Heroic Ambition and Harsh Reality

at the same time.

Nine Provinces, Sea City in eastern China, Jade Capital.

As the largest coastal city and the longest defensive line, this massive steel metropolis has been shrouded in gloom and oppression for many years, and its scenery has remained unchanged for a long time.

However, just a few minutes ago...

In the city's central square, a strange change occurred without warning.

Boom!!!

With a deafening roar, the void rippled like water.

Immediately afterwards, a massive door, tens of meters high, constructed from unidentified giant trees and rough mechanical gears, crashed down in the center of the square.

Vibrant green vines twined around the door, and through the open archway, one could even feel a gentle breeze carrying the scent of sunshine and sea.

"What's this?!!"

"System update?!"

66

Countless soldiers on the front lines witnessed this scene.

Immediately afterward, the alarm blared throughout the entire city, and countless soldiers who were resting and High Sequence players stationed there were like startled birds, immediately drawing their weapons.

I'm very nervous.

but.

This tension didn't last long.

The order came down quickly.

"All alert!!!"

"Transition to routine observation."

"That's the offline entrance to the brand new dungeon built by Lu Xiu!!!"

Upon hearing this explanation, all the soldiers and players at the front line stared in astonishment at the dazzling gate.

----The new dungeon for that Architect lady?

Offline entry point?

Before they could even react...

The system announcement immediately followed.

[Server-wide Announcement]

The brand new dungeon, <Monster Hunter>, is now officially live!

[Offline entrance is now open, coordinates have been updated. Entering the dungeon offline will upgrade its rating to Mythic Grade.]

This is a global announcement.

Players in all regions can hear it.

Mythical Dungeon!

Although only offline access to the dungeon is considered Mythic Grade.

But this really took all the players by surprise.

Countless players gaped in astonishment.

Then.

An unprecedented sense of excitement arose.

Because—currently, there is no Mythic rating in system dungeons!

This is the first time ever!

This, coupled with the promotional video for the Lu Xiu dungeon, had already whetted the players' appetites. The fluid movements, the invincible legend of the Sapphire Star, and the clearly marked rewards of reset items and Profession Certificate —everything precisely hit the nerves of the Nine Provinces players.

This goes without saying for players in other regions.

They've never even seen a civilian copy with an SSS rating!

[It's finally here!!!]

[The offline entrance is actually at the East China Sea Frontline? I'm so close to there! Mythic Grade! The rewards might be amazing! I'm heading to the East China Sea Frontline!]

[Let's go! Consider it going to support the front lines!!!]

[I need to enter the dungeon immediately!!!]

Countless players entered the dungeon at the same time.

However, players in Nine Provinces had a geographical advantage, and many of them gave up the convenience of entering online and flocked to the front-line cities in an attempt to clear the mythical dungeon.

Players from other nations like Franca and Red Tide could only watch from the sidelines.

Although they also wanted to clear the mythical dungeon.

However, a large-scale entry into Nine Provinces is definitely not possible at the moment; online entry is the only option.

moment.

With flashes of Bai Guang, countless players from various regions, eager to pounce on their challenge, surged into the dungeon like a swarm of locusts crossing a river.

They held their heads high, full of hope.

Everyone firmly believed that they were the Sapphire Star who could tear the Ancient Dragon apart with their bare hands.

Franca.

The moment Monster Hunter was released.

Rosalind entered the instance immediately.

She originally wanted to directly form a team to enter the dungeon, but after trying it out, she found that it was impossible.

--

[Note: The story tutorial has not yet been completed, and team formation is not yet possible.]

no way.

She can only enter the instance alone.

With a slight feeling of weightlessness, the Bai Guang gradually faded from Rosalind's eyes.

Rosalind, who was initially worried about not being able to form a team, was immediately drawn to the attention.

Because she found herself surrounded by Hunter.

And ahead of her, the flag of the New World Ancient Dragon Research Commission was flying high.

"So, everyone on the Fifth Fleet."

"It's almost time, so let's skip the goodbyes."

"Once you board this ship, there's no turning back."

"If you have already lost your senses, I advise you to turn back here."

A deep, penetrating voice echoed in the air, carrying an Epic weight.

Rosalind, of course, didn't turn around or anything; she simply looked around at the Hunter with curiosity.

And it was as if it sensed her determination.

The narrator chuckled, then his voice suddenly rose, becoming impassioned. "So—let's set sail for the New World!"

As the narrator finished speaking, Rosalind found herself unable to control her body. She took a step forward and followed the NPC Hunter around her, who were also carrying weapons, towards the glowing door in front of her.

This is just a transition animation.

But it was precisely this immersive feeling that made Rosalind's heart start racing.

It was a powerful feeling that an adventure was about to begin!

There are no system countdowns or tedious options, only a yearning for the unknown world.

For no apparent reason, she felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.

Rosalind took a deep breath and fearlessly stepped through the door.

Buzz.

Suddenly, everything went completely dark.

The next second.

Rosalind suddenly opened her beautiful, deep blue eyes, and her fluffy Fox Ears on her head stood up instinctively as if they had caught something.

Suddenly, the once quiet world became noisy, and the salty, pungent heat, mixed with the aroma of food, hit us directly.

To her surprise, she found herself not in some perilous wilderness spawn point, but inside a spacious cabin.

The wooden planks underfoot creaked softly with the rhythm of the waves, the dim yellow light swayed overhead, and the cabin was bustling with activity, as if a grand banquet was being held.

Numerous NPC Hunter, dressed in various styles and with imposing physiques, sat in twos and threes around wooden tables.

They tore into the steaks, clinking their huge wooden jugs together, splashing out murky ale.

The hearty laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the meows of several Palico in little aprons nimbly weaving through the crowd with plates all blended together to create a vivid picture.

Rosalind watched all of this, stunned by the overwhelming sense of realism and life.

This doesn't seem like a high-level dungeon at all.

At this time...

A Hunter approached them and began explaining the plot.

Having seen the promotional video, Rosalind knew the purpose of this Research Commission.

only.

She hadn't expected to be able to customize her cat's face during this time—she could even customize the face of her cat, which seemed to be her attendant.

Yes.

This time, Lu Xiu didn't force players to play any particular role; they simply played themselves. Therefore, they could change their appearance or remain the same while participating in the battle.

Rosalind didn't intend to change her own appearance, but she did make slight modifications to the Palico's appearance, because after reading about Palico, she liked the little creature.

We're both Orc Race.

After sculpting the Palico.

The Hunter who had spoken first gave Rosalind a curious look and asked, "Rosalind —you're a recommended Hunter too, right? I heard that recommended Hunter are usually paired with a host—where's your partner?"

Rosalind paused slightly, about to reply.

But just then, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps interrupted her.

She turned her head and saw a young girl at the next table wearing a portable telescope suddenly stand up and rush to the porthole.

Rosalind thought for a moment, said goodbye to the Hunter who had tried to talk to her, and followed him.

She walked to the window.

The girl pulled down the portable binoculars on her forehead and stared at the sea outside.

"The sound of the waves suddenly changed—was it because we're getting closer to land?"

Next.

The girl noticed Rosalind, turned around, put away her portable binoculars, and asked with a smile, "You recommended Hunter, right?"

"Rosalind, nice to meet you, I am—"

The girl hadn't finished speaking.

Boom!!!

The entire ship began to rock.

Before Rosalind could react, she saw the receptionist, who was presumably her partner, suddenly run towards the stairs.

She quickly followed, running all the way up to the deck.

All that could be seen was a raging torrent of waves.

The ship is going up and down.

Immediately afterwards.

An active volcano, burning with molten lava, rose directly from the sea surface, lifting the ship off the water.

That was actually a living being!

Watching this scene up close.

Princess Franca was completely speechless, only able to look up in astonishment.

Zorah Magdaros!

This legendary ancient Ancient Dragon carried the entire ship.

The wooden hull rubbed violently against the rough, dark brown rock, standing almost vertically at a ninety-degree angle.

This was an absolutely spectacular scene.

This left Rosalind speechless.

until.

A loud shout rang out.

"Pay close attention!!!"

Rosalind suddenly came to her senses.

But it was too late.

She was thrown out.

The ship, which was upright at a ninety-degree angle, began to free fall.

When Rosalind regained her sight, she found herself in the midst of black earth.

Rosalind was wondering where the land came from when she suddenly noticed the lava around her.

She realized it.

I am currently inside the Zorah Magdaros.

Next comes guiding the plot.

The main purpose is to teach players how to use the grappling hook in dungeons.

Lu Xiu knew it was a teaching session, but Rosalind didn't.

She was extremely nervous.

She ran on the Zorah Magdaros's Zorah Magdaros, climbing its vertical parts, her adrenaline surging.

I haven't seen any dungeon monsters.

She was already starting to feel like her soul was leaving her body.

After all, it's a game.

This isn't popular in either Nine Provinces or Franca.

So what was a routine performance in Lu Xiu's previous life was, in Rosalind's eyes, a life-or-death situation!

A hair's breadth away.

Especially when the host told her to run and use her grappling hook to grab the circling pterosaur so that it could carry her into the air.

Rosalind felt that Lu Xiu was being a bit too extreme.

no.

Isn't the instance just starting?

Does this mean players are risking their lives?

but.

Ultimately, her instincts as a top player kicked in, and in the instant she leaped, she caught the pterosaur.

Then, holding the host in their arms, they were carried by the pterosaur to the land not far away.

The wind howled in her ears, and Rosalind's long hair danced wildly in the wind.

The dark clouds had parted at some point.

She finally left the Zorah Magdaros.

Rosalind looked down.

Below, a colossal volcano, like a world-destroying demon, slowly moves forward in a boiling ocean.

And ahead—

Rosalind looked up.

A vast, boundless, and vibrant green continent, seemingly filled with endless unknowns and miracles, slowly unfolded before her eyes like Epic scroll under the setting sun!

As Rosalind gazed at the magnificent view, her surging adrenaline slowly subsided, and a profound feeling instantly arose within her.

Is this a fan-made version of Nine Provinces?

This has only just begun, hasn't it?

The emotions it evoked were even greater than those from clearing a regular dungeon.

only.

Before she could finish her sigh,

The pterosaur could no longer carry the two people and crashed.

Rosalind was thrown down as well.

The two landed.

As Rosalind, along with the host, set foot on the land of the New World and headed towards the base, she witnessed Aptonoth inhabiting, foraging, and drinking in the Ancient Forest.

Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest like a drumbeat.

She took a deep breath, a hint of excitement rising in her azure eyes.

This feeling—she had never experienced anything like it in any other instance.

The sheer power of Outlast Calamity, the freedom of using a grappling hook to ride the wind and traverse mountains and seas.

Then, the moment their feet touched the ground, a completely new and unknown continent appeared before them.

That Epic feeling of the adventure finally truly beginning.

Unprecedentedly intense!!!

It's like presenting a vast and magnificent otherworld directly to everyone!

That's truly amazing! Just how imaginative must Nine Provinces Architect named Lu Xiu be to create something so breathtaking?

Rosalind didn't know why, but she just got excited.

She took another deep breath, feeling the intense emotions surging in her chest. A surge of pride welled up within her, and she couldn't help but open her arms, declaring loudly in the Franca language, "I, Rosalind, will become the strongest Hunter on this continent!"

The receptionist gave her a strange look.

Rosalind didn't notice.

At this moment, she was full of confidence and high spirits, and she had even begun to imagine herself wielding a weapon and slaying all the giant beasts in the world.

However----

This surge of ambition lasted for less than ten minutes.

Because very quickly.

She then sensed Lu Xiu's malicious side.

Ten minutes later.

Bang!

Boom!

A loud bang, followed by the chilling sound of bones shattering.

"Quick! Get to the door!!!"

The head of the investigation team at Astera was waving frantically at Rosalind and shouting at the top of his lungs.

And between Rosalind and the door...

A colossal creature, resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex, was brutally biting a Great Jagras, repeatedly slamming it to the ground.

Each stomp of its thick lower limbs caused a violent tremor, and a casual flick of its heavy tail produced a terrifying whooshing sound.

At this moment, this apex predator completely blocked the passage between Rosalind and the Great Jagras, wildly hunting down the Great Jagras.

The monsters in the actual dungeon are far more terrifying than those in the promotional videos.

Rosalind stood frozen in place.

She glanced at the enormous beast tearing at its prey, then at its thick hind legs pounding the ground.

Hearing the urgent urging of the squad leader in the distance.

Rosalind's lips twitched.

Do you want to hear what you're saying?!

That's a Tyrannosaurus Rex!!!

In role-playing mode, with such weak attributes, am I really supposed to crawl right between its legs and emerge unscathed?

no.

What does this Architect mean???

And are we really going to use the weakness attribute to fight this kind of creature???

Me?

Is it true or false?