Lu Xiu Is a Goner

"I thought [Resident Evil] was the limit."

Han Xiao then approached Yan Fushou and said with a wry smile, "I didn't expect this [Outlast] to be even more outrageous—"

Yan Fushou snapped out of his daze, banishing the inappropriate thoughts from his mind, and asked, "Captain Han—what exactly makes the dungeon difficult for you? Simply fear and monsters shouldn't be enough to defeat you, right?"

"What's the difficulty? Well, it's the same for everyone else, mainly the visual deprivation and the limitation of combat instincts."

Han Xiao took a deep breath, pondered for a moment, and said, "In a pitch-black environment, it's one thing to use a DV camera to observe the environment, but the observed environment is still distorted, the DV camera will run out of power, and you have to manage the DV camera's power."

Furthermore, the limitation of combat instincts is indeed troublesome. Although the strategy guide you provided mentioned this point, I did not expect it to be so troublesome. Resistance is useless, and you can only run like a mouse.

Once the DV runs out of power and is plunged into darkness, considering the rule that the copy cannot resist.

That feeling of powerlessness was much stronger than in Resident Evil —at least in Resident Evil there were firearms.

Speaking of which...

Han Xiao paused.

"Besides that, there are still the same problems we encountered in Resident Evil. Fear does not prevent us from taking action, but the limitations of the instance are too many."

Moreover, the [Outlast] dungeon is a step above Resident Evil. In the previous Resident Evil, enemies were simply impossible to kill in a conventional way, and you often had to avoid or go around them. Now, however, you are completely unable to fight back—this completely goes against our combat instincts.

Under constant pressure, the objective of the mission is not very clear, and you also have to manage the DV battery under those circumstances, as well as various inevitable plot segments.

For example, during a near-death Outlast sequence, a scene could be abruptly cut to one where the character is ambushed by a monster or falls from a height.

Then, the only tool he could use to see in the darkness, the DV camera, would be forcibly thrown away and dropped.

This, coupled with the almost insane performance and absurd plot twists—even the most hardened nerves would be ground to shreds by this hellish mechanism.

Han Xiao shook his head. "Before entering the dungeon, I thought I had enough experience to face everything inside, but after entering, I realized I was careless—it can only be said that Miss Lu Xiu is far too aware of what humans fear."

"It's all a map of the underworld. You have to dodge monsters while searching for batteries all over the place, watching the battery level drop by bar, knowing you're about to go blind in a bunch of lunatics—that feeling of being forcibly stripped of your initiative and left only to wait for death is too torturous."

"----Understood."

After listening, Yan Fushou nodded thoughtfully.

"However, it's difficult as it is."

Han Xiao let out a long breath, and a soldier's determination rekindled in his eyes. "Give me another chance. I want to try again. Miss Lu Xiu set the theme for this instance as survival and added so many restrictions. I believe she has her own reasons."

Since it's a set of rules, then we should adapt to those rules.

That's all.

He then brought up the System Panel, preparing to re-enter the instance.

Having witnessed firsthand the dramatic changes on the front lines, Han Xiao no longer viewed Lu Xiu with the same perspective he had before.

When he first met Lu Xiu, he couldn't even believe that Lu Xiu could create a copy of a modern warfare-themed game.

Hearing Yan Fushou say not to make things difficult for her, she could only smile bitterly.

But now—the rewards from the Titanfall Instance are already shining brightly on the front lines.

Having witnessed the immense rewards that could directly overturn the course of a battle, Han Xiao now understands better than anyone else that no matter how hellish or oppressive the rules of this [Outlast] instance are, Lu Xiu definitely didn't design it simply to torment people.

It is precisely because of this setting that such generous rewards exist.

Yan Fushou saw this but did not stop it.

Another flash of Bai Guang followed.

Han Xiao has disappeared.

As for the other soldiers who died and returned, they had already re-entered the instance.

soon.

In the vast underground Training Ground, only Yan Fushou and Jian Li remained.

Jian Li Yan Fushou had returned, Jian Li didn't plan to stay any longer.

She wasn't there to join in the fun of this test; she came today simply to check on the follow-up situation regarding Lu Xiu being challenged by the guild leader of a major guild.

The girl turned around, her silver hair tracing a cool arc under the pale white light, and stepped to leave.

"Jian Li, wait." Yan Fushou suddenly called out, stopping her.

Jian Li paused, turned around, and looked at Yan Fushou with a cool gaze.

Yan Fushou seemed to be carefully considering his words. After a moment, he tentatively made a suggestion. "The security issue of Lu Xiu was raised at the emergency meeting just now."

Jian Li listened quietly.

The new "Iron and Blood" update is coming soon, and Lu Xiu's importance is self-evident. If this so-called new update is really closely related to the Architect, then she is our most crucial trump card. However, on Maple Leaf Avenue, we currently only have perimeter control, and there is always a hidden danger.

Yan Fushou explained, "Lu Xiu has no security personnel around her. I did tentatively suggest arranging one for her, but she seemed very resistant. I originally planned to gradually persuade her, but given the current situation, the director feels we can't delay any longer, especially with the new version about to be released. There's an urgent need for someone to live with her and protect her closely, just in case."

He paused, then looked at Jian Li seriously. "So—I wanted to ask you, would you be willing to move in and live with her? Of course, you'll need to talk to her about it. You're both close in age and women, so it should be easier for you to communicate with her compared to me."

Upon hearing this...

Jian Li's usually impassive and beautiful face seemed to stiffen slightly.

Immediately afterwards.

A barely perceptible glimmer of light appeared in her clear, cool eyes.

Yan Fushou added, "Of course, if you're not willing, I won't force you. I'll try to find Shen Nian; this is just a suggestion."

J

The light in Jian Li's beautiful eyes dimmed slightly. "Let me ask."

This girl with no money, no job, and no connections left behind a message.

Then they didn't agree on it.

It wasn't said to be bad.

He turned around decisively, without even saying goodbye, and strode away from the underground Training Ground at a pace noticeably faster than before.

Watching her disappearing figure outside the door, Yan Fushou was stunned for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

The afternoon sun shone through the sheer curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled, warm light into the room, brightening the otherwise cool apartment.

In front of the clean mirror of the washbasin, Lu Xiu was tilting her head slightly, extending her fair and slender fingers to gently play with her long hair that fell down.

She was wearing only a very simple, solid-color nightgown, but even though the fabric was loose and soft, it still couldn't hide her uniquely feminine curves as it draped naturally over her body.

"----Your hair seems to have grown a little longer."

--

Lu Xiu turned slightly to the side, looked at herself in the mirror, and began to consider whether she should get a haircut.

now.

The reason she had so much leisure time to examine her hair was mainly because she had been challenged at the same time every day for the past two days, and it had become a habit.

She was originally prepared to accept the challenge again today.

But to my surprise, today was unusually quiet.

Those who had challenged her for two consecutive days suddenly fell silent.

This, in turn, made her feel a little bored.

She had already planned out what she was going to do today!

How dare they not challenge them!

Disappointed and bored, with nothing to do, Lu Xiu could only go look at her hair.

"It seems the update announcement has had quite an impact----"

Thinking of this, Lu Xiu reached out her other hand, summoned the System Panel, and reopened the new version announcement that had popped up today.

She could roughly guess why those people weren't challenging her today.

I guess they're too preoccupied with the new version update to focus on it.

In fact, she knew far more about this update than the average player on the forums who were panicking and making wild guesses.

Unfortunately, she couldn't say anything.

Just as Lu Xiu's thoughts were drifting away, there were a few knocks on the door.

Lu Xiu turned her head, used her skill to glance outside the door, then casually straightened the collar of her pajamas, gathered her long hair, turned and walked out of the bathroom, through the living room to the entrance hall.

The door was opened.

A young woman with waist-length silver hair and a pure, aloof beauty, like frost and snow, stood quietly at the intersection of light and shadow in the corridor.

"Jian Li?"

Lu Xiu asked curiously, "Is there something you need?"

Although having dinner together before was a bit abstract— Lu Xiu's greatest strength is that she doesn't hold grudges.

And perhaps because she had played the role of a confidante to Jian Li, she actually quite liked this silver-haired girl.

Jian Li stood quietly at the door, looking at Lu Xiu, who was wearing a light-colored nightgown.

There was no deliberate display; it was simply her slender waist and undulating contours that, under the tranquil light and shadow, exuded a natural restraint and elegance.

Pretty and sweet—they really do look alike.

Jian Li remained silent.

Lu Xiu had gotten used to the girl's silence, so she turned to the side and said, "Never mind, you can come in first."

But Jian Li didn't move, remaining quietly standing there, lost in thought.

"Um?"

Lu Xiu tilted her head, somewhat puzzled. "Is there something you need?"

Jian Li nodded slowly.

Tell me about it.

Jian Li remained silent.

Okay, okay.

Are you trying to whet people's appetite like this?

Looking at the other person, who clearly had something to say but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

"Come in first."

Lu Xiu shook her head helplessly, turned around and went into the house first. "Remember to close the door."

97

Jian Li silent for a moment, then followed Lu Xiu inside and closed the door behind her.

Lu Xiu led her to sit on the sofa. Thinking she was bored anyway, she once again played the role of a confidante, asking, "So, what's wrong? Tell your older sister. Can you tell me now?"

Jian Li's long, silver eyelashes trembled slightly, a rare occurrence for her.

They still haven't said anything.

"Are you going to make things so complicated? Never mind, what would you like to drink?"

Lu Xiu noticed that the other person remained silent, so she decided to wait a little longer and, while she was at it, pour herself some drinks.

She had only just turned around and taken two steps when...

Jian Li suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The girl's fingers were cold but strong.

Lu Xiu was taken aback. She turned around and saw that the girl's beautiful eyes had widened slightly.

But their gaze wasn't fixed on themselves; instead, it was fixed on a certain spot in the void.

At the same time, the grip on his wrist tightened.

"Jian Li?"

Lu Xiu was a little confused by her sudden appearance and called out to her.

But Jian Li did not answer, still holding Lu Xiu's wrist tightly.

Her gaze fell into the void, and at that moment, the window popped open.

[The self-identified (ID: 12*****) sequence and combat power have reached the concealment threshold.]

[System check complete: You have obtained "Specific Player" privileges.]

[Version Update: Iron and Blood (Phase 1 Unlocked)]

[The information currently available to players is as follows:]

[Match results for this region have been confirmed!]

[The first cross-realm PVP opponent in this region is -- Category IV Otherworldly Prison Rock!]

To welcome Iron and Blood, and to add more fun to the clash between the two different regions, the system will launch a special pre-release event – "Hunt and Watch" – before the official version update.

The strongest warriors from both sides have entered each other's territory ahead of time! They're hunting across borders! They're accumulating advantages! The vanguard passage is about to open!

The battle of the strong begins here.

[The rules are as follows:]

[I. Transboundary Passage]: The pioneer passage connecting this area with the otherworldly "Prison Rock" will be open for a limited time.

[II. Vanguard Quota]: Both sides have [20] cross-border invasion quotas. The 20 players who cross the passage will directly descend into the enemy's real area. Players who cross the border will be killed, but will not die completely, but will lose all their equipment and skills and will be forcibly sent back.

[III. Coordinate Exposure]: The moment the passage opens, the real-world coordinates of the core Architect of both sides whose [overall rating and regional influence have reached the threshold] will be forcibly revealed by the system and cannot be hidden. This will be broadcast in real time to players who have crossed the boundary.

[IV. Hunt]: Successfully killing the enemy's "Core Architect" will completely erase all unofficial dungeons under that Architect's name, preventing them from being used as battlegrounds in the new version's arena. Simultaneously, the player who completes the kill will receive unimaginable rewards and a special combat Title: Architect killed during the event will die permanently.]

[V. Transgressors]: After entering the passage, transgressing players can choose to swear allegiance to the enemy game system and switch factions; traitors will automatically acquire the corresponding world identity, and their own Architect's real-time coordinates will become visible to them.

[Twenty spots available—are they for those who choose to cross over and take the head of the enemy Architect?]

[Or will you choose to stay on your homeland, becoming the strongest shield, and defend your foundation to the death?]

[Please choose carefully. As you step into the passage, twenty of the enemy's top hunters may already be watching your Architect.]

[Channel opening countdown: 12 hours 00 minutes 02]

[Wishing you all great success in your military endeavors.]