All Beings Are Equal
Queenie sat on the cold bed, staring at the row of glittering gold ratings on the System Panel, feeling a wave of suffocation.
She had considered many possibilities, but she never imagined she would see this.
How on earth did they do that?!
The Architect had never heard of anything like a trumpet.
----Do such outrageous geniuses really exist?
Looking at those only four instances.
Queenie took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress the shock in her heart, and her brain began to work at lightning speed.
Four instances.
The first dungeon's rating is S.
This is indeed terrifying. Back on Maple Leaf Avenue, failing to kill Lu Xiu at all costs was a huge strategic loss for Prison Rock, and could even be described as an irreparable disaster.
But everything has two sides.
What happened before is already set in stone and cannot be changed.
For her now, Lu Xiu only has four instances, which has become a huge advantage.
"This means that within the limited time after the new version is released, I can figure out the core mechanics of all her dungeons as quickly as possible."
Queenie's eyes sparkled, and she murmured something silently with a hint of excitement.
If Lu Xiu were the kind of Architect who owns a bunch of dungeons of varying quality.
She would waste a lot of time and energy just trying to figure out which dungeons were the most profitable and which were the most important.
And she still had to do it.
After all, no one knows how players here will utilize Lu Xiu's dungeon after the new version is released.
Relying entirely on player reviews on forums is unreliable; we can only make a rough classification.
You need to understand the state of a prisoner.
Time is the most precious resource.
But now— Lu Xiu's dungeons don't need any filtering at all! There are only four in total, all prominently displayed in the list, and all of them are highly rated! All of them are gems!
She no longer needs to painstakingly screen and select; she can simply proceed in order to quickly ascertain the Nine Provinces ' trump cards! At the same time, she can pocket all the rewards from these high-rated dungeons!
Most importantly.
She could also memorize all of this genius Architect's ideas and framework—and then, when the new version arrived, share the information with her compatriots along with it.
Then have your comrades rebuild the same instance at Prison Rock! Enhance the overall combat power of Prison Rock!
If it's a cross-regional copy instance, there won't be a debuff that reduces the rewards of the copy instance!
They failed to kill Lu Xiu.
It was indeed a huge strategic loss.
But now I can definitely turn this into a good thing!
How could this not be exciting?
but----
Queenie was very excited.
But they haven't let themselves get carried away.
She quickly thought of the question she had just asked.
All of Lu Xiu's copies are top-tier, no questions asked. So what's with all those posts on the forum full of complaints, even posts about people breaking down and giving up?
Are you unaware of your own good fortune?
Queenie thought about it carefully and still felt that there was only one reason.
Otherwise, how can this be explained?
That's the only possibility!
After all, Lu Xiu's influence is undeniable, and the importance the Coordination Bureau attaches to her proves that the value of these dungeons is absolutely unparalleled.
The imposing presence she exuded on the battlefield—clearly a testament to her genius.
Perhaps only someone like that can get an S rating for their first dungeon run.
It seems so.
Everyone has got the Effect and Cause and effect wrong!
It's not that Lu Xiu is strong as Architect! It's that she's strong enough! That's why the dungeons she creates are so powerful!
Queenie took a deep breath and murmured, "Since the dungeon is fine, then the problem must lie with the players from Nine Provinces."
That's right!
That's definitely it!
These players from Nine Provinces are being protected way too much by that Coordination Bureau!
This can be seen from the fact that there are no monsters in their residential area.
It's obvious.
Someone is helping them cope with the pressure on the front lines.
Unlike Prison Rock, they had no experience of killing each other for a little bit of resources, no experience of fighting among monsters! They had no idea how cruel survival could be!
Therefore, when these hothouse flowers face a challenging S-rank dungeon, they break down so easily, crying and wailing like weaklings on the forums, cursing the Architect for being inhuman.
If these instances didn't truly transform people, why would the elites of Nine Provinces be so fanatical and awe-inspiring towards her?
Ultimately
Ordinary Nine Provinces players are just too cowardly!
Thinking about this...
Queenie's breathing quickened, and a fire ignited in her eyes.
This is a golden opportunity!
The players of Prison Rock are never short of resilience, and they are least afraid of life-or-death battles!
Since these cowards find it torturous and think this gold mine-like dungeon is inhuman,
Then let the warriors of Prison Rock have a go!
Queenie clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fanaticism. "Since you find it torturous, then let us bear this pain for you!"
These S-rank and SS-rank dungeons are hell for Nine Provinces players, but for Queenie —it's practically a super gold mine handed over by the Coordination Bureau and Coordination with no barriers to entry!
If you manage to clear the game like crazy before the new version goes live, you can get those amazing rewards!
Her strength is absolutely poised for an incredibly terrifying surge!
If we could also share the dungeon strategy with our fellow countrymen----
Thinking about this...
Queenie could no longer contain her excitement and longing.
She didn't understand why the Coordination Bureau would make such a basic mistake, allowing her to investigate intelligence when there were only four Lu Xiu copies available—perhaps her brain had become sluggish after being interrogated repeatedly for over ten hours and experiencing extreme pressure.
Queenie now has only one thought in her mind.
That is to empty the gold mine of Nine Provinces.
As long as you dig fast enough.
Then everything will be reversed!
That's the thought that crossed my mind.
Queenie reached out without hesitation and clicked on the first S-rank instance in the list—[Resident Evil].
"Since you find it difficult, then let me teach you what a true strongman is!"
A flash of Bai Guang.
As the brief sensation of weightlessness from the teleportation washed over her, Queenie's muscles tensed involuntarily, her breathing became rhythmic, and she was even prepared to face a barrage of attacks the moment she landed.
In her subconscious.
She believed that the first instance Lu Xiu constructed was an extremely brutal and bloody battleground.
Because Lu Xiu's fighting style on the battlefield of Maple Leaf Avenue was truly impressive.
Her Martial God dominance and the ease with which she moved amidst the siege demonstrated her terrifying combat prowess.
A Architect with such terrifying combat power would surely create dungeons filled with sword fights and brutal combat, or where you would have to face Monster Tide!
However.
The next second.
Vision restored.
When Queenie opened her eyes and saw what was in front of her, she was stunned.
Because the dungeon doesn't start with a battle.
She was sitting in the car.
---- Roleplay Instance?
Queenie realized something and slowly typed a question mark.
Is this correct?
At the same time.
Outside the prison.
The two members of the Coordination Bureau's Strategy Group responsible for guarding the area glanced at the communication panel.
Then, one of them raised an eyebrow, turned to look at his companion, and whispered, "She's already entered Lu Xiu's instance. Get ready. If she can clear the instance on her first try, don't hesitate, just Open Gate and give her the highest concentration of sedative to knock her out."
"My companion nodded, but there was a strange look in his eyes: "But are you sure the other side can really clear it in one go?"
We're just following orders.
The first person to speak shrugged, "This is just as insurance—I personally think she'll be out in about an hour."
His companion thought for a moment and said, "I think she can last at least an hour and a half. Their Prison Rock seems to be set in a wasteland, so people like that must have seen the world. They shouldn't be too scared to play."
"I'll bet you 1000 Survival Points."
It's a deal.
But it's quite obvious.
Both of them overestimated Queenie.
Prison Rock has a wasteland theme, but it's not actually a wasteland.
Less than an hour.
Inside the underground prison.
A flash of Bai Guang appeared suddenly.
Next.
Queenie's figure reappeared on that cold metal bed.
The triumphant look on her face, as if she had just discovered a super gold mine, was gone.
She remained seated on the bed, motionless.
His face was ashen, his forehead covered in fine, cold beads of sweat, and his eyes, which had been filled with excitement, were now trembling violently, filled with deep confusion and fear.
A good while passed.
Queenie finally realized what was happening—and then, like a drowning person finally surfacing, she began to greedily gasp for air.
no?
how so?
There was no fighting.
There was no exhilarating battle.
Instead, we have to run around like a rat?!
Is that correct?
And why am I afraid?!
He was a warrior who had fought his way through the Corpse Mountain, Blood Sea! How could he possibly be frightened by a dilapidated old house and a crazed NPC!
But that suffocating dungeon process----
Queenie suddenly clenched her fists tightly, shook her head violently, and dispelled the terrifying images of the dungeon experience from her mind.
No—that's not right—
"This is absolutely not my problem!"
Her pride as a top player quickly took effect.
soon.
She found an extremely plausible excuse for the chaotic ten or so minutes she spent in the dungeon.
"I'm just too tired!"
"I was interrogated for over ten hours, and my Mental Strength was already completely exhausted!"
"In this state of extreme lack of focus and with mental stress at rock bottom, it's perfectly normal to feel fear when facing a dungeon that completely defies expectations!"
I was too impatient!
Queenie took a deep breath and forced herself to calm her wildly beating heart.
Um.
Don't rush.
I need to rest first and get back to peak condition!
With this thought in mind, Queenie immediately shut down the System Panel, then lay down on the hard metal bed and forced herself to close her eyes.
Sleep!
Everything will be alright once you wake up!
Seven hours later.
Queenie opened her eyes again.
She sat up in bed, feeling the renewed strength in her body and the complete return to clarity of her mind. Her eyes became sharp and confident once again.
She glanced at the tightly closed alloy door.
No one from the Coordination Bureau came to see her; they just delivered food to her door—it seemed there was no questioning today.
She didn't think too much about why the Coordination Bureau suddenly stopped questioning her today.
Because all she can think about right now is that Resident Evil scenario.
It's best if they don't ask any questions!
This was a golden opportunity for her!
Queenie quickly devoured the food on her plate, forcibly replenishing her body with the necessary energy.
"Perfect condition."
Then, she stretched her stiff neck, and her eyes sharpened once more.
Thinking about what happened yesterday.
She was somewhat annoyed.
Yesterday's defeat was not only due to misjudgment caused by mental fatigue, but also because she subconsciously underestimated her opponent!
Today, she's going to give it her all! She's going to re-enter Resident Evil!
Having learned from yesterday's lesson, she was convinced that she would survive this time and clear the game without dying once!
Click.
Enter!
A flash of Bai Guang, and Queenie vanished from the prison once more.
This time, she did a little better than last time.
She stayed in the dungeon for almost an hour.
But that was all—accompanied by a sudden flash of Bai Guang within the underground prison.
A muffled thud.
Queenie's figure reappeared, and Death was forcibly kicked out because she had endured immense physical pain and mental trauma within the instance.
She landed unsteadily and tumbled awkwardly onto the cold, hard alloy floor.
And very soon.
Her breathing became even heavier inside the cell.
Queenie collapsed to the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She had only been out of the dungeon for a few minutes when her clothes were completely soaked with cold sweat.
"What kind of dungeon is this?!"
Queenie recalled the thrilling game of hide-and-seek, muttered something, and suddenly felt a sense of collapse!
no.
Is this really considered a dungeon?!
This isn't how dungeons should be!!!
At least it shouldn't have been made so... hellish!!!
Stripping her of her abilities is one thing! Forcing her to play the role of a weak, ordinary person is another! And she even knows Roleplay Instance!
But isn't the process of this instance a bit off?!
How could you do this to a dungeon like this?! Why would Architect torture themselves in a dungeon?! Why make themselves the prey?!
The ever-present psychological pressure, the relentless pursuit, the seemingly invincible enemy, the perpetually scarce resources, and the counterintuitive puzzles—
This was nothing like the life-or-death battles she was familiar with!!!
A few minutes later.
Queenie forced herself to her feet from the cold ground and looked out the window.
At this moment—she desperately wanted to enter this instance again!
"How could they do this! That kind of Architect! How could they only make these kinds of purely torturous dungeons—wait, is it because the first dungeon is just practice?"
Queenie was silent for a moment, then suddenly a possibility occurred to her. "Yes—it must be because Lu Xiu's first instance is still immature!"
Next.
She took a deep breath.
"This kind of pure survival horror dungeon isn't really her forte! It's just a bored early experiment by a genius Architect! But a genius is a genius! She did a really good job!"
"But it's really not suitable for me! I'm a warrior! I'm the warrior of Prison Rock!"
"Our Prison Rock are mostly pure combat dungeons! My first priority is to clear those combat dungeons!"
"Lu Xiu should be better at combat dungeons! So there's no need to struggle in areas she's not good at—the rewards for practice crafts certainly won't be very good."
"Right."
She looked up, seemingly having convinced herself, and closed the details page for [Resident Evil], instead opening the second instance, [Sekiro], and began reading its description.
When I saw the extensive descriptions of combat in the dungeon's description...
Queenie's eyes lit up. "A combat instance! This is it!"
She knew it!
How could Architect like that only Roleplay Instance?
This will definitely feature some exhilarating PvP dungeons.
She immediately forgot about the first instance and confidently clicked to enter [Sekiro].
She was puzzled after discovering that the dungeon ticket only cost 1 point.
But before she could think any further, she vanished in a flash of Bai Guang.
When she entered the instance and opened her eyes, she saw...
----Still Roleplay Instance.
Queenie:", Another half hour has passed.
A flash of Bai Guang.
Queenie reappeared in the prison, staring blankly ahead.
It's another supporting role!
But at least this time it's a proper battle!
But what are those enemies?
Why are all the monsters, theoretically speaking, similar to my own attributes?
Why does this dungeon have such an extremely rigorous and completely different underlying combat logic from reality?!
This Architect! Does he have that much free time?!
What Posture Bar! What Deflect! What weapon stomp!
This completely violates basic combat common sense!
What is all this nonsense?!
And why are the enemies so strong?! This is only the beginning of the dungeon!
Queenie really couldn't understand it.
But soon...
A look of resentment appeared on her face.
This is a combat instance! A combat instance I'm familiar with! I'm sure I can handle it!
That was probably just a show of force!
As she pondered this, she entered Sekiro for the second time.
Half an hour later.
The Bai Guang flashed again.
Queenie was slashed to the ground, her last life exhausted, and she was forcibly removed from the instance.
She gritted her teeth. "Go in again!"
Another half hour later.
The Bai Guang flashed again.
This time she held out a little longer, but under the Samurai General's extremely ferocious continuous slashes, her Posture Bar collapsed again, and she was killed and ejected.
I don't believe it!!!
Queenie's eyes were already slightly red.
Third time entering!
Fourth entry!
Fifth time----
With the extraordinary resilience honed in the life-or-death battles at Prison Rock.
Queenie began, with immense pain, to forcefully reverse the muscle memory she had developed over the past decade to adapt to the rules of Sekiro.
Ta-da!
Finally!
After enduring countless and agonizing deaths, Queenie barely managed to adapt to the mechanics and finally defeated the Samurai General.
We won!
Inside the instance.
Queenie gasped for breath, a surge of indescribable sense of accomplishment welling up inside her.
She knew it!
I can do it!
Once she adapts to this system, with her combat skills, she will definitely be able to clear this dungeon!
She continued walking forward with full confidence.
Then she saw a huge monster with bloodshot eyes, tied to a wooden stake.
She was taken aback.
A few minutes later.
Inside the underground prison.
The Bai Guang flashed again.
Queenie's eyes lost their sparkle, and she stared blankly ahead.
Then.
After standing there in a daze for about ten seconds...
She suddenly stood up, clutched her head, and, as if possessed, began kicking the alloy bed beside her wildly!
"Are you kidding me?! Are you kidding me?!"
Queenie screamed hysterically, "I've died so many times! I finally got used to sword fighting! I finally managed to forcefully reverse my muscle memory! Why does this unreasonable monster suddenly appear?! And what is this Chained Ogre?! Do I have to start all over again?! Architect, are you out of your mind?!
Who does dungeon runs like this?! What kind of dungeon is this?! Why are you torturing people like this?! Why!!!
Outside the prison.
The two guards exchanged a glance.
One of them transferred another thousand Survival Points to his companion, cursing as he said, "Damn it! Useless! I thought otherworldly experts had a lot of backbone! The Chained Ogre broke through their defenses!"
"Then tell me, did you break through your defenses back then?"
"It's broken----"
"That's right, in Lu Xiu's story—all beings are equal."
"Damn it, I actually think what you said makes a lot of sense—I feel like Lu Xiu has completely ruined me."