After a series of arduous battles, Furukawa Hirozawa finally emerged from the deadly labyrinthine cave.
As he walked out of the cave, he was met with a burst of light.
The entire scene suddenly opened up.
It was then that Furukawa Hirozawa realized his current location was on a mountain path on the outer side of a mountain.
Judging from the scene, it was still unknown how much further he had to go.
Fortunately, he had reached a save point.
On this not-so-large platform, like a large rock protruding from the edge of a cliff, it was covered with sand and soil, and a circle of fine grass grew around its edges.
Approaching the edge, he could still see the forest below.
The entire sky was shrouded in mist, encircling the edge of the cliff, looking truly terrifying.
In reality, this scene was fake.
Only the walkable platforms and paths were actual terrain created by the art team.
And what could be seen in the bottom-down perspective—the swaying treetops below, the lush forest, and the distant sky—were all achieved through 2D dynamic effects drawn on planes.
The background below was an animated image, and the distant sky was made with a skybox, which was another animated image.
These things had no collision, no models; they were only for viewing and could not be reached at all.
If one fell off the walkway, the screen would simply go black, followed by a huge [YOU DIED].
However, under Aoki Haruhi's direction, the Pokémon art team incorporated these elements into the game, perfectly integrating them with the scene, giving people a particularly vast and desolate illusion.
The flaws of the top-down perspective were actually quite obvious: it couldn't depict particularly breathtaking grand scenes, such as a sunset on the horizon or stars overhead…
Meteors streaking, the night desolate…
The field of view was never as expansive as a 3D game with a normal perspective, like the natural landscapes seen everywhere in princess mononoke, which players could see by simply raising the camera slightly.
The magnificent sunset and the final grand scene of the Forest Spirit's expansion were all things that could only be perfectly expressed with a free perspective.
This was not possible in The Witcher: Devil's Egg.
Of course, not being able to do something has its own approach, which is the method Pokémon is currently using.
By setting the player's location high enough, deep into the clouds, making it a protruding walkway on the edge of a cliff, and then viewing from above the walkway.
Then one could experience a different kind of expansive view.
In a free perspective, one could see the grandeur of the sky.
Similarly, in a top-down perspective, one could also experience the magnificent sight seen by birds soaring through the sky.
Forests like oceans, cities reduced to tiny dots, and mountains trampled underfoot.
It truly evoked a heroic feeling of standing at the summit, looking down on all the smaller mountains.
…
"Wow, it's so beautiful."
Sitting next to Furukawa Hirozawa, Yukitake Junna exclaimed.
She had previously experienced a brief session of princess mononoke with Furukawa.
How to put it, princess mononoke was the beauty of Hayao Miyazaki's 2D animation.
But in The Witcher, there was a vast and magnificent beauty of all things silent under a blood-red sunset, a beauty so breathtaking yet so natural.
It seemed that after a series of battles, seeing such beautiful scenery purified one's entire heart.
The restless emotions immediately settled down.
Yes, a feeling of peace of mind.
Just like being by Furukawa's side.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look up and gaze at the man beside her, who was engrossed in the game.
Perhaps sensing Yukitake's gaze, Furukawa turned his head in confusion, "Hmm? What's wrong?"
"No, nothing, you continue."
Yukitake smiled with pursed lips.
But seriously, it was getting late; it had already been over an hour since they started playing the game.
"How about we go to bed in another hour?"
"Hmm," Furukawa Hirozawa nodded.
Yukitake Junna smiled happily.
…
The battles on the walkway were actually not easy; although there were quite a few enemies in the cave, the terrain was much more open.
Furukawa Hirozawa had a lot of room to maneuver, allowing him to dodge enemy skills through movement and achieve kills.
As long as the timing was right.
The fault tolerance would also be higher.
But on the walkway, it was a completely different story.
Despite the beautiful scenery outside the walkway, the entire walkway was only two to three people wide, and it was built along the cliff, with some sections being purely protruding stone platforms.
In such a place, encountering battles was very difficult.
The space for maneuvering and dodging was rapidly reduced; it often came down to surprise attacks or preemptive strikes, and if the enemy couldn't be eliminated in one go, the situation would become very passive.
…
He had barely taken two steps when he encountered a lizardman clinging to the cliff, and at the same time, there was a Lancer waiting on the walkway.
Furukawa Hirozawa crouched down and slowly approached, first luring with his crossbow.
The lizardman above immediately leaped over.
Furukawa Hirozawa struck it down with his blade, just as he lured the Lancer behind it.
When the Lancer first spots an enemy, he will immediately run, and then at a suitable distance, he will perform a long spear thrust.
Taking a direct hit would at least deplete most of his health and knock him back.
Furukawa Hirozawa smiled slightly; he was already a powerful warrior who had been through the baptism of battle, so these small tricks were second nature to him.
At this moment, he only needed to press the A Key and roll to the side…
"Ah~"
Only a scream was heard.
Erwin rolled off the side of the cliff, falling into the endless darkness.
The screen went black, and two large words appeared on it—
[YOU DIED!]
"Nani?!"
Furukawa Hirozawa's eyes widened, completely unable to believe what he saw!!!
Damn it!
He could actually fall off!
This is terrifying, does it have to be this realistic?!
Did you consider the player's feelings, Miyazaki Hidetaka?!
Why would you allow players to fall at this point?
Furukawa Hirozawa did not understand.
However, Yukitake Junna, who was next to him, couldn't help but giggle with laughter when she saw this.
…
Furukawa Hirozawa frowned.
Dying repeatedly in front of Yukitake was too embarrassing.
Returning to the resurrection point, he started over again.
As he climbed the walkway, Furukawa Hirozawa gained a new understanding of The Witcher: Devil's Egg.
The space for dodging on the walkway was too narrow, and sometimes he would accidentally fall off the walkway.
And then die instantly.
So he had to be extra careful.
As soon as he thought of this, Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't help but wonder…
Is this a design method that humans could come up with?
Couldn't you just enclose the outside of the walkway?
Even an invisible wall would work, why does it have to be a place where you can fall off?
Miyazaki Hidetaka, this guy, is particularly insidious, even specifically making some outer wooden railings that look sturdy, but during combat, these railings can be destroyed.
Destruction can increase the sense of impact and enhance the exhilaration of destruction.
I understand all these principles.
But…
Can't you prevent players from falling after destroying them?
The Producer didn't consider the player's psychological endurance at all.
For some reason, at this moment, Furukawa Hirozawa particularly missed Shinji Mikami.
You know, even though princess mononoke was difficult, it wasn't this insidious.
At least Shinji Mikami, as the Producer, was straightforward.
As for Miyazaki Hidetaka…
How to put it.
To put it in high emotional intelligence terms, this Producer is too dedicated to pursuing realism and creating a unique, new experience for players.
To put it in low emotional intelligence terms, is he a bit twisted psychologically?
Probably similar to Furuhara Tsubaki and Gen Urobuchi, they all probably had a bit of a tragic childhood experience, right?
Furukawa Hirozawa could only comfort himself this way.
…
After a while.
Furukawa Hirozawa cautiously made his way to the next platform.
A girl stood not far away.
The 3D model wasn't that well-rendered; she just looked like a girl with some distinguishing features, wearing armor on her upper body, revealing a perfect abdomen, and a short skirt, riding boots, and long legs on her lower body.
A girl in tight-fitting attire.
She had a longbow strapped to her back, and her hands were on her hips, swaying back and forth in place.
Furukawa Hirozawa's heart couldn't help but pound.
Like a startled bird, he had already prepared for battle early on.
However, upon approaching and seeing the green name and large exclamation mark above her head, Furukawa Hirozawa finally realized.
It was one of his own.
Through dialogue, he learned her name was Eve.
Eve was Erwin's childhood playmate, and both shared the same tragic fate.
Next was a cutscene that described their past experiences:
Twenty years ago.
During the war between the Star Kingdom and the Haoyue Empire, due to the Haoyue Empire activating a group of Demon Warrior with terrifying power, the Star Kingdom's borders fell.
At the same time, nearby villages and towns suffered severe destruction and damage.
Countless people died tragically.
This included Eve and Erwin's parents.
Later, both were adopted into an orphanage.
During their time at the orphanage, Erwin and Eve both awakened the demonic power within them, becoming terrifying humans with demonic abilities.
Originally, the two should have been expelled from the Star Kingdom, but they were chosen by the Star Kingdom's new recruit corps and trained into qualified warriors to combat Haoyue's Demon Warrior.
And the corps they belonged to was the current Vanguard Elite.
After acquiring the Demon Warrior, the Star Kingdom launched a counterattack against Haoyue, not only reclaiming lost territory but also consecutively defeating the enemy's main forces, and were now pushing towards the Haoyue Imperial Capital.
Although the Star Vanguard Corps was not given the name of demons, ordinary people were actually quite afraid of them.
Because these guys possessed superhuman strength.
Many people had experienced demonic attacks and deeply knew the origins of these guys and the kind of disaster the seed within them, which could erupt at any time, would bring to the world.
But to some extent, the citizens of the Star Kingdom were alive because these Demon Warrior existed.
To summarize in one sentence—
Star Vanguard, hunting demons with demonic bodies.
Although they possessed demonic power, they were true The Witcher.
Their role was primarily to deal with the tougher challenges in war, even the powerful Demon Warrior of the Haoyue Empire.
…
Today, the male protagonist was sent here to capture the strategic choke point—Ice Wolf Fortress.
Now, Eve was here to meet him.
"The rest of the path will be more difficult, so the commander sent me to help you."
After the girl finished speaking, a pair of large black wings grew on her back, resembling those of a crow.
She flew into the air, then grabbed the male protagonist with both hands, and the two rose from the ground.
Wow.
There's even this kind of operation?
Furukawa Hirozawa was completely shocked.
What was this called?
Two-player mode?
"So beautiful."
Seeing Eve's large black wings, Yukitake Junna clapped her hands in admiration.
To be honest, they were quite beautiful; now that they were deployed, from a top-down perspective, even though they were black wings, they had an indescribable beauty.
Furukawa Hirozawa nodded a little shyly.
Although he didn't know why, his cheeks were red, but he was very happy inside.
This was probably the feeling of sharing something he liked with someone he liked.
…
From here on, the game gradually began to teach how to use demonic power.
For example, Eve's flight was the materialization of her demonic power.
The male protagonist also had his own demonic power; when he used it, he could unlock a part of his body, transforming that part into a demonic shape.
The first part to be unlocked was his left hand, so his left hand became a demonic claw.
The Demon's Claw could grab forward a certain distance, pulling enemies to his side, and if there were fixed objects on a cliff, he could use it to pull himself to those objects for rapid movement.
In other words, this Demon's Claw could be used for offense, defense, and as an additional displacement skill.
It also changed the skill attack method.
The pace of the game suddenly changed.
…
With Eve's flight assistance, the male protagonist could now roll freely without falling, as the walkway on the entire outer wall of the cliff was intermittent.
Some areas even had very large gaps, clearly not within human traversable range.
At such times, he had to rely on Eve's flight to pass.
However, Eve's flight also had limitations; it required consuming an energy bar, which only increased when she landed on the ground and continuously depleted when she flew.
If the energy bar ran out, she would also fall from the sky and die instantly.
One more thing is that, although it's flying, this is ultimately a top-down 3D game, so rather than saying Eve is flying, it's more like she's leading the male protagonist along the boardwalk, just with her feet a little off the ground.
She flew almost entirely along the boardwalk.
However, even so, the entire battle became much easier.
Because the space to dodge became larger, and the fault tolerance was higher.
Moreover, when Eve is attached to him, there are two health bars: one is Eve's health, and the other is the male protagonist's.
If Eve dies, she will disintegrate and leave the male protagonist.
After a while, she will catch up again at full health.
...
If he doesn't want to combine, he can choose to separate in the menu bar, and Eve will exist as an auxiliary object.
She can help the protagonist with active attacks.
She's an intimate and good teammate.
...
Flying and fighting all the way through the narrow boardwalk, they finally arrived at the entrance of Ice Wolf Fortress.
After entering, there is a wide circular plaza, divided into two parts.
One is a semi-circular platform built with wood on the stairs, and the other is a semi-circular arena below.
From a top-down perspective, it looks like a Pokémon ball.
Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't help but laugh when he thought of this.
After all that, what is this called?
Pokémon paying homage to itself?
Or is it a dream linkage?
Advertising another game?
However, it's also possible that he's overthinking it.
In the two semicircles, there stood a humanoid monster in each.
These two guys had very long health bars, indicating they weren't simple.
Their names could also be seen above their heads—
White Crow Twins.
The two of them also had very unique appearances.
Their outer clothing was designed in the form of a bird, or rather, a "White Crow."
They had wide wings along the outer edges of their sleeves, and their upper bodies were unusually wide, while their lower bodies' pants were very tight.
Each of them held two daggers, clearly agile assassins.
Their clothing colors were completely opposite: one wore white clothes and black pants, while the other wore black clothes and white pants.
They should be considered mini-bosses or elite monsters, but definitely not a BOSS health bar.
Although Furukawa Hirozawa didn't know what a BOSS health bar looked like in Demons Egg, he was certain that these two guys' health bars were not it.
...
After walking a few steps forward, the twins seemed to have a connection; one sensed Erwin, and the other followed.
In this game, Pokémon developed a complete "Hate Chain System," and the setting of this system was also to prepare for the future "Monster Hunter."
After grouping monsters, within the same group, hate is shared; as long as one is attacked, it will trigger an encirclement by other monsters in the group.
Moreover, hate also has a transmission range; it not only transmits within the group, but if the player approaches multiple monsters, and these monsters from different groups are relatively close, hate can also be transmitted.
Their attack methods were like two hounds, not worthy of being called White Crows at all.
Because they both moved on all fours, attacking swiftly.
Both launched fierce attacks, surrounding Furukawa Hirozawa.
Furukawa immediately became nervous.
Because these two actually cooperated, and their movements were simply too agile, making them difficult to catch.
After fighting for a while, both sides' health was chipped away.
One of them darted out swiftly, launching a series of attacks at Furukawa Hirozawa.
I dodged.
Just dodged.
A backstab from behind.
The second monster arrived.
With a continuous assault, Erwin died tragically on the spot.
Damn it!!!
Why don't you attack Eve?!
...
Again.
This time, Furukawa Hirozawa was cautious and put in his utmost effort, focusing intently.
After about ten minutes, he finally defeated one of them.
The creature clutched its chest, and a large amount of black blood spewed from its body.
Then it fell backward onto the ground.
After dealing with this one, the rest would be easy.
Furukawa Hirozawa's lips curled slightly, preparing to launch a fierce attack on the other one.
But, after about 5 seconds, he suddenly realized something was wrong—
The creature that should have died was emitting a strange red light all over its body, and then it crawled up from the ground again.
A burst of light surged from its body, and then the entire humanoid figure transformed into a monster.
The White Crow became true to its name, as a pair of wide wings spread out behind it, and its entire body resembled a large bird.
This creature could fly into the air and then dive down, launching fierce attacks on Erwin.
Unless he could lock on with the Demon's Claw, it would be difficult to cause any substantial damage to him.
On one hand, the timing for the Demon's Claw in real-time combat was particularly difficult to grasp.
On the other hand, there was also a twin brother interfering.
Furukawa Hirozawa could either focus on one or the other.
The entire fight was extremely difficult and passive.
Before long, he died tragically under the sharp claws of the two creatures.
And it happened several times in a row.
So scary, and this isn't even the BOSS yet.
Furukawa Hirozawa was so tormented that he started to doubt his life.
Who am I, where am I, who is there, who is hitting me?
...
It turns out—
Humans parasitized by Demons Egg will die twice.
The first time they are killed as humans, after death, they will transform into terrifying monsters due to the power of Demons Egg, and then die again.
The White Crow Twins are an example of this situation.
Of course, some minor enemies are also like this, but Furukawa Hirozawa hadn't paid much attention before, thinking those minor enemies had two lives.
Thinking about it carefully, these are actually all methods used by Pokémon's designers to convey the world view and settings.
Ah...
So that's how it is.
Furukawa Hirozawa's brows furrowed, finally gaining some understanding of this world's setting.
But...
It's very uncomfortable now; these two guys cooperating are simply too terrifying.
Furukawa Hirozawa once again felt the fear of being tormented by monsters.
How to describe this feeling?
The Demons Egg produced by Miyazaki Hidetaka seems to have further strengthened the monster AI; compared to last year's "princess mononoke," although the expressive power is somewhat reduced, the sense of oppression and tension during combat are progressively increasing.
"Um…"
Just then, his girlfriend next to him spoke softly.
"Hmm?"
Furukawa Hirozawa looked back at Yukitake Junna.
"Um…" Yukitake hesitated, then looked up into Furukawa Hirozawa's eyes, "Can I give it a try?"
"Hmm? Oh, okay, sure."
Furukawa Hirozawa moved aside and handed her the controller, "But this game is very difficult, you know."
"It's okay, I wasn't very familiar with it at first, I'll be fine with more tries," Yukitake tilted her head and bit her lip, "I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."
Again.
After loading the resurrection point, the battle began anew.
...
After Yukitake took over, she died twice in a row.
Furukawa felt a little heartache.
These two guys, the White Crow Twins, are too Not knowing how to be gentle with women, aren't they?
It's just a pity that the monsters in the game could never know the humans outside.
"It might really be too difficult to start with such opponents. How about we go back and practice on some smaller monsters first?" Furukawa Hirozawa suggested.
"It's fine, I wasn't very familiar with it just now, I'll be fine with more tries," Yukitake tilted her head and bit her lip, "I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."
Again.
The White Crow launched a fierce attack, Yukitake Junna moved sideways to dodge, then launched an attack.
The other one also arrived.
Yukitake rolled on the ground, continuing to relentlessly attack one of them.
The entire operation was fluid, and the movements were seamless.
For some reason, the controller seemed to glow in Yukitake's hands.
Furukawa Hirozawa watched in shock.
He seemed unable to believe what was happening before his eyes.
Simply amazing, Yukitake's progress was too great, wasn't it?
You know, just ten minutes ago, this person was a rookie who had never played an action game.
But...
This operation, this dodging, this combo... it's too graceful, isn't it?
Furukawa Hirozawa was starting to doubt his life.
Are we playing the same game?
Why does watching Yukitake play the game give such a satisfying, fluid enjoyment, as if watching a brilliant combat performance?
Erwin, in Furukawa Hirozawa's hands, was clumsy and always disconnected, his rhythm constantly interrupted by enemies, like a patient with difficulty breathing.
But now, in Yukitake's hands, Erwin suddenly rose.
He transformed into the greatest and most valiant warrior in the Star Kingdom.
And a warrior with brains.
Many times, Yukitake's positioning was very deceptive, even Furukawa himself didn't understand it, but she just managed to dodge the opponent's attacks, then retreat into the next safe zone, perfectly linking up with subsequent combos.
The most terrifying thing was that this person used the Demon's Claw with deadly accuracy.
The White Crow brothers were tormented to death by her.
Before long, one of them was bleeding heavily and transformed into its demonic form.
After flying up, this creature had none of the sharp intensity it showed when dealing with Furukawa Hirozawa.
It was a soaring eagle back then, but now it became a weak chicken, suddenly grabbed in mid-air by Yukitake Junna using the Demon's Claw.
The entire person was pressed to the ground like a small chicken.
Yukitake Junna unleashed a burst of damage, then rolled.
Dodging the other White Crow's attack.
After several repetitions, one of them clutched its chest and fell again.
Instantly, only one White Crow remained on the field.
Nani?!
Is Yukitake actually that powerful?
Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't believe it at all.
My girlfriend is a Valkyrie?!
How did she do it?
Could it be that because Yukitake usually works as a surgeon, she has honed her skills in surgery and transferred them to the game, turning her into a genius?
Impossible!!!
A flash of lightning shot through Furukawa Hirozawa's mind.
It struck him completely raw.
How could my hand speed, which I've cultivated for so many years of being single, be inferior to a girl's?!
...
Again, Junna took down the remaining one as well, forcing it into its demonic form and killing it again.
Simply ruthless.
Yukitake was as cold as a stoic vanguard warrior.
Furukawa Hirozawa was completely stunned.
"So, so amazing." Furukawa Hirozawa was dumbfounded, clapping for Yukitake from the side.
She pursed her lips and smiled, a little embarrassed, "I learned it all from you, you're a good teacher."
"No, no."
At this moment, Furukawa Hirozawa realized that his girlfriend possessed extraordinary talent.
Not on the operating table, but in playing game.
This reaction ability, this timing control, and the quick, precise, and ruthless attacks like a surgical knife, simply divine!
Furukawa Hirozawa felt admiration from the bottom of his heart.
"How about we stop here for today? It's getting late," Yukitake Junna put down the controller and smiled.
He checked the time; it was already past 11 PM.
"Okay, okay. Get some rest soon."
Furukawa Hirozawa first went to the save point to save the current progress, then stood up to pack his things.
Yukitake had to go to work tomorrow; he really delayed her too much.
But thanks to Yukitake's reminder, otherwise, with Furukawa's usual habits, he would probably have kept playing through Ice Wolf Fortress and defeated the first big BOSS before going to sleep.
...
...
That night, Yukitake pulled her bed covers to about an arm's length from Furukawa's, and after burrowing into the blankets, she happily chuckled as she smelled the scent on them.
Her cheeks turned flushed.
"Um, tomorrow, after I get off work, shall we play together?"
Although tomorrow was Saturday, for medical personnel like Yukitake, there basically wasn't such a thing as a regular holiday.
"Sure," Furukawa Hirozawa smiled happily.
His mind was full of the Valkyrie's appearance.
Honestly, Yukitake Junna's combat power greatly exceeded his expectations.
He never thought that a seemingly soft and gentle girl like Yukitake would have such a strong side.
Ah...
He really looked forward to seeing Yukitake earlier tomorrow.
"Well then, good night, Haoze-kun."
"Good night, Junna-chan."
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