What Exactly Had Lu Xiu Done?

[??? What's the meaning?]

The response regarding offline dungeons immediately attracted a lot of attention, with many players rushing to inquire.

The player who said not to go to offline dungeons also replied quickly.

[Literally, I've read your posts and know what the online game is like. Let me put it this way: in the offline version, all the NPCs seem to have greater autonomy. Even the receptionists might act independently and simply ignore the players.]

But that's not the most important thing—the most important thing is that these guys are PUA players!

Especially that receptionist, she's always following me around talking about "that person." The problem is, if she could teach me how that person hunts, that would be fine—but all she talks about is how long it took that person to hunt this, how long it took to hunt that, how she would do this with this weapon, how she would do that with that weapon, and if I can't do it, it's because I'm not trying hard enough, I'm not strong enough—it's driving me crazy!!

It's not just her! Even when I go to a restaurant for a cat meal, the Chef's first words are always, "Try it, this is the cat meal that 'that person' used to like!" When I go to the Smithy to forge equipment, the Blacksmith tells me not to use the same weapon as 'that person,' and says, "Let me modify the details for you." The Commander also looks at me and recounts 'that person's' deeds, saying it's a taboo in the New World. Even Felyne Cart, I can hear my Palico discussing 'that person'! I'm the player, ahhh—yes, 'that person' is Lu Xiu.]

[Huh?----No, are you really talking about a stronghold? Are you sure it's not some kind of cult headquarters?!]

[What the person upstairs said is true. I'm also an offline player. Lu Xiu is indeed mentioned frequently. But that's not so bad. The most torturous thing about offline is the difficulty. I just tried the online dungeon and have experienced both versions. Let me tell you this: I can solo the Tobi-Kadachi in the online Tobi-Kadachi, but offline, I already struggle with the Great Jagras, and I get completely destroyed by the opponent at the Kulu-Ya-Ku.]

In short, the difficulty of monsters in offline and online instances is on completely different levels. Those monsters in offline dungeons seem to be much more intelligent? I don't really know how to put it, but they are incredibly cunning, even using Dark Souls like slow and fast attacks to trick players, and even employing traps to hinder my pursuit.

[Ah, upstairs, I went to the offline dungeon too. Actually, you can beat the Kulu-Ya-Ku. Just shout "Lu Xiu is here!" at it, and it will pause for a moment. I successfully tricked it three times and beat it.]

What exactly did Lu Xiu do?

[I don't know, but if you specifically inquire in offline dungeons, you can hear NPCs' evaluations of Lu Xiu. His title is very long, but to put it simply: Hunter among Hunter, legend among legends, the sun among his peers, a humanoid taboo, a mobile Calamity, a weapon master, an ancient Ancient Dragon butcher, a tyrant, and that esteemed one who humbly refers to himself as the one from the Sapphire Star.]

[What the hell?! What on earth did Lu Xiu do???]

[Who knows? If you're really interested, you can try it offline. Shouting Lu Xiu's name in front of those monsters can actually freeze them. I even suspect it can work on ancient Ancient Dragon. When Lu Xiu verified her success, I bet even a passing cat got slapped by her.]

[Nonsense—I don't believe a pretty girl would do such a thing.]

[After seeing your comments, I feel relieved. No wonder this dungeon is so ridiculously difficult, no wonder the monsters are designed so illogically. It turns out the Architect himself is even more terrifying than the monsters!]

[Is this what makes Architect valuable? -- Mom, I'm scared.]

[----]

Upon seeing this post on the forum about offline dungeons, players from all over the country fell silent.

Whether you're a top player or an average player, no one can face this calmly.

Everyone was filled with question marks.

What the heck?

At the same time.

Coordination Bureau.

Yan Fushou, with the same "Are you kidding me?" expression, looked away from the forum window and couldn't help but glance at Wang Huai, the military representative opposite him. "Is this true?"

"----real."

Wang Huai nodded slightly, his expression strange. "Over in Jade Capital, after the entrance appeared, we also sent some experienced soldiers into the instance. The situation is basically true—the NPCs' attitude towards Lu Xiu is both fear and reverence. Judging from what the NPCs said, they seem to be afraid because she has the ability to kill everyone, and they revere her because she has the ability to kill all the Ancient Dragon. It's really hard to imagine what she did when she Constructed Instance and verifying it."

Yan Fushou: "----"

real.

Lu Xiu always manages to come up with something new and ingenious!

It's okay to be both frightening and awe-inspiring!

How did they manage to achieve this?

He wanted to go and see it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

Yan Fushou continued, "Are offline dungeons really more difficult than online dungeons?"

"Um."

Wang Huai nodded again. "It's pretty much as described in the post, so it's almost impossible for the soldiers to pass the level by just figuring it out on their own."

"Understood, the Strategy Group will complete the dungeon as soon as possible."

Yan Fushou sighed softly, "Even at the fastest speed, I estimate it will still take quite a while. Lu Xiu said this dungeon needs us to farm it, and considering the dungeon's situation, I can roughly guess what she wants us to farm."

Adding to this the feedback from the current Strategy Group regarding the dungeon's difficulty, creating a strategy guide seems like a real challenge.

Wang Huai had also heard that Lu Xiu had obtained the Root Skill. Upon hearing this, he realized something and asked, "----Equipment materials?"

"Most likely."

"----So, do you think her Root Skill can actually be used to create suitable equipment?"

Wang Huai asked curiously, "I also looked at the report. In this new dungeon, Lu Xiu constructed a completely independent equipment system. Was this specially built for her Root Skill?"

"I'm not sure—but I'd guess so."

"So----"

"We can only wait for news from Lu Xiu. We can't guess what she's thinking, nor can we interfere. You don't need to ask anymore, but—"

Yan Fushou lowered his eyelids and glanced at the forum again. "There's something we can do. A lot of players have been going to Jade Capital lately, haven't they?"

"Certainly."

"Could you allocate some resources to support these players' logistics? I'll also send some members of my Strategy Group offline to help them with dungeons."

Wang Huai asked in surprise, "You want these players to participate in frontline defense?"

"Um.

Yan Fushou nodded. "I mentioned it to Director Li Bao. This is a rare opportunity, the first Mythic Grade dungeon. Even if players find it difficult and torturous now, countless players will still flock to it. After all, who wouldn't want to experience a Mythic-level dungeon?"

This is just the beginning. Most players probably want to explore the [Monster Hunter] dungeon online first, but more people will definitely go to the Jade Capital Frontline in the future.

Those who went there must be quite strong, otherwise they wouldn't dare to challenge the mythical dungeon.

They can definitely become an important force in the frontline defense.

Lu Xiu didn't have time to discuss it with us this time, but she did choose an excellent placement spot for the new instance.

Wang Huai frowned slightly. "But are you sure these players who go to clear the level will help defend the front line?"

"Previously uncertain."

Yan Fushou laughed and said, "But I'm very confident now. Don't forget the Profession Certificate mentioned in the update; it will also drop from monsters on the front lines. And most importantly— Lu Xiu has a good relationship with the Coordination Bureau."

You mean—

"Well, if all else fails, we can implement entry control for dungeons and add conditions, such as requiring players to assist soldiers in holding off frontline monsters if they want to enter a dungeon—"

Yan Fushou continued, "Furthermore, if I'm not mistaken, the reason Lu Xiu placed [Monster Hunter] in Jade Capital was probably because he wanted to place one of the Lordvessel's Bonfire in this area."

By then, it will be very convenient for players in the Strategy Group to go to Jade Capital.

The Strategy Group can definitely help maintain order and fill the gap in top-tier players on the front lines.

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Wang Huai's eyes. "If we could truly link dungeon entry qualifications with defense contribution points, the defensive pressure on the Jade Capital front would be greatly reduced!"

"Don't rush—this is just my personal opinion. There are still many problems. The biggest problem is that the difficulty of clearing the dungeon is estimated to be quite high. Players are already having trouble clearing online dungeons, let alone offline dungeons."

Yan Fushou rubbed his temples with a wry smile, "I even suspect that the formidable enemies and difficulties the players are currently facing might not even be considered difficulties in Lu Xiu's eyes. I'm a little worried that the players going to offline dungeons will be overwhelmed—especially after reading the forum posts, I'm even more worried."

"----That's quite possible."

"So, we can't rush it; we have to wait. We don't know what will happen when Lu Xiu's new instance expands, or what it will become."

Yan Fushou: "If it's like the Witch Instance, then there are other ways, but if it's not, then it's difficult—speaking of which, have you made any contact with the NPCs wandering in the Witch Instance's mutation area?"

Wang Huai nodded. "We've been in contact all along. The soldiers occasionally encounter wandering Witch Instance NPCs on the outskirts, and they always try to talk to us when they do—probably because Lu Xiu lives in the forest, those NPCs don't attack the soldiers unless they want to. It's just not easy to meet their demands."

"But the reward is excellent."

"Indeed—a permanent buff! The buff from that Transparent Chef alone is enough to tempt anyone. Who would have thought that placing a dungeon would bring the NPCs from the dungeon into reality, and satisfying their obsessions would yield such great rewards—the people who Construction Club are really dragging Nine Provinces down."

As Wang Huai spoke, he opened his System Panel and looked at the rewards he had received for fulfilling the busy chef's obsession.

[Blade Slash Specialization.]

[Effect: Increases damage dealt to fleshy targets by 5% when using sharp weapons.]

"Let's continue gathering intelligence."

Yan Fushou guessed what Wang Huai was looking at. "There will definitely be even stronger buffs, but if you encounter a key figure, don't make contact rashly. Notify Lu Xiu immediately and let her handle it personally—we know nothing about the placement dungeon before, and according to intelligence, even the Construction Club doesn't seem to have created such an anomaly, so don't take any risks."

"I know."

Wang Huai responded, then looked out the window and suddenly sighed, "Speaking of which, if Lu Xiu weren't in the forest, I wonder what would happen to these NPCs that appeared in reality because of the dungeon placement. In that respect, she's quite like Witch — Witch living in the forest."

Witch?

Yan Fushou murmured, the image of Lu Xiu standing gracefully in the forest flashing through his mind, then whispered, "Indeed—"

At the same time.

Forest, in Wooden Cabin.

Witch.

no.

Lu Xiu had already woken up and was studying the material rewards she had obtained from [Monster Hunter].

Sunlight streamed through the carved windows of the Wooden Cabin, illuminating the fine dust particles in the air and casting a soft golden glow on Lu Xiu's face. This made her already beautiful face even more stunning, her pale skin glowing with an almost transparent, lustrous sheen.

It was as if even the sunlight favored her.

On the large wooden table in front of her were countless materials that emitted a faint glow.

These were the material rewards she received when she previously verified her success in clearing the Monster Hunter dungeon.

Some of them were obtained through her [Deconstruction] skill during the verification process.

For example, the Nergigante's claws, which still exude a ferocious aura.

And then there's the crystal-clear, seemingly energy-flowing Xeno'jiiva Horn.

There were also all sorts of miscellaneous things.

Among them, one material is particularly unique.

That's the reward given when you clear the checkpoint and complete the settlement.

A peculiar crystal, not particularly large, with its entire surface displaying a unique interplay of dark red and crimson gold.

It's not particularly noticeable from a distance.

But if you look closely, you'll see that the crystals are pulsating at a slow speed.

Like the heart.

Lu Xiu reached out and picked up the crystal.

[Item Name: Elder Dragon Heart]

[Rating:???]

[type:???]

[Effect:???]

[Note: With its fangs broken and flesh torn apart, it could neither understand nor forgive why she could so easily slay the forbidden calamity—so even in death, its heart continued to beat, as if roaring angrily at the tyrant who had skinned and dismembered it. But the raging source of its fallen hatred did not know that it was merely a spoil of war.]

Lu Xiu looked at the panel with a series of question marks for both the rating and the effect, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly as she pondered.

The layout of this panel, the vague and ambiguous notes and descriptions—it all looks so familiar.

"This thing----"

Lu Xiu ran her fingertips along the slightly warm surface of the crystal, muttering to herself, "It seems to be a powerful material, just like the [Ancient Lord Soul Shard] I got before. Should I continue making weapons from it?"

Although the note sounds like a yin-yang symbol.

But Lu Xiu didn't care.

She even considered using it as material to make a weapon immediately.

Furthermore, she didn't feel that this was a form of self-deprecation.

----No, I won't admit it either.

However, after thinking it over carefully and hesitating for a long time, Lu Xiu still shook her head.

no----

Let's not make weapons.

The last time I used the Ancient Lord Soul Shard was with the Mortal Blade.

But now----

She glanced at the materials on the table.

Such good things don't exist anymore.

It might be a waste to use this Elder Dragon Heart.

Let's wait and see if we can get better materials, and also see what else we're lacking, then we can use Deconstruction to make the corresponding things.

Thinking of this...

Lu Xiu made her decision, threw the Elder Dragon Heart back into her backpack, and then, after thinking for a moment, took out two pieces from the Alatreon Set.

This is considered a very famous armor set in Monster Hunter.

He's really handsome.

Especially the male version.

The entire suit of armor is jet black, with an aggressive design, resembling a humanoid Alatreon, exuding power.

As for the female version...

It's pretty cool, but also quite sexy; many players even call it "XX equipment."

Other characters with similar titles include the Odogaron Set and the Kulve Taroth Set.

This was also the reason why Lu Xiu initially wanted Shen Nian to wear it.

but.

After reading the attributes, Lu Xiu was less inclined to let Shen Nian wear it.

Because it's too strong.

She also wanted the set bonus.

She's taking it out now to see if she can overcome her shame and put it on herself.

There are already two parts in the backpack.

This is a good opportunity to see the results.

The main focus is on the effect of the breastplate.

Lu Xiu's fair fingertips gently tapped the equipment.

A streak of light flashed by.

The loose-fitting loungewear dress that Lu Xiu was wearing vanished instantly, Take Their Place by a set of jet-black armor.

Then.

Lu Xiu stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

It must be admitted that there is a reason why the Alatreon Set is sought after by some Hunter; it does indeed have a unique aesthetic in its appearance design.

Overall, it's a gothic-style outfit—looking at the top alone, apart from the wide shoulder armor that imitates a Western-style dress, the rest isn't out of place; they're all very form-fitting and provide just the right amount of coverage.

Lu Xiu moved around a bit and found that she didn't feel the sluggishness she had imagined when wearing armor; on the contrary, she felt unusually light.

That's right----

Lu Xiu lowered her head slightly, looking at the conspicuously plump, snow-white breasts, and slapped her forehead.

Now you really can't see his toes.

Although she doesn't mind it as much now, it doesn't mean she's willing to show it to others; who would wear clothes like that for no reason?

Even with the strongest materials, you shouldn't wear it like that.

Lu Xiu accepted even if she was a little ugly.

But this is too revealing.

It doesn't even look right on Shen Nian.

Lu Xiu took off her gear and sighed.

This equipment is indeed impressive.

----Perhaps it could be revised?