fierce.

"What could the Demigods ever hope to win by warring?"

On another battlefield stained with blood and sand.

A towering giant stood with folded arms facing a one-armed female warrior.

"'The conqueror of the stars, General Radahn.

And the Blade of Miquella, Malenia the Severed.

These two were the mightiest to remain, and locked horns in combat."

Marlenia abandoned her prosthetic arm for a chance to get closer to Latane.

Using the shoulder connected to that prosthetic arm, Malenia slowly inserted the blade into Radahn's body.

Then a bright red flower bloomed on Marlenia's body.

"But there would be no victor."

"And so, we inhabit a fractured world.

Awaiting the arrival of the Elden Lord."

"Unless of course, thou shouldst take the crown?"

The figure of the puppet's owner with four hands slowly emerged.

Under the ice-cold magical hat, the blue-haired puppet closed its right eye, exuding a mysterious aura as it gazed at the screen.

Who was this puppet? Why was it so beautiful?

Why was the story narrated by her?

What did that soul-like face represent?

From epic battlefields to the vast world of swords and magic, Cioara gradually realized the scale of the game Bronie had made this time.

[Elden Ring, scheduled for release on February 25th?]

"Bronie."

"Yeah?"

"I want to play Elden Ring now. Right now!"

The world of fantasy, filled with swords, monsters and magic!

Back when she was working as a mercenary, Cioara liked to watch things to satisfy her fantasies.

And now, games have reached this level.

Look at this style, these graphics, this music.

It's definitely meticulously crafted!

So Cioara couldn't wait to play this game!

No wonder Bronie worked so hard for so long. It's worth it!

"Let's not be in a hurry. I know you're eager, but the game won't be released until tonight. Why don't you watch the actual gameplay demo first and not get deceived?"

"Okay."

PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
Bismarck_Imperia

Want to read advanced chapters? go to my patréon for up to the current available chapters: Chapter 221.

patréon.com/PorterOfSomething

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Pilih

Bab 51: Chapter 51: When the Pigeon Author Opens the livestream Room

Another live demonstration was presented, which seemed more like CG animation than actual footage.

However, compared to previous CG depictions of the shattered war, this one appeared somewhat rougher.

It was precisely because of this that the words "real gameplay demonstration" carried a greater sense of authenticity.

With the promotional video released, the task of promotion was now entirely entrusted to Schicksal.

After all, they possessed a wider reach and could rapidly propagate the game to an unprecedented extent. From small bus stations to the massive screens atop Times Square, Schicksal's promised channels of promotion seemed effective.

But Bronie couldn't help but wonder, wasn't Schicksal worried about financial losses?

Bronie's question lingered, yet if Otto were aware, he would merely dismiss it with a smile.

Otto believed Bronie deserved such promotion. Whether it was the heartfelt storylines of Undertale, the existential ponderings prompted by Spiritfarer, the insights into contemporary civilization led by the game Civilization, or the emotional rollercoaster designed to accompany the players' in Getting Over it With Haxxor Bunny, all aspects showcased Bronie's genius in game production.

However, limited by technical constraints, if Bronie had the magical engine provided by Schicksal, creating a masterpiece would undoubtedly be effortless.

Indeed, Otto's assessment was correct, and Amber's concerns were unfounded.

Amber would occasionally check on the game's progress, only to be greeted with a variety of fantastical monsters.

Initially skeptical of Bronie's endeavors, Amber found reassurance in the astonishing efficiency of production.

Nonetheless, Otto couldn't escape Amber's occasional lectures. Otto's lifestyle as the Overseer had become increasingly casual, perhaps stemming from contemplations prompted by Spiritfarer.

Had Otto contemplated matters of life and death, or had he stumbled upon something else entirely?

"Lord Otto, the Elden Ring has entered the pre-order phase, and both promotional videos have been released, sparking widespread discussions online. Bronie intends to capitalize on the children of Shenzhou having Lunar New Year money."

"So fast-paced in development?" Otto expressed surprise. Bronie had emailed, pledging to create a game requiring at least a hundred hours of gameplay. Yet, such a production typically took upwards of a year, a timeframe sufficient for significant events within Otto's lifespan, but substantial for the world of the Honkai, given the increased frequency of subsequent Honkai outbreaks.

In a year, there might be enough Herrscher born for future contingencies, a testament to the information preserved by the previous civilization.

"Yes, and the gameplay demonstration showcased a wealth of content, igniting a Western fantasy frenzy in the internet."

"I'm familiar with the Western fantasy genre, with swords, magic, and dragons. It seems Bronie aims to create a standard game akin to Homu's Dragon Quest. However, Homu's Dragon Quest is a pixel RPG. I wonder to what extent our game engine can achieve."

"I won't delve into the game's CG; it's clearly depicting the world's background. The design of the blue puppet is intriguing, especially its gestures and the symbolism behind its four hands."

Otto clicked on the Gameplay demonstration. Beneath the canopy of a golden tree, the protagonist slowly awakened in the corrupted land. Subsequently, the promotional video unveiled various scenes, from swampy wetlands to dilapidated battlefields and aerial ruins. Otto found himself surprised by the apparent realism of the demonstration, yet he watched attentively.

Soon, the protagonist whistled, summoning a horse, and embarked on his journey.

The camera followed him through the borderlands, encountering brief skirmishes with other mounted adversaries.

Dungeons, grotesque monsters, towering castles, and ominous demons guarding castle gates were among the scenes showcased.

Following the scene display, battles ensued, featuring swordplay, parrying, acrobatic counterattacks, weapon skills, and magic, all accompanied by flashy effects and Radagon's exhilarating battle music.

It was as if the protagonist embodied oneself, wielding learned combat techniques and magic to save the world and conquer the battlefield!

Later, it was time for the boss showcase. Dragons, werewolves, Malenia from the previous storyline CG, and the twisted Godrick were all elements showcased in the video made from the gameplay demonstration.

"Amber."

"Do you have any orders, Lord Otto?"

"Is this really the gameplay demonstration?"

"Yes, Miss Bunny said this is indeed the real gameplay demonstration, a promotional video edited from in-game footage."

"Is this still our magical engine?"

Otto watched the fleeting segments, and the high-quality visuals were flawless in terms of lighting, shadowing, and foliage details. But because the visuals were too good, with too many details, and each boss's effects were so abundant, Otto couldn't help but have doubts.

"Indeed, after thorough examination by Schicksal Entertainment, the game engine is indeed our magical engine."

"Sigh, maybe Kallen Fantasy mainly accumulated so much material over time, making it so exquisite, but I didn't expect that just a game engine could immediately bridge this gap for Bronie. It's interesting. I'm starting to look forward to this game."

Otto also had fantasies of wielding swords and magic to save the world. Although such fantasies were long gone, watching this promotional video made Otto feel somewhat exhilarated. How could Bronie, a girl, understand games and the elements boys love so well?

"Lord Otto, let me remind you, playing games should be moderate. The matter of the real Kiana Kaslana, Lady Bianka should not be delayed because of this!"

"I know, and also, she is now called Bianka, no longer Kiana."

"Understood..."

Otto knew that after careful recuperation, the child was almost recovered and was now studying basic knowledge in the sanatorium.

With the important bloodlines of Schariac and Kaslana, her future would certainly not be ordinary. So Otto would nurture her well, using Schicksal's best resources and education to train her into a hero to resist the Honkai.

"I still know how to distinguish between important and trivial matters when it comes to games."

Compared to the concrete information Otto had, most people online actually didn't believe in such Gameplay demonstrations.

How should they put it?

The highest quality graphics are unprecedented in the gaming industry.

Even if such graphics exist, how many computers can handle them?

Most people had such thoughts.

Therefore, most people didn't quite believe in the visuals of Gameplay demonstrations.

There's even a saying circulating on the internet:

"If there's any authenticity in the Gameplay demonstration, then Bronie wouldn't have fallen from grace. It's difficult to believe now!"

Of course, there were still many believers, but in the atmosphere of people echoing each other's opinions online, rational voices were instantly drowned out by discussions about Bronie's fall from grace, and there was hardly any ripple.

But the key was Bronie herself.

There was hardly any activity on the game producer's social media accounts. Apart from occasionally posting unclear scenic pictures that resembled CG, there was hardly any activity.

The automatic replies were still the same irresponsible 'In progress!', giving the impression that Bronie was very adept at procrastination.

However, amidst the intense discussions, the day of the game's release gradually arrived.

Of course, there were many pre-orders, and pre-order players could play this game three days in advance, which could be said to be the only meaningful benefit of pre-ordering.

There were also many players who chose to believe in Bronie, Welt being one of them.

Being a teacher actually had its perks. When students were on vacation, Welt could take paid leave.

And during the winter and summer vacations, it was Welt's time to binge-play Homu's Great Adventure.

But drawing was still tiring, and when the game came out, Welt had more reasons to slack off.

Pre-ordering the game, waiting for its release, and seeing that the download content was nearly 50GB, Welt knew that Bronie's advertising was indeed not false.

How many games on Sbeam could have such a large capacity?

Currently, the largest single-player games on the market were at most around 10GB, and 20GB was already pushing it. Even Kallen Fantasy, with its meager 30GB, had very little content.

Welt started downloading the game. But as he was downloading the game, he received an invitation from the game creator's account.

Clicking on it, it was from Schicksal Entertainment!

Strictly speaking, it was the video website Pilibili, which was under Schicksal Entertainment, about to launch a livestream event.

As the author of Homu's Great Adventure, Welt would undoubtedly receive countless attention.

All he had to do was play the game during the livestream.

And it was Elden Ring.

What's more, the livestream came with earnings. Nowadays, the earnings from online livestreams were constantly increasing, and some powerful anchors were even making millions a month.

Welt thought, is there such a good thing?

Now he could get more money to subsidize Anti Entropy, and it was from Schicksal.

So after a little thought, Welt decided to really open the livestream to play this game. As soon as he opened the livestream, countless viewers flooded in, coupled with Schicksal Entertainment's promotion, directly pushing Welt's livestream room to the top of the entire site.

Welt, who was livestreaming for the first time, was a little shy. He didn't even turn on his own camera in the livestream room, and the video screen was still showing the status of downloading the game.

50GB, it would definitely take some time to download, so during this time, Welt had ample time to familiarize himself with the live streaming.

Talking about the progress of the painting of Homu's Adventure, Welt's responses were mostly 'in progress.'

"Oh, it's done. The game is downloaded. With such a large game, I think there should be no problem with the Gameplay demonstration in the promotional video, so let's start playing!"

[Yay!]

[I knew it! How could the promotional video deceive us? I don't know which crazy people are shouting every day. What Bunny's talent is exhausted? I think this game will be great!!!]

[Exactly, those crazy people have had enough!]

Public opinion often changes suddenly.

Void Scouting also came out, and those who previously criticized Bronie were now being bombarded.

But the key was that no one mentioned these things in Welt's livestream room.

"Okay, let's put unpleasant things behind us and start the game. Huh? What's this?"

When Welt opened the game, he saw a progress bar with the symbol of a Bunny.

"Bunny Anti-cheat. Can this game still be played online? It seems that Bunny doesn't want to settle for the simple online mode like Civilization this time. Even the Elden Ring can be played online. I'm starting to look forward to it. The collision of swords and magic in the player versus player battles must be very interesting."

Because the Homu IP was quite extensive, there was even a very famous game called Homu's Dragon Quest on it. So this thing called Homu was somewhat related to Western fantasy RPG games.

[What about balance? What should be done about balance?]

[If there's really PvP, the differences in professions should be significant, right?]

[We'll only know that after entering the game, but... there are profession selections.]

There weren't many professions to choose from in Elden Ring.

"Each profession still follows the warrior, mage, priest, and archer system, but Bunny has made some differentiation. For example, the Wanderer is a typical knight, but the differences in attributes for Swordsmen and Heroes might be more significant in terms of specialization."

Welt was the kind of person who liked to study settings in detail.

Otherwise, when he and Bronya worked together to make the Arahato game, there wouldn't be such a large collection of lore settings that made people's heads spin.

"Sure enough, there are differences in attributes, and even differences in levels. It seems that Bronie has incorporated the game's simple and difficult options into the game. Otherwise, it would be strange to see such strange professions in the options. But the 'Deprived' attributes are too balanced, aren't they?"

All attributes were ten points, but the basic level was only 1, with no equipment at all, yet the attributes weren't too specialized.

This setting was quite interesting.

[Choose Assassin, choose Assassin!]

[No, no, no, it definitely looks like a Mage when you look at Observer, that profession is obviously a mage!]

"Generally speaking, according to the logic of game production, choosing a knight is the most balanced and the most suitable for beginners. As for other genres, we'll study them slowly when we have time in the future, but this time, let's start with a knight!"

Then came the Character Customization process, which stumped Welt.

How should he put it?

Although there was a Character Customization system, such things were still rare in the gaming world.

"Our knights all wear helmets, so let's use random templates, but let's name him Homu Knight!"

[Lazy as always, so many days without updates for Homu's Adventure, is this laziness or what!]

[The Character Customization is in progress!]

[You're just lazy, I know!]

"Okay! This saves a lot of time, but I didn't expect that we still need to receive initial items at the beginning. But it seems that these initial items should be relatively easy to obtain, yet not useless during the journey. So let's get this! Stonesword key, this kind of ticket-like thing looks very promising!"

The game officially began.

Then the game entered the CG segment. This was the complete version of the CG video released in the promotional video.

"The fallen leaves tell a story..."