To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

The game was fun, the graphics were as exquisite as wallpaper, the character movements natural and coordinated, and the combat felt powerful. Whether it was bare-handed or with weapons, one could feel the thrilling sensation of blows landing on flesh.

The music and sound effects were great, too. It seemed they were created by someone called the God of Music. Although the name didn’t quite fit with the modest elegance of the East, it had to be said that the person’s work was quite excellent.

The most captivating part was the story. It could be said that all other aspects of the game served the narrative, with each component meshing flawlessly, making it hard to imagine that it was the work of just a few people.

So, he couldn’t continue playing for the time being.

The story’s transitions were too smooth, the overall experience too compelling, which made the unfolding tragedies before him all the more heartbreaking.

Every NPC was vividly alive, each with their own logic, personality, and life, and they held emotions like admiration or fondness towards the protagonist.

Then, they all died.

Moreover, death was the best outcome. Some turned into unrecognizable monstrosities, some were driven mad forever, and later became bosses that attacked players.

The deeper the emotional connection, the more intense the agony when they turned enemies.

So, could one just lie down and accept it?

The answer was no.

Time in the game passed on its own, and all kinds of tragedies would unfold even if one did nothing—seemingly in the most horrific ways.

By trying to save people, perhaps a few could be saved.

But by doing nothing, not a single one could be saved.

Yet, if one tried to rush to save people, one would fall into another vicious cycle—the more you tried to save, the more tragedies ensued.

By the early to middle stages, Hoffman realized that every monster seemed to have transformed from a human. They were all innocent, but a pervasive poison in the world corrupted them, turning them into monsters.

For a man past fifty, this game was truly too cruel.

After quietly resting for a moment, Hoffman turned to Huang Ping beside him and asked, “Excuse me, are you…?”

“Huang Ping, the lead designer,” Huang Ping answered amiably.

“I’m Hoffman, one of the heads of Cayman Entertainment. I’d like to ask if this game is always this despairing, or just occasionally so.”

“Always like this.”

“Thank you, it’s very interesting.”

“Hmm?”

Huang Ping was somewhat taken aback by the unexpected compliment, then realized that the old man didn’t seem to be forcing himself.

Although he was being tormented to end, it was like authentic spicy hot pot—painfully spicy, and yet satisfying in its pain.

And the interspersed light-hearted mini-games were like milk-flavored ice cream that temporarily alleviated the tongue’s spiciness. But as one continued eating the hot pot, they would feel an even stronger burn.

For a Prussian with strong tastes, this stimulation was indeed too intense.

Having rested, Hoffman resumed the game. Each time he witnessed a tragedy, he couldn’t help but clutch his chest, but then immediately continued playing with enthusiasm.

For an entire day, he sat in front of the computer, relentlessly playing, trying to trigger every side quest and sighing over the irreversible fates.

Finally, when Huang Ping noticed he had been playing for too long, he couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Hoffman…”

Hoffman, wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes: “Don’t worry about me, I’m still hanging on.”

“I know you’re hanging in there, and you seem to be enjoying it quite a bit. But I wanted to say, it’s time to close up shop.”

“Eh?”

That’s when Hoffman realized it was already five o’clock.

With a sigh of regret, he didn’t insist, and reluctantly said after saving, “It’s a pity, just when the story was getting to the crucial moment. Does this game have a New Game Plus?”

“Yes, and because you’ll be stronger, you can access more areas, unveil more truths, so it’s even more tragic.”

Clutching his chest, Hoffman exaggeratedly mimicked being shot, as if someone had stabbed him in the heart.

“Thrilling, this setup is really thrilling. Although I’d like to play a bit more, I respect your studio’s choice. Ah, and you, kitty.”

Petting the head of Sanmiao, who had been trying to play with the computer power cord, Hoffman asked, “Your studio’s cat is really cute, she’s always trying to play with me.”

“Once she turns off your computer by lying on the power button, you won’t think she’s that cute,” Huang Ping said with a smile.

Haha, Huang Ping, you’re really funny. Cats turning off computers, can you imagine that?” Hoffman chuckled.

Huang Ping watched Sanmiao’s innocent face helplessly, thinking to himself, I didn’t believe it at first either.

In the following days, Hoffman came to the studio on time every day, played the game on schedule, and was tormented by the plot twist after twist, yet each time he played with great joy.

The not-so-complex main quest intertwined with the side quests, and the alluring characters were swiftly ‘snuffed out’ just as they appeared.

Sometimes there are moments when nothing happened, but through some side storylines, Hoffman discovered that the companions around him seemed to have changed from who they were before.

But when the change happened, whether it was before or after they met him, or what they had turned into… these were things he couldn’t know and didn’t want to find out.

After realizing he had also changed, Hoffman felt relieved instead, glad that the protagonist had already died, but then he fell into the philosophical dilemma of whether the personality that had personality was actually himself.

He spent a week playing through the first loop of the game and was thoroughly satisfied.

Although he didn’t discuss serious matters during that week, all the serious matters were actually taken care of.

Through “Heavenly Demon,” he saw the capabilities of Fang Cheng Studio and felt confident about marketing this great game.

After signing a most favorable agreement with Fang Cheng Studio, Hoffman shook Fang Cheng’s hand before leaving and said emotionally, “This game is the best one I’ve seen recently. The excellent storyline coupled with great content has deeply moved me. I sincerely hope this is a good start for us to move forward together.”

“It will be,” Fang Cheng calculated, then smiled and nodded.

Although he didn’t get to see the pandas, Hoffman felt pretty good.

The overseas gaming world might look thriving, but the gaming industry has fallen into a vicious cycle of major investments and production, where most games no longer seek gameplay but stability to reduce costs and increase profits.

Games had started to become monotonous, political correctness was becoming the norm—it was time to give them a shock from the East, to show them what a good game really looks like.

Hoffman, the old man, had an amazing ability to take action. As soon as he got back to Cologne, he immediately started planning the launch. The demo version of “Heavenly Demon” began to be distributed for free.

Media partners and game review organizations started operating; some streamers began to broadcast the demo on YouTube, and the reactions after playing were consistent:

This game is quite fun, but is it categorized correctly?

Though he seemed friendly, Hoffman knew how to create a sensational marketing buzz.

The demo he released included the opening part of the game, where the malice was neatly coated with a sugar layer, its venom not yet apparent, tasting sweet in the mouth.

Although it was just the first half, it was enough to catch many people’s attention.

Various comments began appearing on YouTube and TikTok, and many were incredulous once they realized it was a game from the East.

“Incredible…”

“Flying gave me a scare and made me realize this isn’t the traditional game as we know it. I did some research; this is Sword Flight, a mode of movement for the gods in Eastern mythology, but with a romance quite different from the West.”

“Lighthearted, fun, the mini-games are humorous and fresh, making the already casual genre even more relaxed.”

“I really like an elder in the starting village. He made me feel not like a fellow villager but an elder of mine. He selflessly taught me various skills, told me his secret spots for gathering herbs without asking anything in return, and that made me comfortable.”

“Agreed. In other games, I’m off to save the world, to rescue people from peril; I will become a great hero, and yet you want me not to save the world but to help you find your lost dog? With a reward of five coins while you charge me fifty for a wooden sword? Each time this happens, I start to doubt if what I had done before was meaningful.”

“My childhood sweetheart is so cute.”

“There’s something wrong with the game tags.”

“My God, don’t tell me I’m the only one who’s noticed this is a Fang Cheng Studio game. I can’t wait to play the full version! I’ve set the date, taken annual leave; it’s going to be a gaming frenzy, and I can hardly wait anymore! Long live Fang Cheng Studio!”

“Madman… Wait, are you talking about the developers of ‘Quiet Cultivation’ and other games, the ones I really liked on ‘Who is the Champion’? If that’s the case, I’m starting to look forward too.”

“Heavenly Demon” hadn’t officially launched, yet the game had already generated some heat, drawing gamers’ attention.

After all, once the gaming environment was open, the market became bilateral; your games could come in, and ours could go out.

The games from Fang Cheng Studio were a bit special; the horror genre couldn’t be sold domestically, but the demand for it always existed, and this time it served as an excellent knock on the door, to see if there was a difference between the domestic horror sense and that abroad.

On the day the game launched, Alan, who had been playing guitar and singing on the streets of Taiguli, glanced at his messages and then said apologetically to the surrounding audience, “Sorry, that’s it for today.”

A chorus of disappointed sighs arose, and some dropped money into his guitar case, earning Alan’s sincere thanks.

After packing up his guitar and closing his stall, Alan waved goodbye to the other street vendors and walked to the subway station on his way back.

After spending a week in Rong City, he grew to like the place even more and decided to resign from his job to stay in Rong City for a while.

During this period, he helped Qiu Yu with game music during the day, and in the evenings, he went to places like Taiguli to play guitar and busk.

The blond handsome guy with an outstanding voice and skilled performance drew in various buffs; he earned well every day, enough to share rent and utilities with Qiu Yu, and his life was very comfortable.

Moreover, the security in Rong City was good, with almost no dubious characters to be seen on the streets, even at night, which was a rare treat in Gaul.

Wearing flip-flops, Alan returned to Qiu Yu’s place, left the barbecue he bought at the door, and then said, “Qiu Yu, are you still alive?”

“Still hanging on…”

“Come on, stop it, come out and have some barbecue.”

“No worries, I’ll work a bit longer.”

“‘Heavenly Demon’ has launched, and I bought a copy with my Gaul account; don’t you want to play it?”

A few minutes later, Qiu Yu, who had been up all night, crawled out.

He looked exhausted but still declared firmly, “I’ll play!”

That day, nearly all game streamers and review organizations experienced true despair.