To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 766: 429 Chapter 766: 429 A group of people began to gather and discuss, with their ideas sparking off one another, eventually enumerating several different options.

For each option, they delved into further discussion, continuously organizing the features within each plan, finally selecting one that everyone approved of.

Horror Survival.

Players would be born into this strange world as complete novices, embarking on a survival journey in a world that is both terrifying and bizarre.

This world possessed its own horrifying ecosystem, with creatures that were unpredictable in variety and definitely not the type players would hope for.

Players could slowly develop their own territory within this dreadful world, interact with other players to a certain extent, and shelter some homeless wanderers who had lost their lands. However, it was important to be aware that some terrifying monsters were hidden among these wanderers, ready to devour the place at any moment.

This was the plan discussed and arrived at by Huang Ping and others, and it was what they believed to be the most fitting gameplay style for this game.

There were many types of horror: the kind where you are utterly powerless as in “Escape,” and the “Biohazard” (Resident Evil) series is another.

But the former made players feel too helpless, prompting their first reaction upon seeing a monster to be flight rather than fight.

The latter was too overwhelming, slightly reducing the horror atmosphere of the game.

However, games that left you hanging by a thread, where players always felt they could do something to improve the situation but remained continuously on edge, were the ones best suited to this game’s style.

Seeing the proposal offered by Huang Ping and others, Fang Cheng closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

A frail mortal arrived in the Reincarnation Land, surrounded by monsters that could tear him apart at any moment and faced with endless bizarre events that kept him in a state of perpetual fear.

However, each survival allowed him to gain some knowledge, enabling him to grow and face the next challenge.

This feeling…

Was acceptable.

To challenge the terrifying ecosystem here with a mortal’s body, and then gradually find ways to survive – indeed, the gameplay was quite good.

So, he agreed eagerly, “Alright, let’s proceed in this direction. How about I take everyone out for a collective vacation after the project is completed?”

Huang Ping’s expression immediately turned incredibly animated.

“Boss, if you don’t want to finish the game, just say it directly.”

“Hmm?”

Watching Huang Ping leave in low spirits, Fang Cheng opened a webpage and found posts on B Hu saying that’s just what a good boss would do.

“B Hu isn’t reliable anymore, huh? Should Squirrel Three create a similar website?”

This time, Fang Cheng granted his colleagues great autonomy.

His Taoist Heart had been replenished several times; although it was not yet full-fledged, some practices didn’t have to be so rigid anymore.

Moreover, people like Huang Ping were growing nicely, and they could now take over some tasks on his behalf, allowing him to better check for deficiencies and prevent players from stirring up trouble again.

Nonetheless, he still didn’t feel entirely at ease.

Players were innately rebellious; even the most compliant players couldn’t contain their impulse to court death in the game.

Therefore, he had to dig traps.

He needed to create seemingly plausible traps in the game, so whenever players discovered these traps, they would believe they had found an easter egg and continue playing the way they wanted.

This way, it would become a contest between him and the players, to see if his coverage was more comprehensive or if the players’ imaginations were more formidable.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng began to find the process interesting too.

While Huang Ping and the others continued to perfect the game, Fang Cheng was also constantly setting up various arrangements, striving to hide his ideas more covertly and refine the content that the players would discover.

When the game’s development reached 80%, Huang Ping submitted a request, stating that it was time to add sound effects and music to the game.

For horror games, music and sound effects can be considered the second life of the game.

Excellent music could turn an ordinary scene into something extraordinarily frightening, and in combination with the current visuals of the game, it would be like icing on the cake.

Fang Cheng felt that this problem was rather easy to solve; after all, while the gods within the Heavenly Tao network world might be unskilled in other areas, creating music was fairly straightforward for them.

“Tian Xuan, trouble you to go and talk to those responsible for the music, have them come up with some soundtracks.”

Tian Xuan nodded vigorously, then left with an expression full of a sense of mission, to create music.

Watching Tian Xuan leave, Xu Qingling leaned close to Fang Cheng and said in a low voice, “Boss, Tian Xuan isn’t good with words. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for her to coordinate the music? Maybe I should go instead?”

“It’s fine, she can handle it,” Fang Cheng said calmly.

After all, she was their Faith Lord God; she was certainly capable of completing this mission.

However, much to Fang Cheng’s surprise, what he thought would be a simple task almost didn’t get completed.

Upon learning of Fang Cheng’s request to create music, the gods of the Heavenly Tao network were thrilled.

The Great Heavenly Lord is finally putting us to use again!

Within the internal network of Heavenly Tao, Fang Cheng had become the new object of worship.

In the new myths, the Great Heavenly Lord was a powerful Outer God whose mere gaze could extinguish vast swathes of star regions, and a snap of His fingers could silence black holes.

He could even recite pi—and in reverse at that!

This formidable Outer God had conquered all the local gods, who could only toil incessantly under His whip, trading their Divine Power for a mere smile from the Great Heavenly Lord.

Although it sounded rather far-fetched, when Fang Cheng discovered that the core content was, in fact, true, he didn’t bother with these interpretations and let them continue as they pleased.

After all, he was indifferent to offerings and faith; believe if you will, it made no difference to him either way, so whatever.

For the gods, Fang Cheng represented an incredibly thick thigh to embrace; daily adoration could extend their lives, and who knows, maybe they could rely on Him someday.

Thus, they eagerly anticipated the heavenly decree brought by Tian Xuan, and upon learning that the requirement this time was to create music, they immediately brimmed with countless ideas, and then they went mad after playing the game demo Tian Xuan brought.

“What is this! Why does such a terrifying place exist!”

“The boundaries between life and death no longer exist here; things of death are reborn in unspeakably strange forms. Chunks of lifeless flesh are actually reorganizing themselves—this place simply shouldn’t exist!”

“Is this the world after death? Is it ours? If it were real, I’d rather be devoured by chaos!”

For the gods here, the tainted Reincarnation Land was exceedingly horrific.

Although they were powerful entities, precisely because of their strength, they were more susceptible to the horrors here and the truth behind the Reincarnation Land than mortals.

The former Main God, God of Balance, watched the game screen, his face twitching continuously.

He believed he was powerful enough, having witnessed many things.

Moreover, his interactions with the Iron Guards had enlightened him with knowledge he had never encountered before, confident that he was sufficiently strong.

Yet upon seeing the imagery of the game, he still felt that he was not strong enough.

Even through the screen, he could feel an evil force rushing at him, nearly suffocating him.

Unable to bear it, he turned his face away and saw Tian Xuan looking at the other gods with curiosity, seemingly unaffected.

Looking more closely, the God of Balance saw a layer of golden light entwining Tian Xuan.

The golden light was dazzling, more splendid and divine than when he had last seen it.

“Is it because of the Great Heavenly Lord?”

Being in the presence of a powerful entity, even without actively learning, one could receive unconscious protection and become a more exquisite being.

Perhaps Tian Xuan herself had not realized it, but their long association had further solidified her essence, transforming her into an even more unfathomable existence.

“Praise be to the Great Heavenly Lord.”

Silently offering a prayer, the God of Balance forced himself to watch the screen, not missing a single detail.

He had to prove his worth.