Assimilation
Changfeng Road, entrance to an abandoned residential community.
Lu Xiu took a deep breath.
When choosing.
Actually, she was still somewhat uneasy.
After all, in the dungeon, she did seem to act somewhat inhumanly in order to achieve the ending.
Not only did they treat Ellen as a maid, but they also...
It seems like they even gave Ellen a lecture at the end?
At this moment, Lu Xiu was no longer the architect who built the [Witch] instance— Architect who knew nothing about it.
Looking back now, the things Ellen shouted hysterically in the fire at the end were truly worrying.
Could it be that Ellen and the others have retained their original memories?
That's not a good sign.
but----
They're just kids, after all.
Even if she's like the Crossbreed Priscilla, she shouldn't be too difficult to deal with, right?
Lu Xiu tapped the copy with her finger, shook her head vigorously, and banished those chaotic thoughts.
never mind----
Now that you've made up your mind, don't dwell on it!
When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.
Lu Xiu took another deep breath, then slightly raised her fair fingertips.
[Bite!]
[Confirmed Placement: Witch (Architect- verified version)]
[Checking the overall structure of the copy----]
[Data stripping in progress----]
[Unlocking all restrictions----]
[NPC behavior tree fully open----]
[Core gameplay evolves automatically----]
[Another version of this copy has been detected, and the parameters overlap.]
[Forced merging of the two versions has begun!]
A series of system notification sounds rang out.
A series of ominous-looking pop-up windows kept appearing in front of Lu Xiu's eyes.
[Fusion complete.]
[Please Architect confirm the instance's placement and physical location.]
But soon...
The last pop-up window appeared.
Lu Xiu glanced at the selection window in front of her, then looked up and scanned the well-organized abandoned community.
Finally, her gaze fell on the very center of the residential complex, on a high-rise, unfinished building occupying a prime location. She pointed and locked onto the dilapidated concrete structure.
And just specified.
Boom!!!
Without any warning, a muffled thud echoed throughout the abandoned residential area.
Jian Li and Shen Nian, who were on guard duty from above, instantly turned their heads, their bodies tensing, and with a flick of their wrists, they drew their weapons.
And under the watchful eyes of the three.
The mutation has begun.
Centered on the tall building chosen by Lu Xiu, a purplish-black mist rose into the sky.
The surrounding temperature plummeted dramatically in that instant.
The morning mist no longer drifted away with the wind, but became thick and heavy, even faintly revealing a deathly grayish-white hue.
Shen Nian shivered slightly.
Then he looked down and saw that the withered weeds that used to be everywhere in the abandoned community were now withering and decaying at a visible speed, eventually turning into puddles of black slime that emitted a fishy smell.
As the system's loading bar progressed rapidly...
A bizarre scene unfolded.
The originally solid reinforced concrete first twisted violently like ripples in water, and then began to twist and peel off violently like a block of wax melting in a raging fire.
The modern load-bearing walls and cement pillars, washed by the purplish-black mist, were transformed at a visible speed into heavy stones exuding an ancient and decaying aura.
The spires of the high-rise buildings were forcibly flattened and reshaped, and the staggered balconies were transformed into Gothic carved window frames.
The entire building began to change dramatically.
It only took a dozen seconds.
An unfinished building, reminiscent of modern industrial ruins, was completely transformed into a gloomy and eerie Mansion.
The Witch's House.
This building, which once only existed in a dungeon, now stands on the land of the real world.
Not only that.
As the Mansion took shape, the purplish-black mist continued to spread outwards, just like a flood bursting its banks.
Click click click----
The concrete pavement surrounding the Mansion began to crack in large areas, and countless thick, thorny rose vines surged wildly from the ground.
Then, in the lush green forest, the thorny roses began to spread wildly in all directions from the Mansion as the center.
Towering trees sprang up one after another, quickly growing into a canopy that blocked out the sun.
The forest surrounding the Witch is forcibly expanding outward from the Mansion, showing signs of swallowing up and assimilating the entire Changfeng Road community!
"Lu Xiu! This thing is expanding!"
Shen Nian shouted, looking at the forest that had already spread to a circle, her scalp tingling.
"I saw it."
Lu Xiu responded, also finding it somewhat troublesome.
If this keeps expanding, to what extent will it expand?
Fortunately, it's alright.
The next second.
A notification has appeared.
[Expansion has reached its current limit.]
[Environmental assimilation must be forcibly curbed.]
Buzz!
An invisible system barrier descended from the sky.
The forests and roses that were spreading outwards with their claws outwards seemed to have hit a wall of sighs, and their spread came to an abrupt halt.
The thorns and trees that had just sprouted from the ground at the edge, like phantoms that had lost their energy support, quickly turned into black ashes and disappeared.
Ultimately, the expansion of the forest was contained to a radius of less than fifty meters around the Mansion, forming a small, clearly defined forest.
Within the courtyard lies the sinister and despairing domain of the Witch.
Beyond the courtyard, the real world remained a desolate ruin.
All the strange phenomena gradually subsided.
A cool morning breeze blew by, ruffling Lu Xiu's hair.
Not far away lies the familiar forest path—the path leading to the Witch's House.
"The dungeon scene actually appeared in reality!"
Lu Xiu frowned as she looked at the Witch's House before her, which was exactly the same as the one in the dungeon, and even seemed larger and more oppressive in reality.
The placement of this instance appears to be more complex than simply placing an entrance.
The Witch's House is now standing right in front of us!
The outer perimeter of the security perimeter.
The frontline squad, prepared to act on Lu Xiu's orders in case of emergencies, stared wide-eyed at the forest and Mansion that had been forcibly created, as if witnessing a miracle.
What's wrong?
At this time...
A window suddenly appeared before Lu Xiu's eyes.
[Bite!]
[The "Witch" instance has been detected and anchored in the real world!]
With all restrictions lifted, the internal ecosystem of the instance will become completely open and will undergo automatic evolution in accordance with the settings.
[Offline entrance to the instance is now open.]
The offline completion conditions for this instance have changed.
[The online version has been changed to a projection.]
NPCs in offline instances will be unique.
[Offline dungeon rating changed: SS+ → SSS]
[As the builder and placer of this instance, you will gain corresponding Creator privileges after completing an offline instance once.]
Swish!
Two soft whooshing sounds rang out.
After confirming that the expanding phenomenon around them had completely stopped, Jian Li and Shen Nian, who were on guard at the top, quickly jumped down and returned to Lu Xiu's side.
Shen Nian looked at the clearly defined, dark forest ahead, and the Western-style Mansion deep within it, and asked, "Lu Xiu? How is she?"
"This is troublesome."
Looking at the system notification that "the dungeon completion conditions have changed," Lu Xiu rubbed her temples with a headache. "The system has removed all restrictions, and the dungeon seems to have completely deviated from my original design."
"You mean to say----?" Jian Li also looked at Lu Xiu.
"That means even I, the Architect, don't know how to clear this dungeon."
Jian Li and Shen Nian:
"Furthermore, if I want to obtain the privileges, I must personally complete the dungeon offline once."
Lu Xiu looked at the Western-style Mansion in the distance. "Otherwise, I have no idea what changes will occur after the offline version of the game is released."
Upon hearing this...
Shen Nian was taken aback. "Didn't you already pass the verification once? Do you need to go in and pass it again? And the conditions for passing are still unclear?"
"Right."
Lu Xiu nodded gently.
Shen Nian wanted to say something more.
However, at that moment...
Bang! Bang!
The three of them turned around abruptly, their gaze passing over the steel jungle, over the dark forest that stood out so incongruous with the dilapidated neighborhood, and looking toward the Mansion located in the center.
A dull thud suddenly came from inside the Mansion.
The sound came without warning, as if someone were recklessly ramming against the gates of the Mansion.
Even from a considerable distance, the vibrations were clearly felt in the ears of the three people.
Jian Li's eyes sharpened instantly. Without hesitation, she took half a step forward, shielding Lu Xiu behind her, and looked at the incongruous building in the center of the community.
Shen Nian was a beat slow, but she also stood in front of Lu Xiu: "There are people inside?! Isn't this a dungeon scene?!"
Lu Xiu: "----I don't know either."
Bang bang bang!
The impacts became more frequent and intense, as if something inside was eager to break through the barrier and burst out.
Amidst the frantic banging on the door, a faint, intermittent sound drifted over on the morning breeze.
I knew it—you weren't lying to me—
You've come to find me—my best—friend—
You'll stay with me—right—?
"You came to find me—didn't you— Lu Xiu— "
The voice, indistinct yet filled with a distorted fervor and elation, echoed vividly in the real world.
J
Upon hearing this...
Shen Nian and Jian Li turned their heads together and looked at Lu Xiu in disbelief.
"Is that calling your name?"
".
Lu Xiu remained silent; the anxiety that had been hanging over her finally died.
Ellen actually retained the memory of when she set the fire.
really.
The system's statement that NPCs will be unique is not just a casual remark.
You should have guessed it when you saw the reaction of the soldiers in Sifu during the recapture battle!
These NPCs really do retain memories!
Now.
The Witch Ellen, who was tricked into falling ill and then hysterically screamed "I will find you!" in the sea of fire—has truly come back to life with her memories intact.
We're doomed.
In that instant.
A series of images flashed uncontrollably through Lu Xiu's mind.
If all NPCs in offline dungeons are truly unique and retain their memories, knowing what the Architect did to them----
So—wouldn't all those bosses she'd killed in countless resets and deaths end up like this?
Thinking about this...
Lu Xiu's vision went black, and her scalp tingled.
She seems to have offended quite a few bosses and NPCs! And they're all heavyweights!
"----Let's go, let's not ask for this permission."
Lu Xiu looked at Jian Li and Shen Nian, and suddenly said.
The main purpose of placing dungeons is to ensure that dungeons can be launched normally.
As for that so-called Creator Authority, although she doesn't have control over it now, she can still take a cut of the admission fees, so it doesn't seem like she absolutely needs it.
That's the thought that crossed my mind.
Lu Xiu decisively took half a step back.
However.
Just as this thought arose in her mind, before her toes had fully turned around...
[Special Note: Offline dungeons are fully open and automatically evolving. If the Architect fails to complete the dungeon and obtain Creator privileges, the placed dungeon will become completely out of control.]
[Instance scenarios may expand outwards without limit.]
Seeing this sudden pop-up warning.
Lu Xiu froze on the spot, the half of her body that had just turned around.
66
Shen Nian and Jian Li were about to turn around with Lu Xiu when they suddenly noticed that Lu Xiu had stopped.
Lu Xiu's beautiful eyes widened slightly. She took a deep breath, her full chest heaving, and said angrily, "----Fine, fine, so this is how you play it?"