Hollow Knight Project Approved

Just as Carter had said, Ethan Vale made it to the top of the trending searches the very next day.

This was already his second time trending. The last time had been because of Dead Cells.

On the trending list, the screenshot of the World Anti-War Organization's statement was exceptionally clear, with a corresponding translation beneath every passage of English.

The comments below came in all kinds. Not everyone paid attention to the gaming world. Even though This War of Mine was hugely popular among gamers, ordinary people generally would not come across it.

'This is the second time I've heard of Sprout Studio.'

'I knew it! I knew it! This is that heartless bastard!'

'This game didn't cost much to make, but it's absolutely a masterpiece made with heart! Everyone should really give it a try.'

'When war truly came, there would always be people cowering amid the ruins, playing the bloody backdrop as they watched humanity and life slowly wither away.'

'Good news: you're about to get into that bastard's games. Bad news: you're about to get into that bastard's games.'

The Sprout Studio employees only learned the news after being told by others.

"Bastard! Look! [Image]"

In Sprout's internal group chat, someone posted a screenshot of the relevant trending topic and tagged Ethan Vale.

"Holy shit? Really?"

"Ahhhhh! I'm so excited, we got praised!"

"The bastard is awesome!"

"No, I have to tell my mom!"

In the work group of just over thirty people, the message count had reached 99+ in a single minute.

Ethan Vale sat in his office chair as the phone screen on his desk lit up and messages rapidly scrolled past.

He picked up the phone from the desk and looked at the first message that had tagged him.

The corner of his mouth curled up as his fingers quickly tapped across the screen.

"Yeah, I know."

Employee A: Yeah?! You knew!

Employee B: You knew?!

Employee Chron: Huh? You treated us like outsiders? How long have you known? Why didn't you tell us?

Song Shan: Torturing players wasn't enough, now you have to torture all of us too, right? (T ^ T)

The group messages kept flashing. No wonder everyone was so excited.

This was the first game they had made after joining Sprout Studio. The game's achievement was also a milestone in its creators' lives.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was a big deal." Ethan Vale genuinely did not think it was a big deal.

His steps would not stop here.

Whether it was Dead Cells or This War of Mine, they were merely small foundation stones in Ethan Vale's gaming empire.

In the conference room, Ethan Vale gathered everyone for an impromptu meeting.

Everyone stared resentfully toward the head of the table, where Ethan Vale sat.

"..."

"It's just some praise..." Ethan Vale waved his hand dismissively.

"You call this just some praise..."

"It really is just some praise..."

The people below muttered softly. No one was truly angry; the news had simply come too suddenly, and it was too delightful.

The long conference table was packed on both sides with Sprout Studio members. Ethan Vale sat at the very front, while the white latex paint on the wall reflected a faint white glow.

There were only two large potted plants in the corners of the conference room, while a huge white projection screen stood before the long table.

Ethan Vale rose and stood beside the white screen as the projector switched on.

"Our goal has never been limited to this. There's been a lot of debate about us online, and the overwhelming majority think we've more or less reached our limit."

"Perhaps some of you think so too." Ethan Vale swept a deep look across everyone present.

Everyone lowered their heads without speaking. Design was not monotonous work repeated day after day; it required inspiration. The more brilliant a game was, the more it needed wild imagination.

And with three games released one after another, it was enough to drain any designer of all the ideas they had stored away in their minds.

Ethan Vale made games too quickly. He did not even leave himself a chance to catch his breath and think.

Could he still create something new?

That was not only what the employees thought; it was also what every player thought.

Song Shan lifted his chin and stared firmly in Ethan Vale's direction.

He could.

Ethan Vale clicked the remote in his hand, and a massive image in deep blue and ink-black appeared on the white screen.

A pale, slender figure stood at the edge of a cliff. Behind him was a damaged triangular nail.

It looked identical to the Pure Nail from Dead Cells.

The howling wind carried the chill of midnight. Upon that perilous cliff, where the northern gale wailed mournfully, crystalline, flickering dust drifted through the air. Two tiny bone horns protruded from the skull-like head.

No emotion could be seen in those hollow eyes.

"This is the new game I'll be discussing with everyone today, Hollow Knight." Ethan Vale returned to his seat.

The image did not seem complicated, but it was clear that the game's art style had changed dramatically from the previous games.

Swinging a sledgehammer had looked like a cheap sprite-based game, and its characters did not even have complex changes in expression during gameplay.

By the time of Dead Cells, that pixel-art game could only rely on character movements, actions, and dialogue to convey what they thought.

And the third game?

This War of Mine had undoubtedly improved far beyond the first two in terms of visuals. Its art was a highly artistic sketch style, making extensive use of black and white tones. Bleak and gloomy, it highlighted the weight of war.

With every step, with every game, the changes were clearly visible. The visual quality of the games was improving at a rapid pace.

The image now displayed was rich in original-art elements. From this single picture alone, one could see how exquisite the game would be.

"And with this game, I'll also give players an initial look at the concept of 'souls.'" Ethan Vale said with a smile.

The employees below exchanged looks.

Souls?

What kind of concept was that?

But regardless of what souls meant, could he truly produce another game that won overwhelming praise from players?

In the silent conference room, they could hear everyone swallowing.

During the rest of the meeting, everyone quietly listened as Ethan Vale explained the game's settings and showed them that rich underground kingdom.

From that day onward, Hollow Knight was officially approved.

By the end, the confusion in everyone's hearts had vanished, and their eyes were filled with fervor as they looked at Ethan Vale.

Just as he had said,

That underground kingdom of insects, everything within it was calling to them, urging them to bring it to life.

After hearing Ethan Vale tell so many stories of wanderers and terrifying creatures,

No one could resist that temptation. They had to see it with their own eyes!

They could almost see a faint light pointing toward a deserted little town. A small knight paused briefly atop a perilous cliff, then leaped forward.

The person being pointed at has no Silksong to play.jpg