I Meant Lu Xiu's New Instance, Right?

Cross-Realm Arena.

The battle to retake it.

The strange phenomenon in the sky slowly dissipated.

Jiang Qiu gently flicked her ponytail and looked at the tall and imposing Prison Rock player in front of her again, finally snapping out of her daze from the system announcement.

I was shocked.

But now is clearly not the time to think about that.

And opposite her.

The player Prison Rock also snapped out of his daze after reading the system announcement.

This is a female player, tall, a full head taller than Jiang Qiu.

Although the Prison Rock People are generally tall, the female player in front of her seems to have a rare physique even among the Prison Rock. She has broad shoulders, long legs, and clearly visible muscle lines, and she looks like a moving wall when she stands there.

She held a broad-bladed battle axe, the blade of which was as big as a washbasin, and it exuded a powerful aura.

[Tessa, Sequence 28]

"Your Architect ----"

Tessa, still reeling from the announcement, stared at Jiang Qiu, who, despite his frail appearance, possessed terrifying power. Shocked and curious, she couldn't help but ask, "How exactly was he trained? SSS?"

Jiang Qiu was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed out loud, "Train?"

"What's the meaning?"

Tessa was also taken aback when she saw Jiang Qiu's expression, then narrowed her eyes. "Don't your Architect need feedback from your top players on dungeon issues? Can you really achieve this level of efficiency by working in isolation?"

Jiang Qiu smiled and struck a pose, "Guess?"

feedback?

She did give feedback last time.

Then he was electrocuted and collapsed onto the Architect, and got yelled at too.

Working in isolation?

She debuted at her peak!

Are you afraid we'll learn it?

Hearing Jiang Qiu's words, Tessa shook her head and raised her battle axe. "That's normal—I admit your Architect are amazing, able to create an SSS-rated dungeon, much better than Helag, but that's a long shot and can't solve the immediate problem. In this battle to reclaim the dungeon, only I will win."

"Yeah?"

Jiang Qiu replied casually.

The two sides were on the verge of conflict.

But at that moment...

Buzz!

A deep, penetrating hum suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterwards.

Both of them jumped out of the window.

[Special event triggered.]

[The Asylum Demon has been invaded.]

Both of them paused simultaneously.

Before they could react, the light overhead suddenly went out.

Jiang Qiu and Tessa looked up almost simultaneously.

The sky, which had just returned to normal, began to change again.

Light converged in mid-air, causing the entire space to distort violently.

Then, a deafening roar, like rocks shattering, followed.

A massive shadow descended from the sky, landing with extreme brutality, propelled by gravity, crashing straight down! It was as if it had been thrown directly from a dungeon.

Bang!

With a heavy thud, the stone slab floor cracked instantly, scattering gravel and dust everywhere.

Jiang Qiu and Tessa immediately stepped back, simultaneously raising their hands to shield themselves from the smoke and dust.

Wait until they put their hands down.

The smoke and dust cleared.

A massive silhouette slowly rose to its feet.

It was a bloated and enormous monster, covered in rough, bluish skin, with a flat head, a mouth full of jagged fangs, and broken wings on its back.

It gripped the Demon's Great Hammer in both hands, its murky eyes slowly moving, first sweeping over Jiang Qiu, then over Tessa.

Then, a roar was let out.

[The Asylum Demon]

Both of them saw the monster's name at the same time.

"These are the monsters in your SSS-level dungeon?"

Tessa glanced at the bloated Demon that was crashing down, then turned to look at Jiang Qiu.

But they discovered that Jiang Qiu had already run away!

Tessa stared in disbelief at Jiang Qiu, who had already run more than ten meters away.

Just moments ago, Jiang Qiu was fighting her on equal footing, and even had the upper hand in terms of movement and technique.

She had already acknowledged the strength of this Nine Provinces player in her heart.

The moment the monster showed itself—she didn't even turn her head, she just turned and ran away?!

"----Turns out he's a coward."

Tessa stared at the departing figure for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle.

So what if it's an SSS-level dungeon monster?

It wasn't a well-organized army of monsters, just a lone wolf.

Although it is not bound by the arena setting, it may have its own built-in mechanics.

But can't a player at Sequence 28 at least protect themselves if they can't even win?

Tessa had just formed this idea.

"Roar--"

The Asylum Demon suddenly let out a deafening roar.

Its massive, fleshy body suddenly shot up from the ground and leaped directly into the air!

A huge shadow instantly enveloped Tessa.

This attack method looked somewhat comical and clumsy.

Tessa's contempt deepened.

She transformed into a Afterimage, disappearing from her original spot in an instant thanks to her high attribute points, and reappeared beside the Demon.

Boom!!!

The Asylum Demon's massive buttocks landed heavily on the ground.

Rock fragments flew through the air, the earth shook violently as if in an earthquake, and the terrifying shockwave directly blew away the surrounding stone slabs.

But it only looks scary.

"----Are these the monsters in the SSS dungeon?"

Tessa steadied herself, licked her lips, and then raised her battle axe.

According to common sense.

After such a large monster unleashes this AOE attack, it will inevitably enter a period of vulnerability.

This is the perfect opportunity to strike back!

Tessa really wants to try her hand at fighting monsters in the SSS-rank dungeon!

She looked at the bloated Demon, gripped the battle axe the size of a washbasin with both hands, and activated her charge skill without hesitation. She transformed into a whirlwind, heading straight for the Demon's massive body, which had not yet risen. At the same time, she raised the battle axe high, preparing to cleave its thick hide with a single blow.

However.

She had just rushed in front of the Demon.

The Demon moved as well.

The bloated Demon, who should have been in a stiff state in theory—didn't even finish getting up—switched its waist and swung its massive Demon's Great Hammer, as thick as a pillar, using the terrifying centrifugal force of its turn to sweep across without any hesitation!

Tessa's pupils contracted sharply.

No?!

It's not stiff?!

Such a large body didn't stiffen????

This is a dungeon monster?! How is the Architect expecting players to fight it?!

The Demon's Great Hammer was about to slam into his face.

Tessa was unable to dodge a second time during the charge and could only frantically hold her battle axe to her side.

When!!!

A deafening metallic explosion!

The Demon hammer slammed solidly into Tessa's battle axe!

Tessa's battle axe slipped from her hand, the immense recoil causing Tessa arms to crack with a sound, and she was slammed backward, sliding several meters.

What kind of power is that?

Tessa felt the pain of her broken arms and looked up in astonishment.

Then, just then, the bloated Demon, who had gotten up, suddenly kicked off with his two thick pillar-like legs.

Boom!

Jump right from the spot!

Tessa's eyes widened suddenly!

Such a large size!

You can jump like that?! Jumping the instant you stand up?!

Isn't this a dungeon monster?! Or does the Architect think the players are superhuman?!

I----

Bang!!!

Tessa's thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

She wasn't given any chance to activate her Chosen Skill or shield.

Because it was too fast.

If you roll immediately, you can avoid it.

But she was utterly shocked.

Because of the momentary freeze, she missed her chance to dodge and also missed the chance to activate her skill.

So the Demon Hammer, carrying devastating physical force, slammed solidly into her head.

Tessa was instantly turned to mud.

But what's even more chilling is...

Although the target had been instantly killed, the Asylum Demon did not stop its attack.

Its first strike was followed by a very brief delay.

But then! A second! A third! A fourth!

Whoosh!

That was incredibly fast! It was practically Afterimage!

The Demon's hammer pounded the ground wildly! Debris flew everywhere, and the earth trembled.

On the other side.

Jiang Qiu, who had already run quite a distance, looked back once more.

Just then, I saw Tessa being smashed into a pulp by a hammer, and the Demon frantically pounding the ground.

Jiang Qiu gasped.

She knew it!

She knew it!!!

The monsters that spawn in the Lu Xiu dungeon are absolutely no good!

She doesn't know anything about Lu Xiu's new storyline! But doesn't she already know Lu Xiu?!

Looking at it now...

really.

The claims that large characters are slow and attacks have recovery animations are all lies in Lu Xiu's dungeon!

But isn't this a bit too outrageous?!

That bulky, massive body moved with such crisp, smooth movements, and wielded the hammer with such agility!

You need to know.

This isn't a dungeon.

This is still the arena.

The player's attributes weren't suppressed at all!

It was sold out in seconds!

What a pathetic power!

If this were a dungeon, how would players fight against monsters like these?

As Jiang Qiu moved away from the Asylum Demon, she silently let out a groundhog's scream.

No! Lu Xiu!

What kind of monstrosity has this new dungeon gotten us into this time?!

This is not an isolated incident.

Jiang Qiu and Tessa are actually doing alright.

----And it gets even worse.

The battle to retake it.

"Damn it, Li Liang! Don't run away if you dare!"

Fan Lixin and Lawrence, a player from Prison Rock, ran side by side, fleeing for their lives. As they ran, Fan Lixin yelled, "You think you're so great? Go fight the invading monsters!"

"

Lawrence remained silent, simply running forward.

And behind them.

Two figures, one thin and one fat, clad in armor, were relentlessly pursuing them like a persistent, invasive disease.

Dragon Slayer Ornstein.

Executioner Smough.

One was a knight wielding a lightning cross lance, moving with lightning speed.

One was a giant man wielding an exaggeratedly large hammer, resembling a mobile fortress.

----The intrusion can even be done in teams!

Just three minutes ago.

Lawrence and Fan Lixin were locked in a fierce battle.

Just when the two were about to determine a winner.

The Ornstein and Smough descended from the sky!

Lawrence didn't take it seriously at first.

His thinking was the same as Tessa's: they weren't a group of monsters; if they couldn't beat them, couldn't they at least protect themselves?

Kill Fan Lixin first!

He even tried to take on three opponents at once.

Then.

And then the two of them ended up like this----

Dragon Slayer Ornstein was as agile as lightning.

Slide, leap, push.

The spear transformed into lightning.

Less than two seconds.

If Lawrence hadn't reacted quickly and activated his Chosen Skill, he would have been strung up!

Executioner Smough.

This one is even more heavyweight.

Its massive body loomed like a mountain, its iron hammer sweeping, striking, charging, and even had an area-of-effect attack.

Just like a bulldozer.

Is this a monster from a private instance?!

no.

I thought the monsters in Sekiro were already ridiculously tough! Are there any even tougher ones?

What kind of life do players in Nine Provinces usually lead?

What's even more deadly is that these two monsters coordinate perfectly! One blocks movement, while the other delivers a heavy blow to the face.

They gave them absolutely no chance to breathe!

Lawrence was genuinely amused and exasperated.

Fan Lixin wasn't much better off.

then.

The opponents, who should have fought to the death in the recapture battle, turned and ran away in perfect unison after exchanging blows with the Ornstein and Smough.

Not running?

Should we fight instead of running?

It's a thankless task!

Only a fool would do that!

The two of them were putting in all their strength at that moment.

But the sounds of thunder and the earth cracking continued to follow them relentlessly.

"Aren't you a top player?!"

As Fan Lixin sprinted, he turned around and yelled at Lawrence, who was running alongside him, "Didn't you just say you were going to take on three people at once?!"

Stop! Turn around and unleash your skills! Show off your Prison Rock's strength! Why are you running?!

Lawrence's face was ashen, and he was panting heavily. "Shut up! What kind of idiots are the Architect of Nine Provinces?! The stats of the dungeon monsters are the same as, or even higher than, those of the Chosen Player! What are they after?!"

Moreover, the two monsters are a highly agile assassin with super long-range mobility and a heavily armored warrior with area-of-effect attacks, and they also have coordinated tactical cooperation!

How can a dungeon be built like this?! How are players supposed to complete it?!

"It's none of your business! Lu Xiu is a genius of our Nine Provinces!"

Fan Lixin, stubborn as ever, retorted, "This is the true value of an SSS-level dungeon! Let you frogs in a well see what's what! What, scared out of your wits by two dungeon monsters? How laughable."

"Fart!"

Lawrence roared in exasperation, "Scared out of your wits? I just didn't want to waste my energy! I think you're the one who's scared out of your wits! Otherwise, why would you be running faster than a dog?!"

"This is a tactical retreat!"

Fan Lixin roared, "Who told you to be so brainless as to provoke a monster that brought you no benefit whatsoever! Stay away from me! That fat guy was clearly attracted to your reflective armor!"

"Get lost! That skinny guy with the gun was clearly after you!"

The most tragic one was Shen Nian.

At another arena, a desperate escape is also unfolding.

Shen Nian and Prison Rock's top Chosen Player, Gallagher, were running forward like madmen, one after the other.

And behind them.

A massive Fatalis dragon, its body covered in black scales, was hot on its heels.

The Dragon of Calamity, the Black Dragon Kalameet.

Boom!

The Fatalis's breath swept past their heels.

--

Gallagher was in a sorry state, half of his hair singed. He kept switching between his movement skills while yelling furiously, "Your Architect! Are you out of your mind! Are you out of your mind!! Are you out of your mind!!!"

He looked at Shen Nian, who was also running frantically beside him, and roared in a fit of rage, "A monster this big! And its resistance is off the charts! How are players supposed to fight it?! Tell me!! How?! Why make a monster like this?!"

Shen Nian suddenly accelerated, narrowly avoiding a dragon's pounce, and upon hearing this, she angrily retorted, "I won't allow you to talk about her like that!"

"Although she really is—sometimes inhuman!"

"But only we can say it!"

At the same time.

Similar tragedies are unfolding in various areas of the Cross-Realm Arena.

Whether they were playing in the regular arena or in a recapture battle, all players encountered a sudden invasion.

Of course, most players don't have the luck of winning the lottery like Fan Lixin and Shen Nian, and they won't encounter boss-level monsters.

But even ordinary monsters are enough to give players a run for their money.

Black Knight wielding an extraordinarily powerful greatsword with ridiculously high resilience, capable of depleting a life in just two strikes.

The Silver Knight wields the Dragonslayer Greatbow as a sniper rifle and can also instantly kill in close combat.

These monsters don't talk to players about skill exchanges at all.

They only have the aggressive desire of mad dogs!

The entire Cross-Realm Arena is in complete chaos.

All the players who were invaded, whether from Prison Rock or Nine Provinces, were running for their lives while cursing loudly.

Complaints were widespread, and cries of sorrow filled the air.

---- Utterly tragic.

The dungeons haven't even been verified or cleared yet, and the game isn't officially launched.

Players of Nine Provinces began to suffer.

They also brought along the players from Prison Rock.

Three hours later.

--

Yan Fushou stared blankly at Fan Lixin and the others before him. "What do you mean by turning the arena into a race? Whoever runs the slowest dies?"

I was asking about the new version of Lu Xiu, right?