Chapter 145: Chapter 115: Another Wave (Part 1)_1

“This game seems to encourage exploration,” said the torchbearer.

The light from the torch didn’t extend very far, with brightness diminishing the further it reached.

Living Immortal’s skill in depicting changes in light intensity with pixel art made Wang Say Games remark admiringly that the strong remain strong; even when 3D experts turn to pixels, they still manage to impress.

Even without a tutorial, Wang found the game fairly intuitive to understand.

As he ventured deeper into the darkness, he began to hear strange sounds lingering in the shadows, occasionally catching sight of red eyes that opened and closed swiftly before vanishing into the night.

However, when he bravely approached the place where the eyes had been, with torch in hand, he saw nothing at all.

The creatures of the dark seemed to have an innate fear of the light, instinctively shrinking away from it, yet at the same time displaying intense curiosity towards Wang, who carried the source of light.

Apart from the hidden creatures in the darkness, Wang noticed numerous small, glowing objects around him.

As he approached these tiny objects, they were automatically collected, each taking up a bit of space in his backpack, making it clear they were all items that could be gathered.

When he opened the crafting menu and building mode, he realized both functions had to be executed near a bonfire.

“Ah, I see, the bonfire is the most essential structure in this game.”

With this realization, Wang felt his gameplay becoming smoother and smoother in Living Immortal’s game.

The earliest version of “Spread” bore a strong mark of self-indulgence; the lack of a tutorial was something Wang could criticise for a lifetime.

But with “Dark Builder,” although still missing a tutorial, the various subtle settings remind players of what they should or shouldn’t do in an almost imperceptible but clever way, revealing the developer’s sophisticated understanding of player psychology.

Impressive.

From the moment he started collecting items, Wang became so engrossed that he forgot to speak or grumble.

Though it wasn’t a 3D game, the pixel art style gave him a different kind of feeling—comfort.

The controls felt satisfying, and carrying a torch through the darkness brought a strange, fairy-tale atmosphere, making him feel as though he was traveling through a realm where dark and reality coexisted.

As he energetically collected items from the ground, Wang had no idea that he had strayed further and further away.

The mini-map on the screen let him know his exact position and the location of the bonfire.

But one problem escaped his notice: the torch’s light was getting weaker and weaker, until finally, only a small area in front remained illuminated.

It wasn’t until someone pointed it out that he realized he had been enveloped by darkness for far too long.

As the torch faded away, the strange whispers in the dark grew louder, mixed with peculiar and sinister laughter.

The once-hidden eyes now boldly approached, their veins thickening with bloodlust as tiny mouths squirmed within their gaze.

Seeing these creatures, Wang was especially thankful Living Immortal had chosen pixel art; otherwise, he would have certainly been reduced to tears.

Yet even so, just the sight of these blurred figures sent chills down his spine.

He turned and sprinted towards the bonfire, hoping to reach it before the torch went out, but it was too late.

As the torch was extinguished, the realistic surround sound made it feel as though something was crawling up his spine.

Although there was no physical sensation through the screen, the sound seemed to penetrate Wang, making him almost feel the squirming motion.

As Wang leaped up and shook himself, trying to rid himself of the non-existent creepers, a light appeared once again on his screen.

Zhao, holding a torch, came into view, her bright light scattering the darkness around and granting Wang a feeling of rebirth.

Looking at Zhao, Wang saw her as an angel descended to earth and instinctively said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

In the light of her torch, Zhao led Wang back to the bonfire. On the way, her own torch almost went out, but she calmly retrieved another spent torch from her pack and lit it anew.

Thanks to Zhao’s carefulness, the two of them finally made it back to the bonfire together.

With a deep breath of relief and a newfound sense of safety, Wang felt an unprecedented tranquility wash over him.

As he settled down by the fire, he realized from the time he had left to explore until his return was merely fifteen minutes.

But it felt like half an hour had gone by, the tension in the atmosphere stretching time; he almost felt like he had gained something from the experience.

Handing Wang a cup of boiled water, Zhao said proudly, “Aren’t you going to thank me? If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead by now.”

“Thanks a lot, I let my guard down. But I got a good haul this time, snagged quite a few materials to bring back.”

Opening his backpack, Wang began to check the items he had collected.

Unlike the typical rocks and branches, the basic items in “Dark Builder” were comprised of only five types of Spiritual Energy: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

However, by the bonfire, these five energies could be combined into different materials, and with time spent, one could use the materials to build various structures.

Building had to be centered around the bonfire. Players could freely mix and match different structures to create unique configurations.

On top of basic structures, there were also options of upgrading and furniture enhancement. The variety of combinations made Wang feel like he was playing “Princess Dungeon,” finding the depth and enjoyment of the different building combinations.