CHAPTER 78: SEKIRO ANNOUNCED

[A.N Haven’t played or watch Sekiro, so if I get game terms or names wrong please tell me]

It wasn’t just the ordinary players, even the top brass and other corporate giants were curious and excited to try it out for themselves. They wanted to see for themselves what made New World’s ’Custom Character’ system so different from everything else out there.

Yet, after only a few seconds of tinkering, their enthusiasm gave way to stunned silence.

The gap was... enormous. No, colossal.

It was like comparing Mount Everest to a mere mound of dirt.

The truth was, ’Custom Character’ systems had existed for a long time. Big platforms like NetPack, Microsoft, and Sony had all implemented similar features in VR.

But since 3D models were far behind in this world, those versions were clunky, crude, and painfully fake, avatars that looked lifeless and blocky.

New World, however, was on an entirely different level.

When Tanner tested it, he made himself into a pot bellied man. Instantly, he felt the weight. His movements became restricted, even standing and sitting carried a sense of heaviness. He could pat his own belly, feel the softness under his palm, and it all felt... natural. As if that body truly belonged to him.

It was real. Too real.

Even Tanner, who had seen countless tech innovations in his life, couldn’t help but mutter in awe.

This VR environmental feedback system... it was decades ahead of the competition.

And yet, unbelievably, New World was giving it away for free.

Tanner nearly slapped his own thigh in frustration. "Are they stupid! Why aren’t they charging money for this?! If my company had this technology, I’d be raking in cash!"

There’s an old saying, watching someone else make money hurts more than losing your own. But watching New World throw gold into the streets, in his own area of expertise, felt like a dagger to the heart.

It was like running a small, overpriced diner... and then, out of nowhere, a five star luxury hotel opens next door, with better food, better service, lavish decor, and worst of all, they pay people to eat there.

How could anyone not lose their mind?

And Tanner wasn’t the only one. Every other industry titan present had the same thought, this studio is outrageous. No matter which corner you examine, their tech is first class.

If possible, they’d devour the company whole.

A few minutes later, the stadium was full of players with brand new faces.

For some it was their first time ever creating an avatar for themselves, so some looked... a little crooked. Still, it was a vast improvement over their previous faceless, shadowy avatars.

"Alright, that’s enough face customization for now," Tony said from the center of the stage, clapping his hands.

The mirrors in front of every player shimmered and vanished, taking the customization interface with them.

Tony knew exactly how addictive this could be, some players would spend entire days fine tuning their looks. But this was a press conference, and there was more to show.

Though a little reluctant, the players quickly shifted their attention back to him. After all, the real reason they were here was the new game announcement.

"New World studio has always embraced change," Tony began. "I have experimented with different genres, from the horror of Silent Hill to the sci-fi survival of Subnautica. For my third title... we’re stepping into a brand new genre, Action!"

The word set off a ripple of unease among the game industry executives present.

Action games sounded ordinary, they’d been around since the dawn of gaming. On PC or console, swinging a sword or throwing punches was as simple as pressing a button.

But VR... VR was different.

There was no controller. No keyboard. No button mashing.

In VR, you were the one swinging the blade. You were the one throwing the punches.

That made VR action games notoriously hard to get right.

Konami had once poured mountains of money and years of development into a AAA VR action game called Boxing Ring. Players took on the role of a boxer, fighting challenger after challenger.

But despite the heavy investment and flashy marketing, the game’s rough visuals, lack of weight in its punches, and repetitive gameplay made it a disaster. Many players even suffered motion sickness after extended play. Sales tanked.

After that massive failure, no company dared touch VR action games again.

And now, here was New World, boldly stepping into the graveyard of a genre, declaring they would bring it back from the dead.

For the average player, the announcement sparked a very different kind of excitement.

They remembered the frightening realism of Silent Hill and the tense survival of Subnautica. If New World was truly making an action game, then the level of realism would be... terrifying. This time, they wouldn’t just press buttons, they’d have to fight powerful enemies face to face.

The thought alone was enough to make people sweat.

"Wait... is New World really going all out this time?"

"If any other studio announced a VR action game, I’d laugh it off. But if New World says it... why does it feel so scary?"

"Yeah... I can already imagine getting completely beaten up by enemies in-game."

While players whispered among themselves, Tony’s voice cut in again.

"Enough talking. Let’s watch the official game trailer!"

The moment he spoke, the world around them shifted. In an instant, the massive conference hall vanished, replaced by a serene forest.

A gentle stream trickled through a grove of red maple trees, their leaves drifting down like embers in the crisp autumn air. The scenery was breathtaking, until a sudden roar of battle shattered the peace.

The player avatars began running toward the sound without control, pushing through the forest and emerging onto a massive battlefield.

What they saw made their breath catch.

Two armies clashed in a sea of blood and steel. Soldiers in simple armor swung swords with desperate fury. One man’s arm was split open by a blade; another had a spear thrust through his chest; a third fell with his throat sliced clean.

The stench of blood was so thick it seeped into their lungs, making their stomachs churn.

Then, a deep, steady narration echoed in their ears.

"As the power of the Inner Palace expanded, even the remote mountain nation of Ashina fell under invasion."

"In the chaos, the Sword Saint Ashina Isshin led his warriors and citizens in a desperate battle to reclaim their homeland."

The players barely heard the words, they were too stunned by what they saw. This wasn’t a cinematic, it felt like they were standing on a real, ancient battlefield. The brutality, the chaos... it was overwhelming.

And then they noticed him.

A lone warrior moved through the carnage like a phantom, armored, masked, wielding a blade with terrifying precision. Every swing cut down another foe.

One slash, an enemy fell. Another slash, two more crumpled. In his presence, the opposing soldiers courage withered, their lines breaking.

"Holy crap, this guy’s insane!"

"He’s mowing them down like grass!"

"That must be the Sword Saint, Ashina Isshin!"

The narrator’s voice returned.

"Under Isshin’s leadership, the Ashina forces repelled the Inner Palace and reclaimed their land."

The scene shifted. The sun dipped low, casting a blood-red glow over the aftermath. The battlefield lay silent, littered with corpses.

Among them stood a boy, alive, but not afraid. He knelt beside a dead soldier, prying the sword from his stiff fingers, studying it as if it were a precious treasure.

A tall, broad shouldered man strode toward him. Without a word, he drew his blade and lightly pressed it against the boy’s cheek. The edge broke skin, a thin line of blood trickling down.

But the boy didn’t flinch. His eyes never left the sword in his hands.

The man gave a low, amused chuckle.

"A stray dog without a soul, huh? ...Fine. Come with me, boy."

At last, the boy looked up. Without hesitation, he reached out and gripped the man’s blade. The steel sliced his fingers, blood dripping to the ground, but he didn’t let go.

The man grinned.

"Good. From now on... you are ’Wolf.’"

The screen faded to black.

Brush strokes appeared in bold, ink like strokes before the players eyes, spelling out the title:

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

A flash of light, and they were back in the massive venue.

The trailer had lasted only a few minutes, but the crowd was still buzzing with energy, chattering excitedly.

"So New World’s third game is called Sekiro?"

"Wolf... that must be the boy from the battlefield!"

"The trailer was too short! I need more!"

"Short? Are you kidding? I can already feel the adrenaline. He isn’t really going to make us fight with real swords, is he?"

"In first-person VR, what other way is there to fight?"

"Hah! I’m pumped already, this is going to be amazing!"

"A sword is a man’s romance!"

1485 Words.