9 PM sharp.
At this moment, countless fans of "Steins;Gate" were celebrating wildly.
There's a saying: "Seeing is believing."
Although Akifumi claimed on social media yesterday that this would be a happy ending, many fans remained skeptical, thinking he was merely hyping his work.
However, upon witnessing the latest plot twist, fans couldn't contain their excitement as they passionately discussed and promoted the series across various forums.
Meanwhile, some fans, after basking in the joy, remembered the game they hadn't finished yet — "The Witch's House"!
In this joyful mood, they launched the game, hoping to experience double the happiness.
[TL Note – No….. don't do that…]
Though there was some overlap between fanbases, among the over 100,000 paying players, there were also pure puzzle and horror enthusiasts.
Thanks to Steam's recommendation, these players discovered the game "The Witch's House," paid for it, and spent the entire day immersed in it.
Unlike casual players like Kasumigaoka Utaha, these players specialized in this genre and swiftly cleared the game.
Afterward, they eagerly sought the true ending.
Upon discovering the method to unlock the true ending and witnessing the final scene, they all felt a chilling shiver down their spines and an overwhelming sense of dread.
Fear, anguish, and suffering...
Yet, after enduring these negative emotions, they couldn't help but exclaim:
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"What an incredible game!"
"This plot twist is insane!"
"If I hadn't found the true ending, I would've been completely fooled by the fake one!"
"This is outrageous! Are all new creators this monstrous nowadays?!"
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After looking at these comments, the players enthusiastically began tackling the hard mode.
It wasn't that they were unaffected by the ending, but these players were pure at heart only want to play the game.
For them, the plot was just one aspect of the game.
So, despite the dark storyline, they quickly recovered and dove back in.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, while some players enjoy solving puzzles, others are more focused on the story.
Take Goko Ruri, an ordinary high school girl from Chiba. However, online, she was known as the infamous "Fallen Saint Black Cat (Kuroneko) of Chiba."
Ruri was well-versed in all things ACG (anime, comics, and games) and excelled at gaming.
For her, a truly great game must excel in both gameplay and storytelling.
However, achieving a balance between the two is extremely difficult.
When she discovered that her favorite creator had suddenly developed a game, Ruri was thrilled. But after the excitement faded, anxiety crept in.
Sure, the creator had an exceptional talent for storytelling and had achieved great success in various fields. But could they replicate that success in a completely different medium?
After all, venturing into a new field meant starting from scratch.
So, when the game was released, Ruri immediately purchased and played it.
From last night until today, after repeatedly reaching fake endings and finally discovering the true ending, she was in complete awe of "The Witch's House."
"As expected from the master. This soul-crushing feeling is just as familiar as always."
In fact, the emotional impact of this game surpassed any of their previous works.
As for the ending, Ruri found it utterly unbearable.
As someone with two younger sisters, she couldn't help but imagine if one of her sisters were replaced by the witch and, without knowing the truth, she...
The sheer thought of that heart-wrenching pain overwhelmed her.
Dark emotions swirled within her heart.
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"Viola is too beautiful! New waifu +1!"
"This game isn't even that long, yet I've been playing for five hours. Has anyone unlocked the true ending yet?"
"As a puzzle game, it's excellent. As a horror game, it's brilliant. But as for the story... it's nothing but a cliché."
"Although the creator is a newbie in the gaming world, I have to say the story fell short of expectations."
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Particularly when Ruri saw these shallow comments on Steam during the day, her gloomy emotions exploded.
Viola is too beautiful?
Sure, she's beautiful, but what if her soul is actually Ellen?
Five hours and still no true ending?
How can you be this bad at the game?!
Cliché story, lacking depth?
Heh... Heh heh heh...
You idiots still haven't figured out the truth, and you're blaming the creator!?
"Foolish mortals!"
"You can't even comprehend the creator's final act of mercy. Fine, then. Experience this pain to your heart's content!!"
Goko Ruri's face lit up with a radiant smile.
But her eyes... were filled with pure darkness!
However...
"Before that, I need to beat this game first!"
Her eyes gleamed as she stared at Steam's rarest achievement: clearing hard mode without saving.
And so began several hours of relentless challenge!
By the time the sun set and darkness blanketed the sky...
"Finally!"
Ruri let out a long breath as she stood before the familiar door.
Compared to normal mode, hard mode had significant changes like you can't save the game while playing but those change were trivial to a pro gamer like her.
After clearing it once in normal mode, she began her true challenge in hard mode.
After two failed attempts, she finally reached the familiar door on her third run without a single mistake.
Yet, as she stood before the door, something felt off.
According to the previous progression, the black cat should've died by now. But this time, the black cat was still alive, standing in front of the door.
"Did I just accidentally unlock another hidden ending?!"
Ruri immediately recognized the significance of this anomaly.
Her heart pounded with excitement.