Zhuang Zhuang let out an unwilling roar and restarted on the spot.
Though Liu Liu laughed loudly, she too embarked on another round of the game.
It had to be admitted, this was an insanely addictive game.
At first glance, you might find both its graphics and controls incredibly simple—primitive, even.
But it was precisely because the controls were so simple that you would blame failure after failure on "bad luck," then immediately start another run, fully convinced this time you would get an absurdly lucky opening!
In truth, this game was fundamentally the same as a pinball machine.
Launching the pinball required no skill or effort whatsoever.
All you could do was send it flying, watch it pass through obstacle after obstacle, and fall naturally downward.
Then, the instant it dropped into one of the scoring slots below, you would either rage helplessly or cheer in delight.
In terms of visual stimulation, Vampire Survivors even far surpassed pinball.
The flashy lighting effects and attack barrages not only let you directly feel your own growth, but also gave players an immensely cathartic experience as they mowed down hordes of monsters.
From enemies being strong and you being weak, to gambling your way to strength, to harvesting enemies in reverse, and then back to enemies being strong and you being weak.
Its dynamic difficulty adjustments raised the player's pleasure threshold again and again, creating a spiraling gameplay loop that completely hooked them!
Every level-up selection of three choices and every treasure chest opening was like scratching a lottery ticket, full of uncertainty.
The endlessly produced dopamine kept stimulating the cerebral cortex, making it impossible to stop!
Zhuang Zhuang and Liu Liu had gone crazy playing!
They started at eight in the evening and kept going until midnight!
A full four hours!
Though the game had no multiplayer mode, the two still managed to create the feeling of a co-op game through voice chat!
Sometimes they mocked each other, sometimes they discussed weapon strength.
They were having the time of their lives, shouting and yelling like they had when they first laid eyes on a Famicom at eight years old, filled with novelty and wholehearted enthusiasm!
This was the pure joy unique to gamers.
This was a pure game, made entirely to satisfy players' cravings for excitement.
Though it was already Midnight Twelve.
Both of their streams were still blazing hot!
Especially Liu Liu's stream!
"Holy shit! Sis is killing it this run!"
"Sure enough, you've got to prioritize weapons."
"These effects are getting cooler and cooler!"
"Feels like Liu Liu has mastered this game already."
"Four hours, man. I'm about to learn how to play just from watching."
"Fuck, it's midnight already? No, I need to sleep!"
"Sleep my ass! Watch the stream! You're not allowed to sleep!"
"Listen to good advice and you'll be well fed. Fine, I won't sleep."
"?"
"Still, why does it look like Liu Liu is about to fail again?"
"..."
At this moment!
The game had reached the fifteen-minute mark. According to the game's rules, she was already halfway toward the thirty-minute survival goal.
The screen was already packed with monsters.
And Liu Liu stood in the center of the screen, constantly dodging and weaving.
Though she had a level-seven whip, level-six holy water, a level-five axe, and a max-level cross, giving her fairly impressive damage.
There were simply too many monsters. They came like a tide, wave after wave.
They looked even more terrifying than the aunties and uncles rushing to a supermarket at eight in the morning to grab discounted eggs.
Even worse, the game's difficulty seemed to have risen again.
Countless green cultists swarmed in. Not only did they have terrifyingly high HP, their damage was massive too—one slash took half her health.
"Ahhhhhh—don't! Don't come over here!"
For a moment, Liu Liu was trapped in a dilemma, with no idea which way she should run.
Monsters covered the hills and plains as they surrounded her, nearly filling the entire screen.
"It's over, sis! You're about to kick the bucket!"
Zhuang Zhuang, who had come over to sneak a look at his sister's game progress, also spoke with obvious glee over voice chat:
"What a shame. Those max-level weapons are going to waste—"
And just as Zhuang Zhuang mocked her.
The small elite monster closest to Liu Liu was killed, dropping a treasure chest onto the ground.
"Don't be so sure! Watch me turn things around with this chest!"
Liu Liu gritted her teeth and squeezed through the monster horde, desperately reaching for the chest.
Zhuang Zhuang just laughed carelessly. "Sis, stop struggling. The chest will only give you this kind of junk anyway. You're dead for sure."
As he spoke!
Liu Liu finally got the treasure chest!
Boom—!!!
As fireworks scattered, the chest opened. Amid flying streamers, an animation began rolling like a slot machine jackpot!
Liu Liu had opened plenty of chests before. Usually, a single blue ribbon would scroll for two or three seconds before the final prize appeared.
But this time!
The blue ribbon rolled for a full three seconds, yet showed no sign of stopping!
Was it lagging?
Liu Liu froze, just about to ask what was going on.
Then the game's prize-reveal sound effect suddenly became impassioned!
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The blue ribbon instantly became three purple ribbons, surging out of the chest!
"Holy shit!!!"
Liu Liu and Zhuang Zhuang both jumped in surprise!
"Triple jackpot?!"
But!
It was not over yet!
The next second, the prize music grew even more exhilarating, instantly becoming an 8-bit symphonic performance!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!!!
The three purple ribbons directly turned into five golden ribbons!
"Waaahhh—five of them!!!"
Liu Liu could not hold it in anymore and screamed outright!
The designer really understood gacha.
Though no one knew what the reward would actually be.
This animation alone was enough to make people cry out in satisfaction, sending their anticipation through the roof!
The chat lost its mind too—
"Golden, holy shit!"
"ohhhhhhhh—this is way too fucking cool!"
"I'm stunned, holy shit!"
"These effects are so over-the-top, hahahahaha!"
"Who wouldn't get hooked by this animation?"
"It feels like winning five million!"
"This looks so damn good. Fuck, this designer is definitely an old gambling addict."
"..."
At that instant!
Everyone's eyes gathered on those glittering golden ribbons!
Countless pairs of eyes watched the result of this draw!
They focused intently and held their breath!
At last!
Five rewards appeared on the screen.
And in the center was a weapon that none of them had ever seen before!
A sharp golden sword bloomed with dazzling radiance!
"Holy shit!!!"
Before Liu Liu could say anything, Zhuang Zhuang was the first to cry out:
"What the hell is that? A new weapon? It's so cool?!"
Liu Liu was also surprised, and opened her character panel to check.
"Holy Sword?"
Liu Liu looked at the new piece of equipment, which was only level one, and froze at first.
Then she noticed a serious problem—
"But... it looks like it ate my original cross! Holy shit!!!"
I'm screwed, guys!
That had been her max-level cross!
Its damage was considerable, and it had knockback too. It had saved her from danger many times!
And now, a weapon that had suddenly popped out had actually devoured the cross she depended on for survival?
Even more absurdly...
"This thing is only level one, hahahahahaha!!!"
Zhuang Zhuang's merciless laughter instantly erupted in the stream:
"Stunned, aren't you, sis? Trading a level-eight weapon for a level-one weapon—just restart. Stop struggling."
Listening to her younger brother's gleeful laughter, then looking at the screen full of laughing comments.
Liu Liu felt utterly discouraged.
Four hours.
She had not even lasted halfway through the game's required time.
And she had said this game was easy earlier.
Now, it seemed like this was easily the biggest Waterloo in her entire gaming history.
"Ugh—"
With a long sigh, Liu Liu helplessly closed the equipment menu.
Around her, the monster tide surged layer upon layer.
The clawing cultists raised their daggers, the terrifying skeleton monsters strutted about, and the chittering vampire bats kept closing in.
Liu Liu had lost hope and let go of the joystick.
But the game's protagonist, standing still in place, kept swinging the whip and throwing axes.
Like a hero who could be killed, but could never be broken.
Even more like herself, battered by society every day yet still insisting on greeting the sun with a smile.
In that instant, a line from Romain Rolland flashed through Liu Liu's mind: There is only one kind of heroism in the world—to still love life after recognizing its truth.
Perhaps the inspiration and emotional impact games gave people were always hidden in seemingly insignificant details.
Everyone had dreamed of being a hero.
In reality, you might never have the chance to become a solitary hero.
But games could help you fulfill that romantic fantasy in this utopia.
Though ten thousand oppose me, I go on.
The next moment.
The Holy Sword descended.