Lies

"No, I'm not crazy."

As Lu Xiu was speaking, she suddenly realized something.

I wondered what went wrong with my previous attempt to complete the game!

These were all system misjudgments.

What's wrong with you!

I cleared the game normally this time too!

He blurted it out too quickly.

As Lu Xiu pondered this, she summoned the System Panel and formally submitted her sixth copy.

A familiar window popped up -- [Please enter basic information about the copy first]

Name, self-rating, style type, and most importantly, copy theme.

Lu Xiu summoned the virtual keyboard, skillfully moved the cursor to the "Subject" field, and after a moment's thought, typed in the subject: "[Lies]".

He then added his own explanation in his own style, "You will play an ordinary country boy (or girl) who steps into the Mansion deep in the forest."

Here, you will be completely stripped of all your proud supernatural powers.

And your blonde, dress-clad, frail and helpless companion is trembling behind you, gazing at you with tear-filled eyes.

Your only mission is to escort your childhood sweetheart to safety.

You need to rely on the wisdom of ordinary people to run, solve puzzles, and avoid those deadly traps and mechanisms.

And behind you, there will always be a terrifying monster with its eyes gouged out and its legs cut off.

She crawled along the ground, dragging herself along with her bare hands, screaming incoherently, desperately trying to catch up with you, trying to reach out to you.

Hold her hand tightly.

Protect her.

Don't look back, don't stop.

Take her away from here, push open the door that symbolizes a way out, and return to her Hunter father's side.

She is very important, very important, very important.

However, good intentions are often a stepping stone to hell, as is gullibility.

Perhaps at the end of your journey, you will need to make a small decision.

At that time, please choose freely according to your heart.

Then.

Lu Xiu moved the virtual cursor to the first line and entered the game name, "Witch."

Done.

Lu Xiu looked at the topic and supplementary instructions, nodded in satisfaction, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

That's right.

The theme is lies.

The supplementary explanation is also a lie.

That gloomy and oppressive Mansion was also filled with lies.

From the moment players open the dungeon description page, they are faced with nothing but lies.

Just as the souls of Viola and the Witch Ellen had already been swapped before the player officially entered the dungeon.

And the first words that Viola, the blonde woman in the white dress, uttered upon first meeting the player, in that weak and helpless manner, were also a carefully crafted lie.

From beginning to end—the theme remains consistent throughout.

This can be considered a series of interconnected steps.

[Replica Status: Can be encapsulated]

[Should the copy be packaged?]

"Yes."

Lu Xiu reached out and tapped the confirmation button.

Countless tiny data streams appeared in the air.

The fine lines were drawn out from the entire copy and converged in the sky to form a slowly rotating sphere of light.

Once completed, the system will display another notification.

[Completing packaging--]

[Copy packaging complete!]

[Construction complete, starting to test instance scene structure and scale, Rule Stabilization Cost generation in progress----]

[Rule Stabilization Cost: 50,000 Survival Points (This instance is special and will grant characters limited thinking abilities)]

[The instance is about to be released and requires Architect to extract memories for in-game verification. Please see the attachment for detailed rules.]

[The system rating, completion rewards, and Architect rewards for the dungeon will be given after the Architect clears the dungeon and the dungeon becomes available for online play. Some rewards are affected by the Architect's completion status.]

[Enter the instance for live testing?]

[Note that this copy cannot be verified multiple times.]

"Is this really that expensive? And what does it mean that it limits the ability of characters in dungeons to think?"

Lu Xiu stared at the pop-up window, somewhat shocked. She felt this was on par with Resident Evil in scale.

And what does it mean that there is no possibility of multiple verifications?

----never mind.

It's not that we can't afford it.

As for what changes might occur, you'll find out once you go inside.

Lu Xiu thought for a moment, then decided to click "Yes".

[Entering the instance----]

[Role played: Viola's best friend]

[Architect Verification Mode Activated]

[Beginning to peel away memories]

[Loading copy----]

The Construction Space in Lu Xiu's eyes began to change.

The whole world seemed to have turned into a water-like substance, and everything began to flow.

The sky is spinning.

Space folding.

Within the Construction Space, accompanied by Bai Guang, Lu Xiu's figure disappeared.

The scent of decaying leaves wafted over.

Lu Xiu slowly opened her eyes.

The depths of her memory seemed shrouded in a thick fog, making the memories that Constructed Instance blurry. Instead, a clear thought emerged—she had come to find someone, to find her childhood sweetheart with whom she had grown up.

But soon, the fog quickly dissipated.

She remembered everything.

"You scared me."

Lu Xiu murmured something, then looked around at the familiar scenery.

This is a dark and deep forest, with towering ancient trees rising from the ground. Their rough and twisted branches are like withered arms, and their dense, somewhat deformed canopies intertwine overhead, almost completely blocking out the sky, leaving only a few dim spots of light.

A thin mist hung in the air, making the surrounding scenery appear somewhat unreal.

What seemed to be the exit of the forest was inexplicably blocked by a wall of roses, their dark brown, thorny vines intertwined and completely blocking the path that should have led to the town outside.

Just as Lu Xiu was observing her surroundings, she suddenly felt a slight tug at the hem of her clothes.

Lu Xiu turned her head and saw a petite girl in a dress huddled tightly behind her.

The girl had dazzling, smooth blonde hair and fair, delicate skin; she was very cute.

At this moment, her eyes, like those of a frightened fawn, were brimming with tears as she looked at Lu Xiu with pleading eyes. She appeared both pitiful and helpless, almost perfectly embodying fragility and helplessness, easily arousing anyone's sympathy and protective instincts.

to be honest.

In this forest where even light seems to be swallowed up, the innocent girl appears out of place.

Then Lu Xiu looked over.

The girl, as if grasping at a straw, immediately asked, "Are we... stuck here?"

Lu Xiu did not answer immediately.

Instead, he first looked down and examined himself.

As expected, she has already donned the costume of Viola's childhood sweetheart, and her attributes have been adjusted to a child's level.

Furthermore, the height has been adjusted for a greater sense of immersion.

This is an additional feature granted by the "Goddess's Blade" Title.

However, this was the first time Lu Xiu had forcibly used the body adjustment function; she hadn't used it in previous instances.

Because you really feel out of place after leaving the instance.

But this copy, this feature, is very necessary.

After confirming her own condition, Lu Xiu finally raised her head again.

She looked at the nervous Viola beside her and suddenly broke into a radiant smile.

"Yes, we can't get out."

Lu Xiu spoke casually, showing no panic despite being in a terrifying predicament. Instead, she said matter-of-factly, "Since the road is blocked, it seems we can only go back to the room you were in earlier."

At this point, Lu Xiu crossed her arms, raised her chin haughtily, and said like a spoiled young lady ordering her servants around, "So, lead the way."

Viola looked at Lu Xiu, who stood with his arms crossed and aloof, and her expression visibly stiffened. Tears welled up in her eyes and almost spilled over.

----Why?

Isn't this my childhood sweetheart?

She opened her mouth, but then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something.

But under Lu Xiu's threatening gaze...

Viola ultimately swallowed her words, turned around, and obediently walked along the path she had come from towards the Witch's House.

Lu Xiu followed, and just as she took a step, the window popped open.

It's like background story.

You and Viola are childhood friends.

Today, Viola went to play deep in the forest and hasn't returned yet. Worried about her, you ventured alone into this dark forest to look for her.

Fortunately, you soon encountered her safe and sound on the road.

You were traveling together, preparing to leave this unsettling forest, when your path home was blocked by a huge, dark red rose bush that had suddenly grown wildly and was covered in sharp thorns.

Their escape route was cut off, and it was getting late.

In order to find a way out, you were forced to turn back.

Lu Xiu didn't even glance at it; she simply turned it off.

At this moment, Viola, who was walking ahead, took hesitant, light steps.

She seemed not to have fully adapted to Lu Xiu's arrogant attitude just now.

As she led the way, she kept glancing back, looking rather awkward.

Those slightly hunched, thin shoulders, paired with a dress damp with a bit of mist, truly showcased the girl's fragility and pitiful charm to the fullest.

If it were a normal adult player, seeing Viola's frightened appearance, they would probably have already stepped forward to protect her and clear a path for her.

But Lu Xiu simply followed behind calmly, not offering any comfort. Instead, she frowned slightly and urged him righteously, "Why are you looking at me? Hurry up! It's terribly cold in the forest!"

"I... I'm scared."

Lu Xiu looked at her in shock. "What you're saying—aren't I scared?"

Viola bit her lower lip, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashing across her innocent face.

She could only turn back, feeling wronged, and resignedly continue leading the way.

The two walked one after the other through the dim forest, stepping on the withered, yellow leaves scattered on the ground.

We hadn't gone far.

Then I saw a cute Black Cat lying on a dead tree stump ahead.

In this oppressive forest, the cat's appearance seemed somewhat eerie.

But perhaps because it looks so cute—it has a fairytale feel to it, even though it can speak human language.

"Oh dear, this place is dangerous, it's not a place for humans. What are you doing here?"

Hearing the cat speak, Viola seemed to flinch again, and whispered, "We—we want to leave too, but the way back is blocked by those terrible roses."

The Black Cat flicked its tail and said slowly, "Really? I just saw something glittering in the forest over there. I wonder if it can help you."

Upon hearing this, Viola instinctively turned her head and looked expectantly at Lu Xiu, who was standing to the side.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: the dark bushes ahead looked terrifying, and as my childhood sweetheart who has protected me since I was little, it's time for you to step forward and get it for me.

However, Lu Xiu rolled her eyes without any politeness, her arms still crossed over her chest. Not only did she show no intention of going forward to scout ahead, but she also said matter-of-factly, "What are you looking at me for? Go pick it up! Don't you have hands or feet?"

Viola: "----"

Lu Xiu's attitude was nothing short of arrogant.

She could only bite her pale lips, turn around alone, and stumble into the dark thicket.

Not long after.

She emerged covered in dust and dirt, carrying a rusty pair of pruning shears.

"It's scissors!"

Viola seemed to see a glimmer of hope and exclaimed with delight, "With this, can we cut the roses and go home?"

The two took the scissors and returned to the forest exit.

However, harsh reality shattered the illusion; the rose bushes blocking the way were far too thick and as hard as iron, and the rusty, broken shears couldn't cut a single one.

"How so----"

Viola lowered her hand holding the scissors in despair, tears welling in her eyes: "We can't go back—"

The two had no choice but to head back towards the Mansion.

soon.

As they prepared to return to the Mansion, they discovered that a cluster of dark red roses had mysteriously grown on the original Mansion leading to it, completely blocking their way.

However, compared to the impenetrable rose wall behind them, this clump of roses on the Mansion Road was noticeably thinner and weaker, just the right size for pruning shears.

Viola glanced at Lu Xiu, who had her arms crossed, but ultimately didn't say anything. Instead, she obediently went and cut off the roses herself.

This can be considered a guide to using the props.

The fact that the player didn't take any action—letting Viola go straight in—was somewhat beyond the system's expectations.

And then the roses were cut down.

Before long, the view ahead suddenly opened up, and a three-story Gothic Mansion exuding a repressive atmosphere appeared before us, standing quietly under the haze.

Withered vines climbed all over the gray-black stone brick walls of the Mansion, and the narrow stained-glass windows had an eerie feel in the dim light.

This is the starting point of all lies and despair— the Witch's House.

now.

The heavy wooden door of the Mansion was slightly ajar, letting in no light, like a Abyss maw of an abyss silently waiting for its prey to walk into its trap.

Meanwhile, the Black Cat had somehow settled on a dead tree stump in front of the Mansion, leisurely licking its fur as it asked, "What's wrong? Are the flowers still blocking your way? Why don't you come inside and take a look?"

Hearing these words, which were clearly suggestive.

Viola quickly hid behind Lu Xiu, clutching her clothes, and said in a trembling voice, "The cat... the cat is talking again—and it's so dark inside, I'm afraid to go in—we really have to—"

Bang!!!

Before Viola could finish speaking, she saw the country girl in the simple long dress stride forward, then suddenly raise her foot and kick the heavy solid wood door without hesitation!

A deafening sound suddenly exploded in the empty forest.

The door, which should have opened slowly with a teeth-grinding creak to enhance the terrifying atmosphere, was kicked open by Lu Xiu and slammed hard against the wall.

Dust and cobwebs fell from the door frame, making the entire Mansion seem to tremble.

The carefully crafted sense of suspense and eeriness vanished with that one kick.

Viola was startled by the sudden loud noise, then stared wide-eyed at Lu Xiu in disbelief.

"Why are you taking so long to open the door?"

Lu Xiu swaggered through the gate.

Then, she turned to Viola, who was still standing frozen outside the door, and pointed confidently into the depths of the hallway. "What are you all standing there for? Go ahead and scout ahead!"

Viola pointed to herself, her voice trembling, "I'll scout ahead? But—I'm scared—"

"What are you saying? Didn't I just say I'm scared too!"

Lu Xiu said directly, "Go, either you lead the way, or I'll beat you up and then you lead the way, you choose one."

Viola: "----"