Conversation

What do you mean by "you can actually take a look"?

Lu Xiu looked at Shen Nian, who had suddenly abandoned the dungeon and started rambling incoherently. "Get back to clearing the dungeon properly! Also, what rewards did you get? Resentment? Or are you Don't Look?"

"

It's impolite to talk about this.

Shen Nian, a little embarrassed, stretched out her fingers and gently twirled her pretty short hair that fell to her shoulders.

"----Looks like he's Don't Look," the system is practically mocking him right in person, shouldn't he give them a good slap in the face?

Lu Xiu noticed Shen Nian's silence and guessed what reward she had received. "Besides, we've already gotten two skills from this dungeon. Don't you want to get a third unknown skill? As the Architect, I can't see what rewards players can get in the [Witch] dungeon. The difference between the upper and lower limits is huge; there might even be an SSS-level skill."

Three.

Jian Li spoke up at this moment, saying, "I also managed to get an SS skill."

Lu Xiu turned her head and asked curiously, "What is it?"

Jian Li gazed at Lu Xiu's long hair by her ear and remained silent.

Lu Xiu was amused and smiled, "No, why are you all so concerned about a hairstyle? Jian Li, you're wearing the same hairstyle all the time now."

"I don't mind if you get it done again."

Shen Nian started stirring things up; it was clear she genuinely liked it.

"I can re-tie it, but in exchange, next time you'll wear a short version of the long black and white maid outfit, and then wear white stockings."

Lu Xiu looked at Shen Nian and replied teasingly.

She didn't mind tying her hair back up. During the adjustment period, she would have strange thoughts when she saw Jian Li wearing a short skirt, but as time went by, she no longer had such thoughts. She didn't care what she wore except for stockings, as long as it wasn't revealing, not to mention her hairstyle.

After all, she had been living with this appearance for quite some time now, and she had adapted to most of it.

Besides marriage.

--

Shen Nian's expression froze.

Lu Xiu continued, "In exchange for Jian Li's words, how about you compliment me on how handsome I am?"

Are these under the same conditions?!

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian pushed up her glasses on her small nose and looked at Lu Xiu, who was also treating her differently.

You're angry!

"How about it?"

Lu Xiu noticed Shen Nian's gaze, turned her head to look at her, and tilted her head.

Shen Nian: "----Okay."

I wasn't actually that angry.

Lu Xiu was somewhat surprised. "You agreed?"

Shen Nian nodded.

On the other side...

Jian Li looked at Lu Xiu's sweet and delicate face, hesitated for five seconds, and suddenly said, "----Very handsome."

"You guys really like it!"

Lu Xiu turned around and glanced at Jian Li with the same surprise. She kept her word and quickly retied her hair.

A haircut with a white-stockinged maid outfit—worth it!

soon.

The double ponytail style is making a limited-time return.

Actually, she doesn't really like double ponytails that are tied up above the ears. She likes both loose double ponytails and short double ponytails the same, but she has a different feeling about low double ponytails, which have a completely different look.

It's amazing.

What's even more amazing is that both of them actually liked seeing her with this hairstyle.

I don't know what I'm after.

"It's so beautiful."

Shen Nian looked at Lu Xiu, whose hair had been re-tied, and her beautiful eyes lit up again. After softly praising her, she suddenly said, "It's a pity the clothes don't match. Could you change into something more suitable?"

What clothes?

"Such as a preppy style----"

"I don't have clothes like that, and I didn't agree to change your clothes."

"We can go buy it, it won't take long, and in exchange, I can wear any maid outfit."

"That's possible, that's possible----"

Lu Xiu was about to get up, but quickly realized something was wrong. "No, you're trying to get something for nothing. I want to exchange it now, but all you've got is a promise."

A flicker of regret crossed Shen Nian's eyes.

The expected scenario of the rich young lady being easily fooled didn't happen at all.

Lu Xiu ignored Shen Nian and looked at Jian Li, who was touching her ponytail again. "So what skill did you learn?"

Jian Li demonstrated her "Counterkill" skill to Lu Xiu.

"Steal weapons—in the final stage, does stealing weapons mean killing everyone?"

After reviewing the skills, Lu Xiu roughly understood Jian Li's choice in the dungeon.

I never expected Jian Li to be so extreme.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

This person was also quite menacing during the special event—far from appearing as soft and naive as she does now.

to be honest.

Lu Xiu also wanted this skill—she was confident she could get it 100%, but unfortunately the system wouldn't let her enter the dungeon anymore.

"Never mind."

Lu Xiu put her regret aside and her tone became slightly more serious. "I have a favor to ask of you. If you encounter any problems or have any suggestions while clearing the dungeons, please let me know as soon as possible."

Speaking of which...

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the two of them, and continued, "As you've probably noticed, this dungeon is an experiment for me, with its multi-ending network of judgments and behavioral deductions—I'll keep an eye on the forums, but I also hope that you top-tier players can give me some feedback, as this concerns my next dungeon."

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian's expression turned serious, and she nodded slightly.

This instance is an experiment by Lu Xiu, and she realized this when she was discussing it with Yan Fushou and the others.

-"

Lu Xiu looked at the two of them, thought for a moment, and then said, "Then you two can just enter the instance here. After all, you're already here. If you still want to go..."

The two weren't exactly strangers; they'd both stayed at each other's places before.

I'd be happy to stay here again.

Lu Xiu really wanted to hear their opinions.

Jian Li looked at Lu Xiu and nodded.

Shen Nian was stunned upon hearing this, and after a long while, she said, "Of course I'll go, I'll go right away—we mainly came to ask you about the ending; the Strategy Group is still waiting for news."

Regarding this proposal...

Shen Nian was very surprised. She understood Lu Xiu quite well—she disliked outsiders intruding on her private space.

Does this mean I've let my guard down and started treating them as friends?

Thinking of this, a gentle ripple appeared in Shen Nian's beautiful peach blossom eyes, and a strange sense of joy and excitement arose in her heart that even she herself found somewhat novel.

"Then you can enter the instance here."

Lu Xiu nodded slowly, then hesitated for a moment before posing a question she had been pondering, "Speaking of which—"

Is the overall difficulty of the [Witch] dungeon not high for you guys? I mean, not considering other endings.

Jian Li nodded slowly. "Mm."

After thinking carefully for a moment, Shen Nian replied, "Because of the two terrifying survival dungeons before, everyone's ability to withstand pressure in this area has indeed increased significantly after being tortured. Although the [Witch] will still cause a lot of trouble, it's not particularly difficult."

Then she thought for a moment and added, "Of course, that's assuming we don't consider your insane narrative traps and the mental blow of being mocked by the system right in front of you after you finish the game—"

"I see----"

Lu Xiu leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.

really.

This is pretty much what she expected.

In fact, the system mentioned this after she cleared the dungeon. Because the dungeon was not difficult, she only got an SS+ rating and failed to reach the SSS threshold.

It seems that to overcome the SSS-level hurdle, we must increase the difficulty while preserving player autonomy.

As planned.

The next instance will be a combat instance.

Increasing the difficulty is not difficult.

But...

Lu Xiu involuntarily recalled the original game, known for its difficulty and intricate maps. Suddenly, she turned to Shen Nian and asked, "What do you think of a dungeon that, even if everything goes smoothly and you don't get stuck or make any mistakes, still takes more than 30 hours to complete?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian's expression froze instantly, and the gentle ripples in her eyes vanished in an instant.

More than 30 hours?!

What is this person saying?!

Keep in mind that dungeons aren't played by controlling a keyboard and mouse in front of a screen!

And this is only when everything goes smoothly! Based on Lu Xiu's past dungeon runs, if a smooth completion theoretically takes more than 30 hours, then the actual time players need to explore the dungeon will at least double!

Clearing the dungeon in 60 hours?

Unbelievable!

Shen Nian stared wide-eyed in disbelief, blurting out, "Lu Xiu, do you want to kill all the players in Nine Provinces?!"

That's really going too far.

Lu Xiu retorted, "This is what a truly high-difficulty dungeon is. The real hardcore aspect isn't simply about mobs, but about a closed loop of exploration and growth—"

But as they talked...

She couldn't continue.

That's really pushing the limits—if you enter such a dungeon and fight it straight to the end, players would definitely have a mental breakdown.

We need to think of a solution.

If we don't want to compromise on the scale, it seems we need to figure out how to create a rest mechanism within the existing dungeon framework, or split the seamless map into separate sections.

If the system allows it.

Let's talk about that later.

As Lu Xiu pondered, she felt a headache coming on, so she gently shook her head and said she didn't want to think about it anymore.

This should be the last dungeon before the new version arrives, and it might not even be released in time for the new version; it might only be available after the new version is officially launched—after all, it's a really large dungeon.

Since that's the case.

Lu Xiu was no longer in a hurry.

"You guys go and clear the dungeon."

"----OK."

Shen Nian nodded reluctantly, ending this nerve-wracking topic.

But she still felt uneasy, and looking at Lu Xiu, she couldn't help but say solemnly, "No matter what, Lu Xiu, you absolutely mustn't treat the players like animals. Even on high difficulty, 30 hours is too long—"

Lu Xiu nodded.

Shen Nian brought up the System Panel, preparing to enter the dungeon.

But before entering, she remembered something and looked down at her elaborate black and white long maid outfit.

The thick fabric, the layers of lace, and the overly prominent apron all seemed rather cumbersome.

"That one— Lu Xiu."

Shen Nian hesitated for a moment before asking, "Could I borrow a set of more casual clothes? I feel a little restricted in this outfit when I enter the dungeon."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiu looked Shen Nian up and down, finally voicing the question that had been nagging at her since Shen Nian entered, "Speaking of which, I'm curious, since you knew this outfit was inconvenient, why did you go to the trouble of changing into a maid outfit and coming over?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian gently twirled her pretty short hair that fell to her shoulders with her fingers again. "Because I need your help, and besides, don't you like it?"

Lu Xiu asked suspiciously, "Really not a hobby?"

"No!"

"All right."

Lu Xiu stood up, not minding lending her clothes. "What size do you wear? Would a looser T-shirt and shorts be okay?"

"Okay, I'll wear it—"

Shen Nian was about to give the size.

However, she could only get the words out before she couldn't continue.

Shen Nian keenly sensed a very oppressive gaze suddenly coming from the other side of the sofa.

Killing intent!

Shen Nian felt a chill run down her spine, and she instinctively reached out to gather her splayed skirt.

"Actually, if you think about it carefully, a maid outfit isn't so bad!"

Shen Nian's expression changed instantly, and she said seriously, "This outfit provides a very strong sense of security, so there's no need to trouble Lu Xiu. I think this one is fine!"

That's all.

She immediately brought up the System Panel and entered the instance.

"----"

Lu Xiu walked halfway and looked at Shen Nian, who suddenly turned into Bai Guang and disappeared, and gently shook her head.

They said they wanted it at first, but then changed their minds the next second.

Just like a naive and foolish college student, reckless and eccentric.

She looked at Jian Li on the sofa. "Are you going to enter the dungeon too?"

Jian Li nodded slowly and also brought up the System Panel.

But before entering.

She thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up, walked to Lu Xiu, and reached out to touch the ends of Lu Xiu's hair again.

Before Lu Xiu could speak, the silver-haired girl, amidst Lu Xiu's somewhat subtle expression, transformed into Bai Guang and followed her into the instance.

"

Is this some kind of ceremony?

Lu Xiu was somewhat amused and exasperated. She relaxed her body and stretched.

Hopefully, when they pull off a comeback, it will be just as easy for them as it is now.

The stringent conditions for reversing the ending.

It's not something that can be easily overcome with just enthusiasm and determination.

alright.

Now, the two of them have entered the instance.

What should I do next?

Lu Xiu lowered her hand, tugged at the hem of her clothes to cover her flat, fair stomach, and fell into deep thought.

----Continue Construction Space and constructing the next instance?

Lu Xiu immediately rejected the idea.

She's not an ox or a horse; the new instance has just been released, she needs to rest for a few days.

"Never mind, I'll go tidy up the wardrobe."

Lu Xiu snapped out of her thoughts and turned to walk towards the bedroom.

Come to think of it, she seemed to have bought some random clothes before she worked on Resident Evil.

At the same time.

In the instance.

As the brief feeling of weightlessness brought about by the teleportation subsided, the Bai Guang before Shen Nian's eyes gradually dissipated.

The smell of decaying forest leaves wafted over.

As soon as the system notification faded, Shen Nian's gaze was already focused on the figure in front of her.

Viola!

The moment I saw Viola clearly.

Shen Nian's relaxed and excited mood in Lu Xiu's living room vanished completely.

"The Witch has already completed the body swap—?"

Shen Nian looked at Viola, a hint of murderous intent flashing in her eyes, and murmured to herself, "This time, you won't succeed."

"But honestly, wearing maid outfits for dungeons is such a hassle."

"What exactly happened to Jian Li?!"

Shen Nian was currently wearing the leather suit of Viola's childhood sweetheart.

But at the end of the day, it's still just him.

I'm really not used to maid outfits----

Actually, it's not so bad if you're not used to it.

Mainly----

Shen Nian pursed her red lips. "Fine, let's clear the level first."

If a reverse ending is possible.

How exactly will Lu Xiu set things up? And how can I turn the tables?

With experience, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?