The Architect Is Here
Zane stared in shock at the girl in front of him, who had her eyes closed, was carrying a long sword, and had her hair tied in a high ponytail.
Is this the only influential Architect in Nine Provinces?
Architect known for having very little combat ability!
----They actually dared to come out and fight in person?!
Because the person protecting him was about to die? So he couldn't help but come out? How could such an influential Architect be so foolish? Isn't he afraid of dying here too?!
No, that's not right.
Zane gripped the gun tightly, feeling the numbness in his hand.
This Architect seems a bit eccentric----
His seemingly certain strike was deflected.
So what did she just do? Why was her attack deflected?
A life-saving item? Or a life-saving skill?
This top player from Prison Rock was in a frenzy of thoughts in just half a breath.
But it only lasted for half a breath.
Because no matter what!
The goal is right in front of us!
Kill her!
This is the best opportunity!
My thoughts have reached this point.
Zane moved without hesitation, his black spear once again unleashing a deadly arc of light as it swept towards Lu Xiu without reservation.
The thick, liquid-like fog was instantly torn open by terrifying physical force, creating a vacuum channel.
The speed was extreme, more ferocious and deadly than any of the attacks that had just routed Han Xiao Squad!
However.
Faced with the deadly spear that came like lightning in an instant, Lu Xiu, standing on the steps, did not retreat a single step. Instead, he casually, even nonchalantly, raised the Nameless Blade in his hand.
The next moment.
Clang!!!
An even crisper metallic crackling sound, than before, exploded in the fog-shrouded corridor!
Perfect Deflect.
The brilliant flames exploded again, carrying sharp shockwaves that spread outwards like swords forged from light, instantly tearing apart the thick, viscous fog that made it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.
"How did you do that?!"
Zane's spear was deflected again, swinging backward and even causing his body to lean slightly backward.
His eyes widened suddenly, his face filled with disbelief, and his voice seemed to distort.
After all, that was a full-force attack!!!
It's still a full-force attack with skill bonuses!!!
How is this possible?!
"----I've wanted to fight you guys for a while now, but it seems I'm not cut out to just watch from up here."
Lu Xiu lightly flicked her ponytail, answering a question unrelated to the one asked, "After all, tormenting players in a dungeon is one thing, but actually watching others die is something I just can't do."
I heard what you said when I arrived, although I didn't hear the whole thing, but you're obviously a very confident player—I hope your confidence isn't just shown by bullying players weaker than you.
"Miss Lu Xiu ----"
Han Xiao was about to speak.
But before he could finish speaking, he noticed the person next to him move.
The movements were almost invisible.
Lu Xiu, carrying the Nameless Blade, suddenly swung it without any warning, drawing a crescent-shaped arc of light in mid-air.
With a piercing whistling sound, the longsword slashed back towards Zane's neck with an extremely sharp motion!
Its speed is comparable to Zane's strike.
Zane's pupils contracted sharply. His fighting instincts, honed from years of walking on the edge of life and death, forced him to twist his waist and sideways, holding the black spear horizontally in front of his neck.
Clang!
The blade slammed hard against the hard gun barrel.
A dull yet powerful shockwave traveled along the gun and instantly surged into Zane's arms.
Zane's body suddenly sank, and the stone steps beneath his feet cracked with fine spiderweb patterns. He was almost forced to take half a step back by this strike!
How is that possible?!
Zane's eyes were filled with undisguised shock.
This power attribute----
While it's still a ways off from those top-tier strength-based melee players, it's definitely not the strength attribute a Architect should have!
The Heavy Pressure emanating from the blade!
They're not much worse than me, High Sequence player who mainly focuses on talent skills!
Is this Architect?!
But what truly terrified Zane was not the outrageous attributes.
Instead, it was Lu Xiu's movements----
Zane stared intently at the girl in front of him, whose eyes were still closed and whose hair was tied in a high ponytail.
Within this [Abyssal Sea Sinking Fog] domain, which he personally reconstructed, the enemy's vision would be greatly diminished; it was alright if their own domain was outside.
But here—why does it seem like she can still see it?
And she didn't even open her eyes the entire time!
Including the one who just blocked his own attack!
This is not something a blind person who has been deprived of their sight could do!
Why!
Skill?!
She can see herself?!
But Architect don't have that many outrageous skills!
This is completely unreasonable!
Before Zane could figure it out...
He noticed something, and his expression suddenly froze.
Suddenly, Lu Xiu's figure vanished from the spot.
He didn't even know when Lu Xiu disappeared.
The Atypical Courage, Extreme Speed, and Cat Step equipment provide an extremely high agility attribute bonus, which, combined with the speed bonus from the Dodge Step, further enhance the character's agility.
----It made Lu Xiu seem as if she had vanished on the spot.
In short, it's all about numbers!
Zane's eyes widened suddenly.
When did it disappear?
Where?
The thought had just popped into my head.
He noticed that the fog on his left was being stirred up, and he heard a whooshing sound.
With the combat instincts of a top player, Zane suddenly swung his gun horizontally to the left.
Clang!
Another extremely heavy blow struck the gun, causing Zane's arm muscles to tremble.
A spark erupts.
Lu Xiu's movements didn't pause at all, right after she finished her attack.
She lightly touched the ground with her toes, and with another extremely crisp and clean Dodge Step, her figure became a Afterimage in the thick fog. Using the reaction force, she instantly disappeared from Zane's blind spot once again.
Only then did Zane raise his hand and activate his skill, causing the mist to surge, attempting to bind Lu Xiu.
But Lu Xiu had long since disappeared.
He didn't even touch the hem of her clothes.
Then.
Before he could react...
Swish!
The thick fog on the right was silently sliced open, and Nameless Blade, carrying a chilling aura, slashed at Zane's neck at an extremely tricky angle.
Zane leaned back sharply, barely dodging the attack.
But by the time he regained his footing, Lu Xiu had vanished again.
Then.
Lu Xiu attacked him from behind again.
Clang!
Zane blocked the attack somewhat awkwardly—he couldn't even use his abilities!
Because he simply couldn't catch Lu Xiu's movements!
That's too fast!
But this is completely unreasonable!!!
Lu Xiu keeps disappearing and reappearing—disappearing and reappearing!
Each Dodge Step was silent, and each strike was extremely deadly and without the slightest unnecessary movement, relentlessly pushing Zane to his reaction limits.
Zane's defenses became increasingly strained, and his breathing became completely erratic.
At this time.
He even developed an extremely absurd delusion.
In this very territory, which is his greatest asset, he finds himself like a prey deprived of sight and left to be slaughtered!
Is this Architect?!
Even though Lord Helag's rank was now equal to his own, he couldn't hold out for even a moment longer in his own domain!
Let alone Lord Helag! Even the top players who came with him wouldn't last long without a counter-domain!
But the Architect seemed completely unaffected!
Why!!
"Despair?"
Lu Xiu reappeared beside Han Xiao and tilted her head to ask.
Zane:
Faced with this all-too-familiar problem.
He did not answer, or rather, the extreme humiliation and horror had completely robbed him of the ability to speak.
In this [Abyssal Sea Sinking Fog] that should have been his domain, he was like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, only able to desperately defend himself against the opponent's inhuman speed.
Are you kidding me!
He suddenly raised his spear, using his waist and abdomen to activate his full power, and unleashed a wide-range sweeping attack towards Lu Xiu.
However, this seemingly sure-fire strike once again missed its mark.
Lu Xiu's figure disappeared again.
"I saw how arrogant you were in front of Han Xiao —I thought you were some kind of fighter."
Lu Xiu's voice rang out behind him again. "So you're just a useless person who relies on connections."
Zane suddenly turned his head.
Then I saw it.
Lu Xiu's center of gravity suddenly sank, she bent slightly, turned her body to the side, and sheathed her long sword at her side, returning it to its invisible sheath.
The surrounding air suddenly became violent, stirring up the mist, and the airflow swirled around him like a vortex.
Gathering energy, solidifying.
The air around the blade was compressed into a nearly solid, translucent fluid.
Zane realized it almost immediately.
This is activating a charged attack!
And it's definitely not weak.
Because his intuition, honed through brushes with death, was frantically warning him.
In an instant.
Zane's hair stood on end; he dared not be careless in the slightest and activated his trump card almost simultaneously.
He raised his spear, swung it sharply, and then pointed the spearhead forward.
As he moved, the thick fog around him seemed to be drawn by something, churning wildly and converging towards the tip of the spear at a visible speed.
It seemed as if another long spear, formed from condensed mist, was wrapped around the gun barrel.
The dense fog that had filled the entire corridor was forcibly removed, leaving it incredibly thin.
Zane let out a ferocious roar, and the stone steps beneath his feet shattered completely.
With overwhelming force, he thrust his deadly spear, imbued with the power of his domain, fiercely at Lu Xiu, who was still lowering his center of gravity to gather strength!
A terrifying pressure swept over us.
However.
Just as the misty spear was about to pierce Lu Xiu's body...
Buzz-
A deep, mechanical roar suddenly rang out.
The device on Lu Xiu's lower back suddenly emitted two extremely dazzling, dark blue, high-temperature tail flames!
Jump Kit, start.
Accompanied by a violent jet of air, a powerful counter-thrust force erupts instantly.
Lu Xiu's body, which had been leaning forward to gather strength, completely disregarded the laws of physics, inertia, and gravity, and suddenly rose up from the ground, shooting straight into the air.
The spear, imbued with the mist of the domain, missed its target, merely grazing the Afterimage left by Lu Xiu, and hurtled straight forward with unstoppable ferocity.
boom-
Then, it slammed hard against the load-bearing wall at the end of the corridor and exploded instantly.
With a deafening roar, the solid reinforced concrete was torn apart as easily as tofu, with debris flying through the air, and a terrifying hole several meters in diameter was blasted into the huge wall.
The violent energy shockwave even carved a deep trail on the ground, extending all the way outside the building.
The attack missed its mark.
Zane, still in his forward thrusting stance, suddenly raised his head.
He stared wide-eyed at the girl above him, who was hovering lightly in mid-air, her pupils trembling violently.
Beneath the pale blue glow of the trailing flame, her figure was tall and slender, her clothes and ponytail fluttering freely in the air currents, exuding an unusual beauty.
But Zane had no interest in appreciating it.
He has only one thought right now!
What the hell is this?!
Not only can they act freely within their own territory!
It also possesses attributes that are in no way inferior to its own!
And so many other weird and fancy tricks!
This is completely unreasonable!
Am I actually fighting with the Architect?
Zane couldn't think straight anymore.
Because in that instant he looked over.
"Open!"
The last wisp of air has gathered.
Lu Xiu twisted her body suddenly in mid-air and unleashed a powerful strike with her blade.
The blade slashed from the upper left to the lower right in the direction of Zane, its sharp whistling piercing eardrums.
At the same time, the power compressed to its limit was completely released in that instant, transforming into a straight trajectory visible to the naked eye that pierced through the blade.
laugh-
The strike was like a streak of light, carving a deep trench in the hard marble floor, striking Zane with overwhelming force.
The speed was too fast and the distance too close; Zane simply didn't have time to make any effective dodge maneuvers.
A life-or-death situation.
He suddenly raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and swung it forward.
The already thin mist around him instantly gathered in front of him.
The next second.
The two forces collided with a deafening roar.
An energy even more violent and terrifying than Zane's attack just now erupted completely in the corridor!
boom-
Secret Technique: Dragon Flash.
Lu Xiu's first fully charged slash—like a hot knife through butter—instantly tore through Zane's condensed mist defense, carrying overwhelming kinetic energy as it slammed into Zane's chest.
Zane was as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed train. His body was instantly lifted into the air, flying backward, passing through the last wisp of mist in the corridor, and crashing heavily through the wall behind him.
The next moment.
The wall cracked, and rubble flew everywhere.
He flew off after that.
The dust settled slowly in the dissipating mist.
Lu Xiu landed back on the ground, the afterglow of her dark blue tail flame not yet completely dissipated—the next second she disappeared from the spot again.
She chased after him immediately.
Inside the apartment.
The fog had thinned to almost nothing, so it no longer obstructed visibility.
Han Xiao, supporting himself with the broken sword, slowly sat up.
Several soldiers around him, whose health was at its lowest but who were still alive, also looked up and stared blankly in the direction where Lu Xiu had disappeared.
My mind went completely blank.
They had cleaned up Lu Xiu's mess before and knew that Lu Xiu was no weakling. When the Spirit Pivot Construction Group came to his door, they were all killed in a few minutes. The entire Han Xiao Squad knew about that incident.
But knowing is one thing—seeing it with your own eyes is another.
And this time, the opposing team isn't from the Builder Group—
Isn't this a bit too much?!
One strike!
They just blew up that Prison Rock player who had made them all despair?!
And they couldn't wait to catch up?!
At this moment, everyone in Han Xiao Squad fell silent.
After a while.
Finally, someone spoke.
A soldier next to Han Xiao spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone ambiguous, whether it was a sigh or something else, "----Who were we supposed to protect just now?"
On the battlefield outside the apartment building.
Flames soared into the sky amidst the thick fog, and the deafening roar of various skills colliding filled the air.
Suddenly, a huge explosion rang out from the second floor of the apartment building. The powerful shockwave even caused tangible ripples to spread through the surrounding fog, and the entire building trembled.
Both players in the midst of the battle paused, instinctively looking towards the building in the direction of the sound.
The player from Prison Rock, who was fighting Wei Yidong and whose entire body was burned and covered in soot, also raised his head.
He was taken aback at first, then as if realizing something, a look of wild joy appeared on his listless face.
That's Zane's skill!
"It's a success."
He slowly lowered his head, looking at Wei Yidong, whose expression had slightly changed, and smiled, "Goodbye, little thing. You were indeed very strong, but it's useless now. I hope to see you on the PVP stage again, and that you'll still be so confident. After all, your Architect has been completely Zane— "
However.
He hadn't finished speaking.
Bang!!!
The apartment building erupted in another massive explosion, sending debris and broken steel bars hurtling outwards like shrapnel.
Immediately following, in the narrowed pupils of all the Prison Rock players and the Kyushu Defense Line members...
A figure resembling a tattered sack was blasted out of the hole in the wall by an extremely terrifying force.
The figure traced a pathetic parabola in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the ruined street where the two sides had clashed, creating a huge crater that sent dust and rubble flying in all directions.
The fierce battle seemed to be paused at that moment.
The player who had just been Prison Rock to Wei Yidong, Qiuyan, abruptly stopped, his voice like that of a duck whose neck had been snapped.
His eyes were wide open, his pupils contracting and trembling violently within their sockets.
In the deep pit, Zane lay on his chest, a horrific gash so deep it exposed bone. He was covered in blood, convulsing and coughing up more.
---- Zane?!
59
Not only him, but all the players in the Prison Rock who witnessed this scene widened their eyes in disbelief.
How is that possible?!
Why was Zane who got kicked out?!
What exactly happened inside?!
Could there be top players from Nine Provinces among them?!
However.
They had just had this idea.
I saw it.
From the hole in the violently blasted wall of the apartment, a tall, slender figure suddenly appeared and gracefully leaped down.
As the wind howled in the air, the figure's high ponytail flew wildly in the airflow, and then she landed very lightly on the messy street.
Everyone instinctively turned their gaze in that direction.
The girl carried Nameless Blade in one hand, and in the other hand she held a heavy, long-handled weapon she had never had the chance to use before— the Loathing Halberd.
The moment of landing.
The Loathing Halberd swept across the battlefield with a swift motion.
That strike unleashed a violent shockwave, forcefully tearing apart the mist that enveloped the area around the landing site, creating a vacuum zone.
Her exquisitely beautiful face and slender, graceful figure contrasted sharply with the fierce halberd in her hand that exuded a murderous aura, and the brutal battlefield littered with wreckage all around—creating an extremely strong and striking contrast.
She slowly raised her head, her clear, crimson eyes shimmering with a ruby-like brilliance.
And above her head, that Title, so conspicuous on this battlefield, hung blatantly before the eyes of all the Prison Rock players.
[Lu Xiu, the Architect of Nine Provinces]
In theory.
The Architect, who should have been heavily protected but whose combat strength was not high, was carrying a sword and a halberd.
----Descending onto the battlefield!
call-