Advantage

"They're too fast! That Sequence 17 Prison Rock player is catching up!"

Wild Wind sensed the approaching footsteps behind him and shouted at the top of his lungs.

The high rank of the player in the Prison Rock faction, and the resulting attribute advantages, were fully demonstrated at this moment.

Even though Gran was injured, his high agility attribute still allowed him to quickly close the distance with Zhao Heng and the others.

Zhao Heng, who was at the front, had a livid face.

He stared at the main suburban road that was beginning to emerge ahead, his mind racing with a sense of impending doom.

He knew the terrain ahead all too well.

If you just keep running along this road, you'll officially enter the outer defense line of Ashina Castle.

In the past, when running dungeons, they had to carefully sneak around, assassinate enemies, and clear out mobs.

But now----

"Shift the blame eastward! Quickly, quickly, quickly!"

Zhao Heng had a sudden inspiration and shouted, "What Samurai General, Chained Ogre, and Taro Troop? Bring as many as you can!"

Wild Wind was slightly taken aback. "Holy crap?! Are you serious?"

Zhao Heng replied, "Of course!"

The others instantly understood Zhao Heng's thoughts.

Then.

The group exchanged glances, then stopped controlling their route and completely let loose.

They began to run in perfect unison towards the areas with the most enemies.

In an instant, the entire Ashina Castle Town was like a hornet's nest had been stirred up.

As the guards beat drums and gongs, various Ashina Troops soldiers began to charge forward.

But Zhao Heng and his group lured the monsters away and ran.

In the end Ashina Troops soldiers blocked the player in the Prison Rock.

And very soon.

Zhao Heng then saw the familiar Samurai General. This time, instead of going around him, they went straight to meet him.

"Don't slow down! Parry Deflect! Then run!"

As Zhao Heng ran, he stared at the Samurai General who was facing him and had drawn his broadsword, and shouted again.

The home advantage was once again on full display at this moment.

As players of Nine Provinces had died countless times before finally clearing this dungeon, they knew all too well the enemy's attack patterns.

Even though the system has now removed the restrictions and the monsters' movements have become as agile as real people, the underlying attack patterns are still traceable!

Just as the Samurai General's exaggerated katana, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the wind and snow, was about to slash towards Zhao Heng at the forefront.

Zhao Heng neither dodged nor evaded; his longsword rose from below, precisely meeting the slash that was almost capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks!

When!!

A resounding clang, exceptionally crisp and clear, with visible sound waves even rippling through the air, suddenly rang out.

Perfect Deflect!

The Samurai General's powerful strike was blocked by Zhao Heng in mid-air, and the enormous recoil caused the Samurai General's movements to stiffen.

Zhao Heng seized the opportunity, avoiding any entanglement, and slippery as an eel, easily sidestepping past it!

The Wild Wind and the others behind him followed suit, each displaying their own techniques, and after a few clanging sounds of metal being struck.

The five men made a hasty escape.

But while the five people from Nine Provinces escaped, the hatred they attracted from their enemies will not disappear.

And just at that moment.

In order to shake off the Ashina Troops soldiers, Gran charged at full speed, like a humanoid heavy truck, and with a violent aura, he crashed headlong into the position of the Samurai General.

Gran was originally focused on Zhao Heng, who was fleeing ahead, but the figure carrying a samurai sword suddenly appeared in front of him without warning.

It was none other Samurai General, Naomori Kawarada, who was filled with pent-up anger and had nowhere to vent it!

"Get the hell out of my way!!"

Gran was being driven to the brink of madness by the soldiers he had lured along and Emma behind him.

Although none of the soldiers were particularly strong—it would be absurd if each of them could exchange a couple of blows with him!

What the hell is this?!

What kind of dungeon is this?!

How come every single enemy is so strong!

And why are these Nine Provinces players so skilled?!

At this point, Gran had already admitted that he had misjudged the situation!

This dungeon is more troublesome than he imagined!

But troublesome as it may be, he didn't think every enemy in this instance was as troublesome as that crazy woman.

Those soldiers proved it; they could only manage a couple of moves, nothing more!

Another enemy from another instance blocked their path.

He looks no different from any other low-ranking soldier, except he's a bit bigger.

Gran roared and swung his heavy hammer at the Samurai General's chest.

He gained experience from clearing out the minions—as long as he uses all his attributes, no minion can stop him!

It's already absurd enough that there's one powerful enemy in this area! There's absolutely no way there could be a second one!

However.

Facing this crushing hammer blow, the Samurai General showed no intention of backing down.

He lowered his body slightly, gripping the massive longsword tightly with both hands; the blade flashed with a chilling light in the snow.

Immediately afterwards, the long sword swung up from below at a tricky angle!

When!!!

The familiar sound of hammering.

Gran felt that familiar recoil force again in his arms. The black giant hammer in his hand was forcefully swung upward the moment it touched the seemingly thin longsword!

Perfect Deflect!

Gran's large, bell-like eyes widened instantly.

His massive body was once again jolted backward, and the cross-shaped wound on his chest, which had just stopped bleeding, burst open again. Moreover, because of the excessive force, the opening he had made this time was even larger than before!

The Samurai General gave him no chance to catch his breath, suddenly sliding forward and raising his katana high above his head.

Then, with the force of a thunderbolt, an unstoppable leaping strike crashed down on him!

"!!!"

At the critical moment.

Gran's figure flickered, his massive body vanishing from the spot like a ghost, barely dodging the fatal blow.

Bang!

The Samurai General's unstoppable leaping strike crashed down, sending snow flying up from within a few meters.

Gran appeared dozens of meters away, staring incredulously at the Samurai General.

At this moment, Zane and his men finally fought their way through and broke through.

But behind them followed a large, densely packed group of Ashina Troops soldiers—all led by Zhao Heng and his men.

Finally, there was also a Emma hanging there, wearing a light-colored kimono and carrying a white scabbard.

Ahead stood Samurai General.

Later, a large number of Ashina Troops soldiers and Emma appeared.

And then another one came along.

Zane and the others suddenly felt dizzy.

Gran looked at Zane and asked angrily, "What the hell is going on with this dungeon?! Why is there another enemy with such strong stats?!"

"Gran! You idiot!!"

Upon hearing Gran's words, Zane instantly broke down.

He strode forward and grabbed Gran by the collar. "You still have the nerve to talk back! What the hell is going on?! Did I warn you before I came in?! Huh?! Did I?!"

"I told you, this Architect named Lu Xiu is a complete freak! Don't choose the dungeons she builds! I told you to choose those simple, regular dungeons with easy mechanics; even if you fail, the consequences will be smaller! But you wouldn't listen! You wouldn't listen!! You insisted on choosing the highest difficulty, and you're dragging all of us down with you!!"

"Are you satisfied now?!"

The other three players from Prison Rock also looked at Gran.

Gran's face flushed crimson instantly, and he shoved Zane's hand away. "We haven't lost yet! Reveal all your cards! At any cost! Catch up with those Nine Provinces players!"

"Get through this first!"

At the same time.

Zhao Heng turned around and saw the scene of the Prison Rock players being surrounded and attacked, and a wicked smile appeared on his face.

Other Nine Provinces players are in a similar situation.

only.

The group had just breathed a sigh of relief.

Sudden.

A piercing blast of a machine gun ejection rang out----

Immediately afterwards, a grappling hook with a rope flew out and stuck to the eaves.

"Stop!!!"

Upon hearing the grappling sound etched into his DNA, Zhao Heng's eyes widened, he shuddered, and instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

As the grappling hook retracts.

A figure leaped up and landed on the roof.

The man was dressed in ninja attire, with half his face hidden beneath a scarf fluttering in the wind.

And she bears a conspicuous Title — the Wolf Played by the Constructor.

"Holy shit!!!!"

Zhao Heng felt his scalp tingle instantly; the strategic brilliance he displayed while luring the monster vanished without a trace. He frantically waved his hands, yelling, "Retreat! Re...

Even the divine child isn't protected!

Are the players coming?!

No!

This is complete chaos!

I'm crazy!

Is this wolf character really that crazy?!

The other four Nine Provinces players weren't much better off seeing the Wolf Played by the Constructor.

----It's giving me goosebumps!

Without any hesitation.

The five Nine Provinces players immediately scrambled to the side, hiding in a very secluded corner of a broken wall, and pretended to be dead.

The next second.

The Wolf Played by the Constructor, on the rooftop moved.

She seemed oblivious to Zhao Heng and the others, or perhaps the commotion on Prison Rock's side was too great, making him more interested.

She leaped directly off the roof!

In mid-air, Shinobi Prosthetic speaker rang again, and the grappling hook bit into another rooftop with a whooshing sound.

Next.

Her figure swept past Zhao Heng and the others, heading straight for the center of the battlefield!

At this moment.

Gran, Zane, and three other players from the Prison Rock are being entangled by the Samurai General and an overwhelming Ashina Troops soldiers.

Just then, accompanied by a whooshing sound.

The ninja descended from the sky and landed steadily in the open space between the Samurai General and the Prison Rock player.

A fierce battlefield.

The sudden intervention of the ninjas caused a brief pause.

That is—

Gran suddenly looked up, and was stunned when he saw the Title" [The Wolf Played by the Constructor]" floating above the ninja's head.

Now the players from Nine Provinces have vanished like eels, and they're entangled with the monsters. They thought they were in a hopeless situation.

Unexpected!

This final enemy, who was supposed to be guarding the Heavenly Watchtower, actually escaped on his own?!

Is that divine child also nearby?!

So, if we just kill this so-called Wolf Played by the Constructor here, and then conveniently kill that divine child, will we directly win this SS-level arena match?

Haha! There's always a way out!

Upon realizing this, Gran burst into laughter. He wiped the blood from his face, raised the heavy hammer high, and stared at the wolf before him. "Zane! Forget about the minions! Kill the Wolf Played by the Constructor! This is a golden opportunity to break the deadlock!"

Zane didn't laugh; instead, he cried out in horror, "Wait! Gran— "

But he hadn't finished speaking.

Do you want to dance too?

Accompanied by fixed lines.

The Wolf Played by the Constructor Shinobi Prosthetic, and a firecracker exploded in front of Gran's face!

"!!!!!"

Zhao Heng and the others were hiding in a corner of the broken wall.

Five pairs of eyes were observing the battlefield shrouded in firelight and the shadows of swords, feeling extremely fortunate.

now.

On the battlefield.

The player from Prison Rock and the ninja with the Title "[The Wolf Played by the Constructor]" have already clashed.

The chilling sound of hammering echoed once again.

The Wolf Played by the Constructor, literally took on five opponents at once!

Deflect, anticipate, Shinobi Prosthetic skills, jump head stomp----

The Wolf Played by the Constructor, was like a sophisticated killing machine, applying the mechanics of the Sekiro raid to a new level.

The level of outrageousness is appalling!

Gran giant hammer came crashing down, but it was easily deflected.

Zane's spear thrust forward, revealing something he had already seen through.

As for skills?

A Mist Raven dodged it.

She roamed freely among the players in the Prison Rock!

"Gran! I @#￥@!"

Zane's roar echoed from afar, though it was difficult to make out what he was cursing.

But it must be very dirty.

Because he was being chased and attacked.

"Really."

Seeing this, Zhao Heng swallowed hard. "I knew this monster wouldn't be so easy to beat. Even now that there are no role-playing restrictions and everyone can freely use their skills—if you don't pay full attention and cooperate properly, you'll still get chased and hacked down."

Wild Wind whispered, "That's really pathetic----"

The player next to him, who was at Sequence 9, nodded blankly, then asked, "Wait, why did the Wolf Played by the Constructor, suddenly appear?"

"Think about Lu Xiu, and you'll understand why. In a way, this wolf is actually her."

"----Okay, then that's not surprising."

"What do we do next? Go out and rip them off?"

"What are you taking?! Let's wait until they finish fighting! If they're not dead by then, we'll go and lure the monsters again."

"Are we having a boxing match here? This—"

"Just tell me, can we win?"

"That makes sense! A true man doesn't concern himself with trifles!"

"Right?"

Looking at the chaotic battlefield, Zhao Heng laughed, "We're really strong! The opposing team's entire sequence was above 10, with two players even reaching 17, one of whom had a talent skill. We actually won! A classic battle of the weak defeating the strong! We're simply invincible! When we get out and post this on the forums, we can brag about it for a whole year!"

Wild Wind and his three teammates looked at Zhao Heng with strange and indescribable expressions.

No wonder he became a star player on the forum!

Is this what makes us strong?!

but----

The others looked at the battlefield, then glanced around at their surroundings.

It has to be said.

Lu Xiu's dungeon was a huge help!!

Her instance—it seems—is no simple matter even for players from other worlds!!

All I can say is, she's truly amazing!!

This is not an isolated incident.

What happened to Zhao Heng and his group is not an isolated case in Cross-Realm Arena battles.

The players in Prison Rock are too confident.

They will always choose SS-grade dungeons whenever possible, aiming to maximize their profits.

--

Even players in the top matchmaking pool are no exception.

Another arena.

Ashina Outskirts.

In that vast Reed Marsh that holds countless painful memories for players of Nine Provinces.

A strong wind whipped up a sky full of white fluff.

Two figures faced each other from a distance at the edge of the Reed Marsh.

Jian Li stared expressionlessly at the Prison Rock player opposite her.

Opposite her was a relatively well-proportioned but still tall player named Prison Rock, with an extremely high rank.

[Gallagher Sequence 29]

"To be honest."

Looking at the girl who could hold her own against him, Gallagher didn't rush to attack again. Instead, he stretched his neck and said, "You're quite strong, and the scenery of this dungeon is really well done, it's just a pity—"

Before he could finish speaking, a furious roar came from his side!

"Gallagher! You're kidding me!! Hurry up and kill that Jian Li!! Then come and help deal with Sword Saint One Mind!!!"

"The enemy team has started teaming up with the Sword Saint One Mind attack us!!!"

"Didn't you see?!"

Gallagher froze, then turned to look in the other direction.

Shen Nian and Wei Yidong stood beside Sword Saint One Mind, dodging One Mind's attacks while chasing and slashing at the players in Prison Rock.

Everyone's victory condition is to kill the Sword Saint One Mind.

But they stood One Mind with the Sword Saint.

The most outrageous thing is...

Because we are too familiar with it.

The Sword Saint One Mind's attacks were so powerful that the players from Nine Provinces could barely dodge them, but the players from Prison Rock couldn't dodge them at all.

This left the players Prison Rock with no choice but to flee in terror.

Gallagher's lips twitched.

Is the advantage in the Nine Provinces dungeon really that significant?

Reality.

Lu Xiu brought up the System Panel again and took a look.

It's been three hours already.

However, no area of Chen Capital has been occupied yet.

Not a single one.

"----It seems the dungeon is performing quite well."

Lu Xiu murmured something softly, then thought for a moment and opened the leaderboard.