It's Broken
"Suppressive firepower!"
"Requesting air support! We need heavy firepower!"
Smoke filled the air.
Everywhere were the wreckage of crashed Outlast pods, and billowing black smoke blotted out the sun.
In the distance, a broken section of an interstellar warship lay diagonally on the ridge, resembling a collapsed steel mountain range.
Gunshots and explosions echoed through the jungle, tracer rounds weaved between tree trunks, and occasionally rockets streaked overhead, leaving white trails before exploding into orange-red fireballs.
After taking a clear look at the surrounding scene, Lu Xiu immediately equipped herself with the Jump Kit.
This time, it's the Titanfall.
Just as she was equipped, a stray bullet grazed Lu Xiu's feet and exploded, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
Several IMC infantrymen charged at her, raising their guns. "Enemy!"
Seeing this scene...
Lu Xiu suddenly ducked low, using the thrust of the Jump Kit to slide and then scoop up the weapon dropped by the fallen soldier.
shot.
Bang bang bang.
After two rounds of pinpoint shots.
The IMC soldiers in front of him all fell to the ground.
Lu Xiu slowly stood up, patted the stains off her jeans, and looked at the MIC soldier on the ground with a thoughtful expression.
This instance is normal.
Although the soldiers seemed to be becoming more like living people, they generally remained faithful to their roles and did not react much to her appearance.
That's strange.
Why did the enemies in the Sifu's dungeon act like they'd seen a ghost when they saw me not long ago?
Why are the enemies in the Titanfall Instance so normal?
What restrictions are lifted when dungeons are used as arena settings?
Lu Xiu gripped the gun, somewhat puzzled, recalling the differences between the two encounters with dungeon enemies.
At that moment, it seemed as if the enemy in the Sifu had made eye contact with him.
etc.
line of sight?
Lu Xiu found it somewhat unbelievable.
Could it be that they recognized me as the dungeon Architect just by looking at me? That can't be that far-fetched, right? What's the difference between that and a real person?
The so-called "lifting of restrictions"—does that mean making dungeon characters identical to real people?!
And then, it still retains the memory of being attacked by itself during the dungeon?
No way----
In an instant.
Lu Xiu felt a chill run down her spine.
Just as she was feeling a chill run down her spine because of her absurd yet reasonable conjecture, and was thinking of testing it further with IMC infantry,
A faint yet sharp whooshing sound suddenly rang out behind him.
---- Not a stray bullet.
The moment judgment comes to mind.
Lu Xiu immediately turned to the side, and with a thought, the Jump Kit at her waist instantly erupted with a dazzling tail flame.
The powerful thrust caused Lu Xiu to slide several meters to the side.
And almost the instant she moved away.
A long spear burning with a ghastly green flame crashed down on the spot where she had just stood, like a falling meteorite.
Bang-
The soil and gravel exploded instantly amidst the green flames, creating a huge crater in the ground.
Lu Xiu skillfully adjusted her position in mid-air, landed lightly, and then turned around.
The smoke of battle has cleared.
A player from Prison Rock, shirtless, slowly stood up from beside the pit.
He reached out and beckoned, and the spear burning with a ghastly green flame flew back into his hand on its own.
Aaron, the guardian of the Prison Rock faction, Sequence 21.
He looked at Lu Xiu, not with the arrogance of Blood Dusk, but with a look of apprehension.
"Quick reaction—no wonder he's the kind of person who can create such a bizarre copy."
1
Aaron stared at Lu Xiu, his voice hoarse. "I don't care if you used a one-time use item or something else to instantly kill Blood Dusk, but in front of me, Phantom Gun Aaron, such things are useless."
"So annoying----"
Lu Xiu frowned slightly, looking at Aaron had already begun his pre-war declaration, somewhat impatiently.
She wanted to figure out how the instance worked after it became an arena setting, and she wanted to verify her guesses about the characters in the instance.
But how come these people are finding us so quickly, one after another?
Can't we have some time to explore?
----The enemy was about to attack.
Lu Xiu took a deep breath, then threw down the gun in her hand and took out copper coins and the Nameless Blade.
When Aaron saw Lu Xiu take out props and weapons, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
Props!
Really!
Strike first, strike fast! Take her down!
Boom!
A ghastly green flame erupted from the spear in Aaron's hand.
Next.
His figure vanished from the spot in an instant, like a ghost.
Accompanied by a sonic boom.
The next moment.
He had already covered a distance of tens of meters, appearing directly in front of Lu Xiu as if by teleportation!
"Do you think I'm that idiot Blood Dusk?!"
Aaron's eyes widened, and the spear, engulfed in a ghastly green flame, pierced towards Lu Xiu's brow with terrifying, destructive power.
One strike, one kill!
There's nothing fancy or fancy right now.
When!!!
The clang of metal on metal suddenly erupted on the battlefield!
Perfect Deflect.
Aaron stumbled and passed by Lu Xiu, turning his head to look at Lu Xiu in shock.
----What?
What just happened?
His answer was the crisp sound of copper coins tumbling.
The crisp clang of the cannon fire was particularly clear amidst the surrounding booming sounds of artillery.
The copper coin traced a graceful arc in mid-air before reaching its highest point.
An invisible wave swept across the surroundings in an instant.
Aaron's terrified expression and the astonishment in his eyes were frozen in the slowed-down spacetime.
Reality.
All the players were still reeling from the shock of Lu Xiu launching a second recapture operation and the debate over the items.
The system has prompted me again that I can now spectate.
But the players still got nothing in return.
This time, most players didn't even have time to click into the spectator window.
A system notification sound rang out.
[System Announcement: The recapture operation has ended.]
[Challenger: Nine Provinces · Lu Xiu (Sequence 2) - Victory!]
[Defender: Prison Rock Aaron (Sequence 21) lost!]
[Congratulations to the Nine Provinces faction for successfully retaking Area 14!]
[All players in Nine Provinces gain a 1% increase in all attributes (cumulative 2%), while all players in Prison Rock lose a 1% decrease in all attributes (cumulative -2%)!]
Everyone:
Maple Leaf Avenue.
The Bai Guang that had been transmitted faded away.
Lu Xiu landed steadily on the sofa.
The system settlement notification arrived as scheduled.
But Lu Xiu had no interest in any of that. She raised her small fist, turned around and punched the cushion in annoyance, saying sullenly, "Phantom Gun, my foot—just rush over and do a basic attack, what a waste of my time!"
"I refuse to believe it! Today I'm going to figure out exactly how the dungeon works as an arena!"
She brought up the System Panel again and opened the situation map.
Then, skipping over the areas that were occupied today, they selected another area that had been occupied by Prison Rock yesterday.
"Again!"
Less than two minutes.
The players were completely bewildered, still processing what had just happened.
The system notification sounded for the third time----
[The Nine Provinces campaign has begun!]
[Challenge Faction: Nine Provinces]
[Challenger: Lu Xiu (Sequence 2)!]
[----]
Lu Xiu launched her third recapture operation!!
After defeating the opponent twice in seconds!!
She actually started it a third time!!
----Where's the promised powerful, one-time-use item?!
Neither the players from Nine Provinces nor those from Prison Rock knew what to say at that moment.
However, this was just the beginning.
What happened next made players in both regions feel like they were dreaming.
The third time, Lu Xiu successfully reclaimed the area, and in a swift victory no less.
[Challenger: Nine Provinces · Lu Xiu (Winner) Defender: Prison Rock · Og (Loss)!]
The players hadn't even had a chance to post anything on the forum.
bite-
[The Nine Provinces campaign has begun!]
Next.
A short while later.
The system has indicated that you can now spectate.
But when you click into the spectator window, you find it completely black.
Lu Xiu stepped back.
Another occupied territory has been recovered.
Exactly the same!
The process is exactly the same!
Then came the fifth, sixth, and seventh time...
The system's originally loud notification sound, due to the high-frequency continuous triggering, became a continuous chorus in the players' ears.
Other players even had the illusion that they could hear the mechanical and numb feeling of the system being forced to work overtime.
The forums in both regions fell into an eerie silence.
It's not that no one is posting.
But very few.
Because everyone—no one knows how to describe what's happening right now.
The player in Prison Rock opened his mouth, his face full of astonishment.
Players in Nine Provinces only know that after clicking in and watching a 30-second black screen, they can exit and the system will notify them that Lu Xiu has successfully reclaimed the power, and they will gain another 1% to all their attributes.
I know nothing else.
Leaving aside the players' shock and astonishment.
As Lu Xiu swept through the recapture battle with unstoppable momentum—winning one victory after another—the top players of Prison Rock were the first to collapse!
Eight percent!
A total of 8% of all attributes have dropped!
For ordinary players at lower ranks, this change may not be immediately noticeable; at most, they might feel their bodies become a little heavier.
However, for High Sequence players at the top of the pyramid, whose base attributes are already high, an 8% impact is not insignificant!
What's even more critical is that—one gains at the expense of the other!
Players in Prison Rock lost 8%, while players in Nine Provinces gained 8%. This back-and-forth resulted in a significant difference in their attributes!
While it may not completely tip the scales of victory, the opponent is getting stronger and faster, while you are getting weaker—who can stand that?!
Moreover, this is a huge blow to morale and fighting spirit.
Eight!
That Architect killed eight people in a row!
A certain arena.
Lawrence, one of the top players in Prison Rock, blocked Cheng Xiu's heavy slash, then suddenly retreated to create distance. Looking at the increasingly powerful Nine Provinces player in front of him, he was breathing heavily, his mentality completely shattered!
Across from him, Jiang Qiu Cheng Xiu, and the others had somewhat strange expressions, but were generally excited.
----Although none of them expected Lu Xiu to end up like this.
But it is indeed a good thing.
Upon hearing the opposing Nine Provinces players chattering about how awesome they were, how their coach was on the field, and how amazing Lu Xiu, they realized that what had been an evenly matched battle had turned into a situation where the opponents were taking it easy while they were getting beaten up.
Lawrence was even more enraged and couldn't help but yell, "What's wrong with those guardians?! Are their brains filled with shit?!"
They're all Sequence 20 players! How come they get instantly killed one after another whenever they face that damned Architect?! And the opponent is only level 2!
Even slaughtering a pig wouldn't be that fast!!
bite.
As if in response to Lawrence's angry outburst.
The system notification sounded again.
[System Announcement: The recapture battle has ended.]
[Challenger: Nine Provinces · Lu Xiu (Sequence 2) - Victory!]
Lawrence: "!!!!!"
The ninth time!
Meanwhile, Jiang Qiu and Cheng Xiu, who were opposite Lawrence, suddenly brightened up.
----Getting excited!
It feels so good to get stronger the more you play.
Jiang Qiu and Cheng Xiu immediately charged forward from the left and right, taking advantage of the attribute difference they had created, and fought with tremendous force.
Lawrence barely dodged Jiang Qiu's punch, knowing he couldn't let this continue.
This is no longer just about losing one or two matches!
If that Architect is allowed to take back all the remaining areas like a slaughterhouse, then none of the players in Prison Rock will be able to compete in the arena anymore!
Thinking of this...
While parrying Jiang Qiu's relentless attacks, Lawrence turned his head and roared, "End this battle quickly! Go back and take over as the Guardian! This can't go on!"
"We absolutely cannot let Lu Xiu continue to brush like this!"
His teammate yelled, "You make it sound so easy! It's not going to end here!"
"Then let them die!"
Lawrence suddenly paused, then made up his mind. "This time, we're not choosing an SS-rank instance! Don't be afraid of losses!"
Lawrence's teammate: "----"
And it's not just Lawrence's side.
Because of a series of defeats in the recapture operations.
The top players in Prison Rock have lost their composure. Many no longer seek victory, but only want to return to Prison Rock as soon as possible, become guardians, and stop Lu Xiu.
All I can say is...
No one expected that Lu Xiu would ultimately influence the battle in this way, single-handedly breaking the balance of the arena battle.
Prison Rock.
"Disposable props?!"
The Prime Minister of the Prison Rock Royal Court kicked over the long table in front of him, pointed at Blood Dusk's nose, and roared in a fit of rage, "Tell me, what kind of disposable item can be used nine times in a row?! Nine times! What kind of item can kill you like pigs? How exactly did you lose?"
Blood Dusk was covered in sweat, opened his mouth, and looked completely bewildered.
The Prime Minister was even angrier, and looked at the guards. "There are eight more. Bring them all here! Also, immediately have Gallagher and the others take over as the guardians! This can't go on any longer. If she keeps grinding like this, the morale and attributes of Prison Rock will completely collapse!"
And Helag too! Bring her over here! I want to ask her! How can a Architect achieve this level of skill?!
At the same time.
Nine Provinces.
Coordination Bureau.
Yan Fushou sat blankly in the chair, listening to the almost non-stop announcements about the recapture, his mouth slightly open, his face full of astonishment.
Not long ago, when he gave Lu Xiu the list, he genuinely thought Lu Xiu just wanted to give it a try.
But as it turns out...
He's too naive.
Lu Xiu directly captured nine cities in a row, slaughtering the High Sequence players on the opposing side like pigs.
He doesn't know what expression to wear or what to say anymore.
Bang!
Just as Yan Fushou was questioning his existence, the office door was suddenly pushed open forcefully.
Wang Huai, the military representative from the front lines, strode in.
This usually stern and unsmiling soldier was now beaming with barely suppressed excitement, shouting as soon as he entered, "Great! Great! Lu Xiu did a great job!"
Yan Fushou looked up and stared blankly at him.
What are you going to shout now?
Just as he was thinking this...
Wang Huai walked a few steps to his desk, placed his hands on the surface, and his face was slightly flushed with excitement. "Old Yan, the soldiers on the front lines, thanks to the attribute boosts brought by Lu Xiu, have achieved another great victory! They've received another collective buff!!"
Skills, items, equipment, Survival Points —everything you could want!
Including yesterday! In just two days! The gains of the frontline soldiers! Have already equaled the total gains of Lu Xiu's entire two years before she started doing dungeons!
Two years! Two days equals two years!
"Continue!"
"You must let Lu Xiu continue! She can have anything she wants! Anything at all!"
Yan Fushou looked at Wang Huai, who was so excited he was almost dancing with joy, opened his mouth, but still didn't know what to say.
This moment.
He suddenly remembered what Queenie, the traitor from Prison Rock, had said.
The honor or disgrace of a region rests on the shoulders of a single Architect.
He finally understood what that meant.
Knock knock.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted Wang Huai's words and Yan Fushou's thoughts.
Yan Fushou snapped out of his daze and looked up.
The office door was pushed open, and Jian Li, wearing a pleated skirt and with long, flowing silver hair, walked in.
"Jian Li? You're done?"
Yan Fushou was taken aback.
Based on yesterday's situation...
It shouldn't be that fast.
Jian Li nodded very slightly. "The other side gave up on their own initiative."
"Give up voluntarily?"
"Yes, as the attribute gap widens, the players in Prison Rock are losing their will to fight and just want to get out of the arena as soon as possible."
"Leave the ring?"
Yan Fushou's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, then he seemed to realize something and his expression changed slightly. "----This is bad, we have to stop Lu Xiu. The top players of Prison Rock are about to become the guardians."
The ninth battle to retake the city has ended.
--
Maple Leaf Avenue.
Lu Xiu suddenly threw herself onto the sofa, grabbed a cushion to cover her face, and kicked her two long, straight legs in anger in mid-air.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh."
No!!!
How did these guardians arrive so quickly?!
Although Lu Xiu knew that the recapture battle would definitely be different from the regular arena, since it was a one-on-one duel before the battle, the main focus would be on direct clashes between players, this was just too outrageous! Every time, they were matched with players nearby!
Lu Xiu was absolutely furious!
Nine in total!
Nine!
Every time she entered the dungeon, she wanted to observe it carefully! But every time, as soon as she saw the dungeon enemy—the opposing guardian—it would unleash its ultimate attack and charge at her.
Just like a fly!
"Ugh, so annoying."
Lu Xiu gave up on herself for a while before sitting up straight, smoothing her messy long hair, and projecting her self-glow onto the settlement panel.
[You have won the recapture!]
[Congratulations on reclaiming Area 01!]
[Congratulations on gaining 900,000 Survival Points!]
[Congratulations on gaining 1140 battle merits.]
[You have risen to the top of the battle merit list.]
Lu Xiu: "----"