Song Ren

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Song Ren (宋仁)
Alias(es)	Old Song; Brave Tough Guy (his Nebula platform name and World of Warcraft character name) 631
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Nebula Games player; Nebula World Explorer
Occupation/Role	Veteran gamer and frequent member of a multiplayer friend group
Status	Active; attends Nebula World's celebration event 912
First Appearance	Joins a Sanguosha match as a Loyalist and selects Zhuge Liang 85

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 4	633	Reached level 4 in World of Warcraft after completing Sheriff, wolf-pack, and kobold quests around Northshire Valley.
Level 8	638	Reached level 8 and joined Warriors and Knights to defeat the level 11 Hogger.
Level 10	638	Reached level 10; planned to bind his Hearthstone in Stormwind City and meet his friends there.
Level 38	648	Reached level 38 after repeatedly grinding Scarlet Monastery with his party.

Background / History

Song Ren was already an active member of Zhang Yi's gaming circle when they began playing Sanguosha. He took the Loyalist role and chose Zhuge Liang, while Zhang Yi acted as the Lord. 85

At a Nebula Games exhibition, Song Ren became the first player to discover and test an unannounced Hammer-based climbing game. Its bald, mustached, jar-bound protagonist was deliberately modeled after Song Ren's real-world appearance. 172

He later became one of Nebula Games' most prolific recurring players, regularly approaching new releases through VR immersion, experimentation, friendly competition, and frequent voice-chat discussions with his friends. In Nebula World, he received a sea-island private territory and an AI butler, Chloe; he eventually completed and furnished its museum with collectibles such as Frostmourne, Nathan Drake's treasures, and the Golden Apple. 483 486

Gameplay Profile

Exploration and Experimentation

Song Ren habitually tests systems rather than following the intended route.

• Uses terrain, stealth, fire, and stolen enemy weapons in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, joking that Link feels more like a “seasoned scoundrel” than a hero in his hands. 414
• Studies environmental clues, such as associating haystacks and flower carts with Leap of Faith locations in Assassin's Creed. 457
• Prefers cutting across cliffs and wilderness rather than following marked roads in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. 793
• Often leaves messages for other players in Soulslike games, both to help them and to gain the benefits of highly rated messages. 499 833

Soulslike Experience

Song Ren considers himself a veteran of the Soulslike genre, with experience ranging from Dark Souls through Sekiro. 833

• Learns through repeated failure; after being ambushed by Hollows in the Undead Asylum, he becomes noticeably more cautious. 181
• Prioritizes survivability in difficult RPGs, favoring Health and Stamina before damage-oriented investments in the Yharnam hunt. 499
• Defeated the Tree Guardian after roughly two hours by switching to dual-wielding and “Poke Poke Gang” tactics. 834
• Relies on allies when necessary, defeating Margit with Sorcerer Rogier and a Jellyfish summon after an hour-long struggle. 836
• Was repeatedly stopped by Lady Butterfly's second phase, estimating that her attacks killed him fifty or sixty times. 696

Team Leadership

Song Ren often takes the practical lead when playing with friends.

• Chose a Quarry-area landing strategy for Zhang Yi and Wang Han's squad in Battlefield Online's Warzone mode. 352
• Organized boss tactics during Scarlet Monastery and led his group through linked encounters and resurrection mechanics. 648
• Favored a Human Warrior in World of Warcraft because he expected its versatility to make early progression comfortable. 631

Competitive Nature

Song Ren enjoys competing, especially against Zhang Yi, though he is willing to pursue unfair advantages.

• Wanted to practice Super Smash Bros. before facing Old Zhang online so that his first match would be an “unfair victory.” 870
• Proposed or entertained multiple progress races and combat comparisons with Zhang Yi, including speedrun challenges and Skyrim build competitions. 491 792
• Underestimated the AI-controlled Shadow Fiend in DOTA and was killed despite planning to counter it with Sven. 727

Limitations and Habits

• Can become overconfident after early successes, such as defeating Tobi-Kadachi on his first attempt and dismissing the importance of equipment upgrades. 257
• Has poor luck with dungeon loot, particularly during Scarlet Monastery runs. 647
• Avoids elaborate puzzle-solving when possible; he declined a Dragon Language decryption quest in favor of simply becoming a dragon slayer. 790
• Frequently chooses attractive or distinctive avatars, but his earlier grotesque “Great One”-style characters later embarrassed him during Nebula World's celebration replay. 491 912

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arc / Game	Song Ren's involvement
Sanguosha	Plays as a Loyalist using Zhuge Liang during an early match with Zhang Yi, Wang Yifan, and Qiao Yi. 85
Exhibition Hammer Game	Becomes the first public tester of a newly discovered Nebula Games title, whose protagonist resembles him. 172
Dark Souls	Begins as a Hollow in the Undead Asylum, defeats the Undead Asylum Demon, reaches Firelink Shrine, and later prepares to challenge prime Artorias in Prepare to Die Mode. 178 181 191
Astera Hunt	Defeats Tobi-Kadachi on his first attempt, upgrades his weapon, and confidently advances to the next hunt. 257
Hyrule Exploration	Learns the Sheikah Slate's functions, activates a Sheikah Tower, and uses terrain, theft, and fire against Bokoblins. 413 414
Assassin's Creed	Investigates Ezio's family tragedy, adapts to the revised combat system, and becomes fascinated with Leap of Faith mechanics and free-running exploration. 456 458
Nebula World	Receives Chloe as his personal butler, develops his island museum, and enters the Stormwind City theme as a Warrior. 483 484 486
Yharnam Hunt	Creates a female Hunter, discovers Spiritual Sight, defeats the Clerical Beast with Father Gascoigne's help, and later struggles against Gascoigne as a boss. 491 498 500
Greek-God Roguelike	Unlocks Escape Death, a dash upgrade, and a bow; receives blessings from Zeus and Aphrodite, then is killed after attempting to borrow money from Charon. 511 512
The Witcher: Wild Hunt	Starts the game on release day, spends extensive time on Velen's side content, refuses an Eternal Fire priest's bribe, and chooses to reaffirm Geralt's love for Yennefer. 522 528 533
Resident Evil	Initially approaches the Baker estate with fear, then later grows confident in Resident Evil Village, evades Lady Dimitrescu, finds the dagger that can harm her, and defeats her mutated form. 471 573
World of Warcraft	Creates Human Warrior Brave Tough Guy, struggles with skill costs and repair fees, joins his friends in Stormwind, and leads dungeon runs through Scarlet Monastery. 631 634 648
Shinobi Campaign	Advances through Hirata Estate using Kusabimaru, a gourd, and limited prosthetic tools, but is repeatedly defeated by Lady Butterfly. 694 696
DOTA	Queues with Zhang Yi and Wang Han against WINGS GAMING; loses his preferred Shadow Fiend pick to an AI and is defeated in mid lane while using Sven. 727
Firework	Gradually becomes less frightened and more invested as the horror story shifts into a mystery involving superstition, possession, and the Qingtan Town tragedy. 754 755
Xenoblade Chronicles	Draws the support Blade Glow because she is a beautiful named character, becomes invested in Hikari and Homura, and follows the story through its sci-fi revelations. 778 780 781
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim	Chooses a female Nord, joins Ralof and the Stormcloaks, develops an intentionally unfocused “Useless” build, becomes Dragonborn, and later starts a MODded Imperial-soldier playthrough. 790 792 802
Final Fantasy	Becomes immersed in Cloud's story, replays scenes to explore branching interactions with Jessie, and investigates the mysteries surrounding Zack, Sephiroth, and Cloud's past. 810 811 818
Elden Ring	Chooses the Knight class, treats the Tarnished as a Soulslike successor to the Undead and Hunter, defeats Margit with summons, and eventually becomes Elden Lord. 831 836 842
Super Smash Bros.	Finds fighting games more approachable than expected, enjoys the Light of the Stars mode, and practices with the intention of defeating Old Zhang online. 870 873
Nebula World Celebration	Watches animated recreations of his gaming history and is embarrassed when his earlier grotesque custom characters appear on screen. 912

Relationships

• Zhang Yi / Old Zhang — Longtime friend, frequent teammate, and primary gaming rival. They banter constantly, compare progress, and have played together across numerous multiplayer games. 352 792 912
• Wang Han — Friend and recurring teammate in games including Battlefield Online, DOTA, and World of Warcraft. 352 727 647
• Qiao Yi — Friend from Song Ren's wider gaming group; her relationship with Wang Han leaves Song Ren feeling like the only single member of their circle. 85 912
• Wang Yifan — Friend and fellow early Sanguosha player; later plays a Gnome Mage in World of Warcraft. 85 638
• Chloe — His personal AI butler in Nebula World, who welcomes him as an Explorer and provides guidance about his island and the platform's systems. 483 610

Notable Quotes

“Games should be about treating yourself well.” 631

“The ‘Useless’ playstyle! To experience the regret of not studying hard when encountering invincible enemies; to be able to pick up a sword but not kill anyone, to cast Fireball but not deal damage, spending all day picking locks, exploring, and sightseeing, and then saving the world under such circumstances.” 792

“I truly am a Tarnished filled with a sense of justice!” 836

Trivia

• Song Ren's private Nebula World territory began as a sea island with an unfinished museum. 483
• He considers attractive player characters preferable to intentionally grotesque “Great One” faces, despite having made such faces himself in earlier games. 491 912
• His first named Blade in Xenoblade Chronicles was Glow; he decided to raise her regardless of her support role or combat strength. 778
• He once dreamed of becoming Azeroth's greatest Warrior, but abandoned the ambition after experiencing World of Warcraft's difficult leveling and skill costs. 640
• He is notably frightened by immersive horror imagery, particularly the werewolf and Messenger-like creatures encountered at the beginning of the Yharnam hunt. 492