"After watching for so long, and feeling a little itchy?"
I resurrected in front of the bonfire, I looked at Wang Han, who was shaving grape skins beside me.
Hearing the question, Wang Han glanced at the game screen in front of her and replied without hesitation, "My hands are itchy, but my skin isn't!"
I sighed and continued controlling the character, delving deeper into the game's exploration.
Entering the Lothric High Wall, the scene was far more complex than the Firelink Shrine and the Cemetery of Ash.
Without a map, I had no clue where to go.
Of course, the bigger issue was the game's experience—truly chopping melons and vegetables.
Well... in this case, I was the melon.
On the Lothric High Walls, apart from the kneeling mobs resembling pilgrim corpses that wouldn't fight back, almost all the enemies here could kill me outright.
The crucial problem? These mobs didn't play fair.
More often than not, I'd encounter a monster lurking in a corner, wielding a short sword, ready to unleash a flurry of strikes. If I wasn't careful, I'd be killed on the spot.
At times, I'd inadvertently attract two or three monsters at once. When they ganged up, I sometimes thought—no, I was certain—it was harder than fighting Guda from earlier.
One enemy, a corpse-like dog, was especially annoying: agile and packing high attack power.
Some mobs with fire crossbows hid in wall cracks, biding their time. The moment I engaged other monsters, they'd start shooting me with cold precision.
Then there were mobs hiding behind boxes. One slip-up and I'd expose my back—an invitation for a brutal backstab.
This ARPG game gave me the same nerve-wracking feeling as when I last played Outlast. You never knew where the next trap was waiting.
If only that were the end of it.
Most of these defying enemies were weaklings. One-on-one, as long as I wasn't cocky, they were manageable.
As the exploration progressed deeper into the Lothric High Walls, I encountered tougher opponents.
In a corridor leading to a watchtower, I faced a Lothric Knight armed with a sword and shield.
This knight, showcased in the promotional trailer, had served as a mere backdrop—a victim of flashy executions.
But here, the real fight awaited.
"Finally! A monster that can take me on in a fair 1v1 battle!"
Looking at the Lothric Knight in front of me, I felt tears well up within me, my excitement evident.
"Come on, let's have a close contest!"
The thrill of the moment made my blood boil. I had always faced unfair fights, outnumbered, outmatched always out for my death, and been told that combat arts were not for me. But finally, this was my chance for a fair 1v1 duel.
The Lothric Knight in front of me took a stance, mirroring my resolve. We advanced and retreated cautiously, testing each other. Step by step, I found myself drawn into the dark tower.
Suddenly, the sharp sound of a box breaking echoed through the space. Before I could react, a dagger-wielding monster lunged from the shadows, stabbing me from behind.
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered. The sneaky monster kicked me, throwing me off balance. As I staggered, the Lothric Knight seized the opportunity, swinging its blade down with ruthless precision.
I died.
"You promised a 1v1, but you called your brothers!" I shouted in frustration.
Determined not to give up, I revived at the nearest bonfire and stormed back to the tower. This time, I was ready. I dodged the Lothric Knight's attacks, tumbling past it to find the sneaky monster hiding in the shadows. After dealing with it swiftly, I turned my attention back to the knight.
"Now let's see what a fire-spreading hero can do!" I declared, raising my shield with renewed determination.
I stood my ground, shield raised, ready to counterattack. The first shield counter was clumsy—I had to use an Estus Flask to heal. The second attempt drained two more flasks.
Realizing something was off, I abandoned the shield counter and focused on defense, waiting for the knight's next move. But it was no use. The knight charged at me with its own shield, breaking my guard. My stamina bar drained completely, leaving me defenseless.
With a calm yet terrifying precision, the knight unleashed a flurry of strikes, depleting my health bar once again.
I died and revived, only to mutter bitterly, "Why do these mobs feel as strong as Ash Guda?!"
After defeating Ash Guda, I had assumed the worst was over, but every opponent since—the Crystal Lizard, the Blade Brother, and now this Lothric Knight—seemed just as fierce, if not more so.
"Maybe that's just how the game is designed?" Wang Han suggested casually.
I sighed, acknowledging the brutal reality. As I ventured further into the Lothric Wall, I encountered an even greater variety of enemies. By now, I was certain of one thing:
This game was unbelievably difficult.
Even the regular enemies felt harder to deal with than some of the bosses. I decided to avoid the Lothric Knight for now and explore other paths.
On a bridge teeming with monsters, I carefully began to lure them out one by one. Just as I thought I was making progress, a massive dragon descended from the sky, unleashing a torrent of flames across the bridge.
At that moment, surrounded by charred corpses—both mine and the monsters'—I learned how to write the words You are dead.
After enduring ninety-nine hardships and brushing against death itself, Zhang Yi finally reached the sentry tower's room.
Strangely enough, the room held nothing unusual, except for a treasure chest tucked into a corner downstairs.
"A treasure chest!" The excitement bubbled up. Could this be an opportunity to upgrade gear?
After all, treasure chests in most ARPGs are synonymous with good equipment. Approaching the chest, anticipation filled every moment. Joy surged as the interactive button activated on the screen.
The button was pressed, but what followed left Zhang Yi completely stunned.
The chest didn't hold any treasures. Instead, sharp teeth lined its edges, top and bottom. A grotesque tongue and a pair of clawed hands emerged, grabbing hold of the character.
"What the **** is this?!" The shock was enough to nearly send the mouse flying.
The chest's razor-sharp teeth sank into the character's head, blood spurting wildly. The character struggled, but the health bar emptied almost instantly, as though it had never existed.
After a few moments of futile resistance, silence descended. The screen darkened, and three blood-red words reappeared at the center:
[YOU ARE DEAD.]
"The treasure chest was a trap!" Staring at the screen, Zhang Yi froze, unable to comprehend the betrayal.
The character soon respawned at the campfire, ready to journey back, not just to retrieve lost souls but to exact revenge.
Monsters like these, devious but fragile, are often quite weak—that's the pattern.
Thirty seconds later, Zhang Yi stood in the treasure room again. The small space was eerily familiar, and within moments, the character was once again grabbed and devoured by the monster.
Setting the mouse down, Zhang Yi gently patted their chest. "This isn't a confession. Just remember, my revenge can wait for ten years if necessary."
Like the previous way, Dead Brothers and the Lothric Knight feel the same.
Dying several times to figure out the opponent's attack patterns and then defeating them seems straightforward—but not necessary.
The frustration building in Zhang Yi's chest made him silently shut down the computer. He decided to stop playing for the day. Any longer and he worried that the new keyboard and mouse might not survive his irritation.
Just as he pushed back his chair, the phone on the table buzzed. Zhang Yi glanced at the message—it was from an old acquaintance, Song Ren.
"Old Zhang, how are you celebrating National Day? I'm such an idiot—I just arrived at the hotel. My leader is something else! Who even sends employees on a business trip during National Day?"
Reading the message, Zhang Yi quickly typed back, "I'm playing a game. The Dark Soul we saw at the exhibition was launched today. Have you tried it yet?"
In less than two seconds, Song Ren replied, "Haven't played it yet. So, is it any good? If not, I won't bother buying it."
Zhang Yi couldn't help but smile. He remembered why he'd started playing Escape back then. He immediately responded, "The grand and epic plot, stunning graphics, and a sense of fight—this game has it all. Honestly, the experience can only be described with four words: chopping melons and vegetables!"
That evening, Zhang Yi logged into his girlfriend Wang Han's Neon game account to look for Song Ren. When Song Ren's next message came, Zhang Yi couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Is this what you mean by chopping melons and vegetables?"
Though it was just a text, Zhang Yi could vividly imagine Song Ren's frustrated expression on the other side of the screen.