Li Hongyun eagerly opened the official website to check the new update announcement.
*Ashes of Darkness* New Version Update Announcement:
"The Restorers have united to defeat the demons in the historical slice, reclaiming the timeline and reawakening the true power of the 'Original Restorer' Beichen.
*Ashes of Darkness* will enter a seven-day 'Pre-Expedition Against Bandits' preparation period for the new version.
**'Pre-Expedition Against Bandits' update details:**
1. **The edited recording of the 'Final Judgment' ultimate trial will be released in cinemas and on streaming platforms in movie format. Pricing will follow the lowest rates of each cinema or platform.**
All earnings from this movie, after deducting cinema costs, will be shared with the players who participated in the 'Restorer Expedition,' distributed as follows:
- 20% to players who directly participated in the ultimate trial.
- 20% to players who contributed effectively to the strategy guide for 'Final Judgment.'
- 60% to other players in the 'Restorer Expedition,' based on their level of contribution.
All future earnings from ultimate trial recordings will also go to the players, as it's their joint achievement. The share percentage may vary slightly depending on each trial's content.
2. **New gameplay: 'Territorial Command.'**
Of the reclaimed historical slice, 60% will be the public activity area, "Restorer Fortress," available for multiplayer interaction; the remaining 40% will be divided into "Fiefdoms" allocated to contributing players.
In the Restorer Fortress, new mechanisms, including demons, mines, and blacksmiths, will allow players to upgrade their weapons, armor, and basic stats.
The fiefdoms will be personal activity zones, where players can simulate management and gather resources for themselves.
As more historical slices are reclaimed in future Restorer Expeditions, the Restorer Fortress and individual fiefdoms will expand accordingly.
3. **Beta access distribution.**
An additional 20,000 beta slots will be granted.
For players from the previous batch of beta testers who have not cleared any trial scenarios, access will be automatically revoked. Revoked slots and new slots will be redistributed according to new selection criteria.
New Criteria: *Ashes of Darkness* will select 100,000 players, and those who clear any one of the Warrior, Assassin, Scholar, or Ranger trials will gain beta access. Slots will be given on a first-come, first-served basis according to clearing order.
In seven days, the new version, *Southeast Bandit Expedition,* will launch, with updates as follows:
1. A batch of new talents unlocked in the Restorer's talent library, including 'Xin'-level skills.
2. Some talents will be available as permanent skills, not occupying original talent slots.
3. The four role trials will introduce advanced difficulty, with increased enemy stats, and successful completion will upgrade the exclusive talent skills.
4. New trial scenario: 'Destiny Defies Titles' will open.
Li Hongyun grew more and more excited as he read.
"Another huge update? This is amazing!"
This version update was different from the last, split into two parts. The current update, "Pre-Expedition Against Bandits," was a prelude, while the formal update, *Southeast Bandit Expedition,* would follow in seven days.
The Pre-Expedition's highlights, besides beta access distribution, were:
1. The *Final Judgment* ultimate trial edited into a movie, to be screened in cinemas and streaming platforms, with all net income (after cinema costs) going to the players!
2. The "Territorial Command" gameplay, allowing players to build in the historical slice's "Restorer Fortress" and claim their own fiefdom to cultivate.
This added a lot of richness to the game.
As for the *Southeast Bandit Expedition* update in seven days, it mainly focused on new trial scenarios and various Restorer ability upgrades.
Li Hongyun looked at Chu Ge, full of envy and jealousy. "This movie actually pays the players!"
"Players who directly participated get 20%, those who contributed to the strategy get 20%, and the rest is based on contributions in the Expedition… You're guaranteed at least a 4% share; with all the contributions, you might reach 6% or more!"
"Damn, that's a lot of money!!"
Li Hongyun felt envious again.
The largest share obviously went to the players who directly participated in the ultimate trial. Five players participated, splitting 20%, meaning each would get 4%. The strategy guide and the Expedition shares, while smaller due to the large number of players, still gave Chu Ge around 1% based on his significant role.
Either way, this game not only didn't cost anything, but it also rained gold coins—how unbeatable is that?
Even if the full *Final Judgment* movie couldn't compete with polished blockbusters, it had zero production cost!
If it generated a few million in revenue, each player's share would still be substantial.
Li Hongyun eagerly checked the beta selection status on the website again.
"Huh? Oh my god! I finally got selected!"
Li Hongyun was ecstatic, hardly able to believe his eyes.
Heaven must be smiling on him!
Finally, as a luck-blessed player, he could make Chu Ge regret showing off!
Chu Ge calmly reminded him, "Don't celebrate just yet. The rules for beta access have changed. They've selected 100,000, but only 20,000 or so slots are available. To secure a slot, you need to pass the trial quickly."
Li Hongyun smirked, "Come on, if you could be the first to pass the Scholar trial, do you think I can't? Just wait—I'm going to be the first in this batch to get official access!"
…
**Afternoon, outside a large cinema in Tiandu City.**
Du Gang led his wife and young daughter, around ten years old, to the ticket gate.
The little girl was lively, bouncing around excitedly.
Du Gang's wife looked curious, saying, "Old Du, are you turning a new leaf? You're actually taking our daughter to see a movie? Even on weekends and holidays, you're always busy with work."
Du Gang coughed. "Well, technically, this is work too. This movie is related to my work."
His wife chuckled. "Alright, alright, you have your special work. We'll go with that."
Clearly, she didn't believe him and thought he was making an excuse to spend time with their daughter.
She smiled, holding her daughter's hand as they looked for their seats.
Du Gang sighed inwardly. He was telling the truth!
Then he decided not to explain. It was better this way.
The three of them sat in the theater, waiting for the movie to start.
Sitting there, Du Gang felt an unusual sense of relaxation. Due to his intense work style, he rarely had time to unwind.
But recently, since taking over the *Ashes of Darkness* project, he found himself with more free time after an initial busy period.
After successfully dealing with the demons appearing in reality, no new demonic incidents had occurred, and he'd just received word from Beichen that the historical slice expedition had gone smoothly, with no further demon threats anticipated in the short term.
Nonetheless, Du Gang's department had set up a dedicated task force to coordinate *Ashes of Darkness* activities in reality.
The movie screening was part of this.
Beichen had given Du Gang a heads-up, saying a film would be ready after the ultimate trial, so he should plan accordingly.
Du Gang and his colleagues pulled some strings to greenlight the movie screening even without a completed version, allowing it to be approved and scheduled promptly.
Of course, because all marketing materials were being prepared last minute, there wasn't much publicity, so screening rates were low. Most theaters couldn't offer high showtimes for such a movie.
Still, getting it to screen the day after the ultimate trial's completion was a miracle.
As for streaming platforms, they were even easier to arrange, though they weren't free either, with a minimum charge of 1 yuan per view.
In the theater, the occupancy was around 70-80%.
*Ashes of Darkness* had become wildly popular, though the limited number of beta players meant it hadn't reached the general public widely. And to an outsider, paying to watch a game's trial video seemed odd.
Still, many curious fans and players intrigued by the game had bought tickets, along with some who were just looking for a new movie.
Some viewers were quietly discussing as they munched on popcorn.
"A game video turned into a movie? Is it really that easy to make money at the box office now?"
"I'm also puzzled. Didn't they just clear the trial last night? How much could they edit in a few hours?"
"You guys don't get it, huh? *Ashes of Darkness*'s tech team is amazing! They've edited first trial clears at lightning speed, with effects on par with blockbuster films. Just watch!"
Soon, the theater lights dimmed, and the movie began.
After the usual opening dragon logo, there were no production or distribution company logos, emphasizing the movie's raw authenticity.
"Dad, what kind of movie is this? Is it better than cartoons?" the little girl asked curiously.
Du Gang raised a finger to his lips, "Shh, the movie's starting! Pay attention—it'll be exciting!"