2 Chapter 2: Ashen Empire (2/2)[2/4]

So putting them in 'storage' didn't mean he was totally giving up on them. Even if they weren't fighting, their special skills were still super useful. Renji kept giving them resources and considered them an important part of his team.

"."

*Pfft.*

Renji couldn't help but laugh at his thoughts.

The idea sounded good with words, but the reality felt different. He wasn't including them in battles anymore but still had them working hard in the background.

Wasn't he just using them as mere tools? Renji shook his head.

At the corner of his vision, a thick stack of notebooks on the computer desk caught his attention.

Opening them revealed page after page filled with densely packed small characters. These were all handwritten by him, containing calculations of various developmental benefits, cost-effectiveness of each instance, plans for future decisions, as well as the drop locations and distribution of rare materials and equipment.

One could say that compiling all these records would result in a comprehensive guidebook of a super hardcore gamers experiences.

Renji planned to organize and summarize this information after he finished playing and share it online.

He hoped that the lessons and experiences he had accumulated over tens of thousands of hours would help newcomers avoid some pitfalls and potentially save the game from precarious sales.

However, after gazing at the meticulously recorded manual for a while, Renji let out a sigh.

He began to reflect.

'Did I get too caught up in the details?'

Because of his long hours leaving them in backline the favorability of many characters had decreased significantly. Strangely enough, in the game, character favorability seemed to have little importance, like an insignificant attribute, so Renji hadn't paid much attention to it.

It wasn't until now, when looking at the Family CG screenshots, that Renji realized it was a major regret after completing the game.

Of course, there were exceptions, and Sister Suthia was one of them.

Even though she was one of the first he had put into storage and had silently worked as a tool in the backline, even though he had stripped her of her equipment and given it to his other wives.

Just like Suthia's gentle attribute as a priestess, she would never harbor any dissatisfaction toward him. Since her favorability reached 100%, it had never changed.

In real life, it might be similar to a situation where a husband has been away on a long "business trip" without returning home, but the wife still sets the table, lays out the cutlery, and prepares meals for two every day, hoping that one day, the husband will remember this home and come back, and she can greet him with a smile and say, "Welcome Back Dear"

*Phew!*

Taking a long exhale, Renji shook his head. He ridiculed himself for going a bit crazy, adding so much drama to a character written by a program.

However, Renji still decided that when he released the strategy guide later, he would definitely include a sentence at the beginning for all newcomers.

<<Power fades with time, but the wives you nurture are for a lifetime!>>

'Almost done'

'It was also time to end this '

Renji's parents had passed away when he was very young, but fortunately, they left behind a considerable Heritage, which ensured his food, drink, and livelihood. However, it also contributed to Renji's reclusive personality.

Perhaps the birth of the "game" was meant to provide people like Renji with a sanctuary for their souls?

As Renji looked at the record at the bottom corner of the CG image, he realized that his total gameplay time in "Fallen Chronicles" had unknowingly reached over ten thousand hours.

Feeling like he was saying goodbye to an old friend, Renji finally moved his mouse and clicked to end the game. What he didn't expect was a message from the game:

[Congratulations, you have fulfilled the requirements to unlock <Second Playthrough> Would you like to proceed?]

Renji: ".!?"

A second playthrough usually lets you start the game over, but with extra content. Some top-notch developers even make it feel like a brand-new game. Renji didn't think this game, which had a reputation for poor sales and absent developers, would offer that. But even the basic version surprised him. He'd never heard of a second playthrough for this game on any forum or the official website.

With great curiosity and excitement, he selected "Yes," but instead of immediately starting the game, another dialogue box appeared.

[[[[[WARNING: The second playthrough is extremely difficult, cannot be saved, and cannot be restarted. You will also start with five 'Eclipse' characters you have cultivated in the CCG. Please choose carefully]]]]]

"Really?"

For a single-player game, not being able to save the game indeed increased the difficulty, and the inability to restart meant that there was only one opportunity to enter the second playthrough. But for the latter, these were nothing at all.

"Can I inherit the data!? Can I bring the characters from this stage along?" Renji couldn't help but be amazed in front of the screen.

This didn't seem like the operation of "Fallen Chronicles" which boasted a difficulty level that discouraged players.

After all, the five Eclipse characters he had developed were at the pinnacle of their respective professions. Even the weakest one, Sister Suthia, under his control, could easily destroy a city.

Now, being able to Inherit and enter the second playthrough with them meant that when he restarted the game, he would have the fighting power of the five world-class characters right by his side.

'Isn't this just a direct push through the game!?'

After the initial shock, Renji quickly understood the intention of the developers.

It was simple.

This was obviously meant for an exhilarating experience!

The developers must have understood that one cannot have both the empire and the beauty. They must have guessed his current regrets, which led to the creation of the second playthrough, allowing him to make up for the time he had sacrificed with his wives for the sake of strength.

"Well done, devs!"

Renji, filled with excitement, slapped his thigh and wanted to give the developers a big thumbs up.

In the past, he had lost himself in the pursuit of strength, but this time, Renji made up his mind.

Regardless of any environmental setbacks or infrastructure developments, he would always keep his wives by his side! He would fill their favorability to the maximum!

With such a gaming philosophy in mind, Renji pressed the <<Confirm>> button without hesitation.

In the next moment, a beam of light flashed.

Darkness engulfed his entire field of vision.