Cracked

Chen Capital.

A hotel.

Li Zhong, the guild leader of the United Will Guild, looked at Zhao Qingdai with a blank expression. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do you have a better way to approach her?"

Zhao Qingdai retorted, "Or are you planning to just storm Maple Leaf Avenue? To go head-to-head with the entire Coordination Bureau's Strategy Group? You're quite brave."

Li Zhong's expression stiffened slightly, then he quickly regained his composure and said, "If you can keep Jian Li, Cheng Xiu, Fan Lixin, and the others occupied, then I can give it a try."

Zhao Qingdai: "Why don't you just say you'll kill Li Bao and bring the Coordination Bureau under your control?"

Li Zhong: "----"

Stop talking nonsense.

Zhao Qingdai said directly, "This is the best way right now. I will persuade her. If the previous three dungeons were not enough to prove anything, then Lu Xiu's fourth dungeon, [Outlast], is enough to show just how high her talent for building dungeons is. She can still do so well even with repetitive dungeon types."

To put it bluntly, she could absolutely become a god among men, allowing whoever she wanted to enter the dungeon and granting players whatever skills she desired.

How could someone like that be willing to be controlled by the Coordination Bureau? She definitely wants to seek independence. Put yourself in Lu Xiu's shoes, wouldn't you think the same way?

I don't ask for anything, I just hope that she and the Coordination Bureau will become estranged. If it comes to that, the implementation of the new regulations will definitely be hindered.

Unless you choose to surrender, this is the only option at present. If the rewards from the Outlast dungeon are all consumed by the frontline soldiers, then we large guilds will truly become lambs to the slaughter.

Li Zhong paused for a moment, then said, "But all of this is contingent on her accepting the challenge."

"Peace of mind."

Zhao Qingdai tossed her wine-red, wavy curls and said, "I know quite a few people in Builder Group, and they say very few can refuse a challenge, since there's a chance to get free attribute points and skills."

At this moment.

Wei Zhe, whose physique was as large as a small mountain, said, "Aren't you afraid that the other party won't ask any questions and will just kill you? Aren't you afraid that your attribute points or skills will be destroyed?"

"Impossible."

Zhao Qingdai covered her mouth and chuckled, "I'll make her listen to me quietly. I don't believe she doesn't have any other thoughts. Besides, I've never seen anyone refuse me. Even if that Lu Xiu really wants to kill me right now, I'm not so easy to kill. Don't underestimate my ability to adapt to dungeons."

Furthermore, I didn't challenge her in Sekiro —actually, you could challenge her in the Sekiro dungeon, but the Wolf Played by the Constructor was too ridiculous; it was simply not a human-like performance, and there was a high probability that it had been buffed by the system."

I advise you not to be so confident.

At this time.

Wei Zhe, who seemed the most reckless, was actually the calmest. "After the rewards for the [Outlast] dungeon were revealed, one of the skill descriptions really caught my attention— 'Atypical Courage.' You've all seen that skill name, right?"

That skill was clearly a variant of the reward skill. Lu Xiu was able to obtain such a variant skill, and when the Titanfall Instance was being promoted, she also demonstrated her extremely high level of dungeon clearing skills.

What makes you think she's not good at fighting?

First of all, I never thought she was weak in combat.

Zhao Qingdai smiled charmingly, "I was just saying that I have strong adaptability to dungeons. Of course, it's powerful that she can get a variant of the reward skill, but I think that's just a bonus for the first clear. Besides, that variant skill is just a change in values. At most, it can convert 50% of the Mental Strength attribute into strength and agility. But how many dungeons has she cleared? How much can she convert?"

As for her superb dungeon-clearing skills? In immersion mode, she can't Roleplay Instance protagonist; she plays the BOSS-type enemy. Do you think she can be as adept as she is when clearing dungeons? Are you kidding me?"

"I only said she could become a god among men, not that she is a god among men."

Wei Zhe crossed his arms, his massive frame exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression. After a moment of silence, he said, "Alright, Good Luck then."

Li Zhong nodded. "Then I'll wait for your good news."

"Wait for my good news, I'll have a good talk with her."

Zhao Qingdai smiled, summoned the System Panel, and then opened the dungeon library.

soon.

She then vanished in a flash of Bai Guang.

On the other side.

"Um?"

Lu Xiu paused, somewhat puzzled. Even Titanfall, someone still dared to challenge her?

Isn't this the easiest dungeon right now?

How could someone break through my defenses and seek revenge on me, the Architect?

This is such a hassle.

to be honest.

Lu Xiu was reluctant to accept the challenge, after all, she had just embarrassed herself and really didn't have the motivation to go.

And there were two people following behind her.

It's still outside.

But she felt it wouldn't be right to refuse directly.

Although she refused the challenge, it didn't matter if her character's stats in Titanfall dropped; theoretically, she shouldn't have had a chance to pilot a mech.

But considering that the other party had spent a huge amount of Survival Points to launch the challenge----

never mind.

Lu Xiu turned to look at Jian Li and Shen Nian, clicking "Yes" as she said, "Wait a moment, I'll go into the dungeon for a bit, I'll be back in five minutes."

Then, without waiting for the two to say anything...

A flash of Bai Guang.

Lu Xiu had already disappeared from the spot.

Titanfall Instance.

Wastewater treatment plant.

The final area of Blood and Rust level.

Boom-!

With a precise particle cannon shot, the Scorch Titan, piloted by the arrogant enemy BOSS Kane, collapsed in front of Zhao Qingdai, its core exploding and turning into a pile of burning scrap metal.

Zhao Qingdai stopped what she was doing, looked at the dead enemy Titan in front of her, and without hesitation, summoned the system challenge panel before the remains of the Kane completely dissipated.

[Does the player wish to spend 6000 Survival Points to actively invite the Architect Lu Xiu to take on the role of [Kane] for a rematch?]

[Note: If you are killed by an enemy Builder Roleplay, the dungeon will be considered an immediate failure, your progress will be reset to zero, and you may randomly lose a skill or attribute point.]

--

[Note: You are truly brave.]

"Sure."

Zhao Qingdai pressed "yes" without any hesitation.

She was extremely confident.

As for that note, she simply took it as a prank explanation inherited from the system.

[Hint: The Architect has accepted the challenge!]

[Architect character generation in progress----]

A notification sounded.

The Builder Roleplay mode is activated, and the scene is reset.

A slight dizziness was accompanied by the spatial displacement.

Zhao Qingdai and her BT reappeared on the slope where sewage was discharged, and in front of her was the BOSS's arena.

"They accepted so quickly; they seem very confident."

As Zhao Qingdai controlled BT to run upwards and enter the BOSS arena, she began to rapidly rehearse the pace of the upcoming negotiations in her mind.

First courtesy, then force.

First, withstand the initial pressure from the other party and demonstrate your strength. Then, appeal to their emotions and reason, explaining that the Coordination Bureau only wants to use her as a tool.

Finally, it should be noted that all unions can become her partners and work together against the Coordination Bureau.

A combo attack followed.

That should be about right.

As Zhao Qingdai pondered this, she finally drove the BT up the slope where sewage was discharged, arriving at the familiar BOSS battlefield.

And in the distance.

A dark gray, Scorch Titan, its surface smeared with ferocious battle paintings, charged towards them. Above the steel behemoth's head, five large, blood-red characters floated, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression: [Architect Present].

Zhao Qingdai took a deep breath, opened the full-band communication within the instance, and prepared to deliver her long-awaited words.

certainly.

An opening statement is still necessary; one shouldn't be too hasty.

She chuckled and said, "Lu Xiu, hello there. I'm the guild leader of the Red Owl Guild— "

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."

Zhao Qingdai hadn't finished speaking.

Lu Xiu interrupted her, simultaneously accelerating the Titan towards Zhao Qingdai: "If you can't beat this dungeon, that's your problem, not mine. Try harder, I believe in you. Good luck, that's all."

Zhao Qingdai's lips stiffened slightly.

Are you that confident?

She looked at the Scorch Titan charging straight at her, feeling somewhat helpless.

Looks like we'll have to wait a bit for casual conversation.

She had to demonstrate her abilities first, otherwise Lu Xiu probably wouldn't listen to her seriously.

As Zhao Qingdai pondered this, she directly controlled the BT to begin locking on. Accompanied by the beeping sound of the missile tracking, the locking circle began to close.

However.

Just as Zhao Qingdai launched the missile, Lu Xiu's heavy Scorch Titan made a move that shocked her to her core.

Just as the missile was about to hit them...

Lu Xiu's Titan engine roared violently! This mech, which should have been as heavy as a mountain, used a clever side dash to slam into the steel pillar on its side while moving at high speed.

Then, using the force of the impact, he executed a low-altitude backflip!

----Low-altitude backflip!

The heavy metal body drew a breathtaking arc in mid-air, using the structure of the pillars to firmly block the missile's guidance path.

Boom!

All the missiles struck the pillar.

The Scorch Titan landed and then smoothly executed a side roll, its movements so fluid that it didn't resemble a steel behemoth weighing hundreds of tons, but rather a martial arts master who had practiced martial arts for many years!

What the heck?!

Zhao Qingdai watched as the Titan, utilizing its maximum potential, flew towards her like a monkey.

Completely bewildered.

The Scorch Titan had already raised its heavy weapons.

Zhao Qingdai suddenly realized what was happening and immediately tried to dodge to the side. At the same time, she controlled BT to raise its right hand, activate its shield, and prepare to withstand this wave of gunfire.

She knew this BOSS quite well, but unfortunately, Lu Xiu didn't fire a shot at all. Instead, she reversed the thermite launcher of the Scorch Titan in her right hand, gripped the barrel, and snatched it!

They actually started grabbing ranged weapons like they were clubs!

The anticipated exchange of fire!

It never happened!

Zhao Qingdai, and the BT she was piloting, were completely stunned by this attack.

Next.

She subconsciously forgot to fire her gun and threw a punch directly at Lu Xiu.

Lu Xiu sprinted short distance to dodge BT's heavy steel punch, then suddenly manipulated the flames to extend a metal arm and firmly gripped BT's arm.

Then, exert force, flip sideways, and throw over the shoulder!

Zhao Qingdai's perspective suddenly changed, and she found herself sitting in the cockpit of BT, but she began to float upside down in the air.

The next second.

With a deafening roar and a piercing metallic creak, BT's massive body was slammed onto the cold, hard ground, sending up a cloud of murky sewage.

Over-the-shoulder throw!!!

What the hell?!

Zhao Qingdai was almost going crazy. She gritted her teeth, swallowed the metallic taste rising in her throat, and tried to get BT back on his feet.

But Lu Xiu gave her absolutely no chance to breathe.

After completing the back throw, the Scorch Titan didn't pause for a moment. Its massive body leaned forward, and a giant steel foot slammed down, pressing it firmly into BT's chest and pinning it to the ground. The steel plate creaked under the immense Heavy Pressure.

In Zhao Qingdai's field of vision, all she could see was Lu Xiu piloting the Scorch Titan, standing on BT and looking down at her.

A sense of invincibility arises spontaneously.

Zhao Qingdai bit her tongue hard, forcibly dispelling the feeling of submission that rose from the bottom of her heart.

What is that?!

She controlled BT, raising her right arm and aiming the machine gun at the nearby Scorch Titan, preparing for close-range fire suppression.

However, the gunshot she had anticipated did not ring out.

Lu Xiu, piloting the Scorch Titan, moved even faster than her.

At the very same moment she started to move BT.

Lu Xiu also controlled the huge steel mechanical arm to suddenly reach out, not to grab BT's weapon, but to grab BT's head, which was emitting a ghostly blue light, with a brutal posture.

Next.

Click!

With a sickening metallic creak, the Scorch Titan's five fingers suddenly exerted force.

Bang-!!

BT's metal head was crushed by that violent grip! Sparks and electricity erupted wildly.

In the cockpit where Zhao Qingdai was, the screen flickered violently for a moment.

Various alarms sounded continuously.

But BT's voice no longer rang out, because its intelligence core had been crushed.

A deathly silence fell over the cockpit.

Zhao Qingdai was completely dumbfounded and hadn't come to her senses even now.

----What?!

But soon...

She was then forced to come to her senses.

because.

creak-

A chilling metallic creak came from above.

Zhao Qingdai raised her head in alarm.

It's just like a fucking horror movie!

Lu Xiu, playing the Scorch Titan, was bending down, her two enormous metal hands gripping the edge of the protective armor surrounding the BT cockpit.

They are forcibly prying open the protective armor of the cockpit.

The once indestructible Vanguard-class Armor is being torn apart little by little.

The smell of gunpowder from outside seeped in through the torn seams.

The Architect is here!

Although Lu Xiu did not speak.

But at that moment, a sentence seemed to echo in Zhao Qingdai's mind.

"No!"

Zhao Qingdai's voice was shrill. "Are you kidding me! This isn't a mecha battle at all!!!"

She had barely finished speaking.

Tear-!!!

With a final loud bang, the thick armor plating on the outside of the BT cockpit was completely torn off by Lu Xiu as if it were paper!

Having lost her last barrier, Zhao Qingdai was completely exposed to the shadow of the Scorch Titan.

The stench from the sewage treatment plant was overwhelming.

The enormous steel behemoth did not stop.

The massive metal hand, which had just torn through the armor, clenched its fist, raised it high, and with a dull thud, slammed into the vulnerable cockpit like a mountain crashing down.

At this distance, Zhao Qingdai couldn't even see the fist clearly; her vision was instantly completely obscured by the cold, metallic shadow.

boom-

The violent kinetic energy instantly destroyed the entire cockpit, and Zhao Qingdai inside was also smashed into a puddle of mud by this unparalleled violence.

[Challenge failed.]

[Player has died.]

[The dungeon attempt failed.]

[You have lost 1 point of Constitution attribute.]

[----]

A flash of Bai Guang.

Zhao Qingdai reappeared in the hotel room.

She stood there, staring in astonishment at the settlement panel, motionless.

Li Zhong and Wei Zhe seemed surprised that she would return so quickly.

However, the two of them immediately went to greet him, "How are you?"

The two spoke at almost the same time.

Zhao Qingdai finally came to her senses, then turned her head to look at Li Zhong and Wei Zhe, her originally charming and delicate face instantly twisted.

She was practically furious, jumping up and down as she yelled, "Lu Xiu!!! That wasn't the Titanfall at all!!! How could you play like that!!!"

Chen Capital, streets, --

The evening breeze carried the slight chill of early autumn.

"

Shen Nian stood quietly to the side, cautiously glancing at Jian Li, who was wearing a short skirt and had Jian Li, hesitating whether to speak to her.

But just as she was about to speak...

A flash of Bai Guang.

Lu Xiu reappeared, brushed a stray strand of hair from her ear, and let out a long breath. "Let's go, it's done."

Shen Nian was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at the time. "So fast—wasn't someone challenging you in the dungeon? It's over so quickly?"

"Because the other person is so stupid, spending so many Survival Points to unlock challenge mode just to stand around and pose in the dungeon, and then they even wanted to chat with me. It was such a waste of my time."

Lu Xiu closed the results panel in front of her. "This also cost me 1 attribute point -- I don't know why the other party challenged me. If you can't beat the dungeon, just practice properly. Why bother?"

Shen Nian: "----"

She suddenly had a premonition.

Lu Xiu must have overlooked something!!!

Produce