Publicity and Temporary Safety
At the same time that Lu Xiu and her three companions began their battle against the Zombie Horde.
Red Tide.
Ulysses, who had just exited the Monster Hunter dungeon, was standing in his palace, looking rather agitated.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became; the more he tried to suppress his anger, the angrier he became.
I endured it, and endured it again.
He couldn't take it anymore, grabbed the cup beside him, threw it hard on the ground, and cursed, "Monster Hunter's Master Rank Quest is fucking inhuman!!"
The beginning was fine.
But then we arrived at Barioth!
The intensity instantly increased again.
That feeling of finally gaining confidence after defeating Anjanath, only to be met with Nergigante again, damn it.
It's like it has ADHD! Its aggressive tendencies and frequency are like a mad dog!
Ulysses has only encountered it a handful of times.
Ulysses really broke through the defense.
Actually, it wasn't time to rest at all; he didn't discuss it with Xia before leaving the instance to relax.
Just as he was about to continue venting his anger...
The system projection suddenly appeared in front of him.
Ulysses was already irritated, Don't Look, he wanted to change his position.
However, before she could even take a step...
On the system projection, lines of large characters slowly appeared.
[Unofficial Dungeon - New Item Launch Preview]
[Architect: Lu Xiu (Region: Nine Provinces)]
[Instance Name: Left 4 Dead]
[Instance Type: Multiplayer/Survival/Shooter]
[Promotional video coming soon.]
Ulysses stared at the words projected on the system screen and abruptly stopped in his tracks.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
----A new dungeon?!
Lu Xiu's new story?!
"Are you kidding me?!"
In an instant.
Ulysses felt a rush of heat to his head, almost causing a stroke. "We haven't even finished Monster Hunter yet, no one has cleared the old dungeons, and her new dungeon is already out?! She's making dungeons faster than we're clearing them?!?"
What's this?
Isn't that a bit sarcastic?
At the same time.
It wasn't just Ulysses.
Whether it was Nine Provinces, Franca, or Canaan —many players saw the projections.
Without exception, all the players who saw the system projection were filled with disbelief.
Especially those players who are still suffering in Monster Hunter, getting relentlessly beaten down by monsters, almost had a stroke.
No!
A new dungeon is coming???
The Architect can create dungeons faster than we can clear them!
The old problems haven't been solved yet, and they're starting a new one?!
Players from Nine Provinces were the most terrified.
They're now terrified of words like "survival" and "Outlast" —mainly because the copies Lu Xiu made using these keywords weren't good!
However, the system doesn't give them any time to react or think.
The projection dimmed slightly.
Soon, the promotional video officially began playing.
Thump thump stare.
Accompanied by chords.
Under the dim light of the sky.
The sounds of barking dogs and footsteps filled the air.
The screen gradually brightens.
A muscular man in a polo shirt, a refined man in a white suit, a young man in a baseball cap, and a woman in a pink T-shirt.
Four people appeared on the projection screen, walking forward cautiously, glancing left and right.
The camera slowly pans up to the towering "GG" sign next to them, which reads, "[Due to the spread of the virus, this establishment will be temporarily closed until further notice.]"
Just a few words.
The somber visuals immediately established the story's background.
The virus spread, and order collapsed.
Then the screen went black.
Then, a clean transition.
In front of a convenience store that was blocked off with wooden planks, the burly man in the lead violently smashed the glass and wooden planks with his elbow and forced the door open.
The group filed in.
The four of them rummaged through the messy convenience store for supplies while quietly planning their next route.
At the same time, the man in the lead took down a pandemic prevention poster from the wall and began reading official announcements about the spread of the virus.
Report an anomaly----
"Set up roadblocks around the house----"
Avoid contact with any Zombie Infected.
"Waiting for instructions----"
Read until the very end.
The burly man at the head of the group scoffed, crumpled the notice in his hand into a ball and tossed it aside, took a bite of the chocolate he had just plundered, and said disdainfully, "Wait? Wait my ass."
Then, the camera slowly pans to the left.
It was given to the young man wearing the baseball cap.
He was now fully armed, with a gun and gasoline cans slung across his back, and a pump-action shotgun in his hand: "Kill all these bastards—"
Click!
He pulled back the bolt of his shotgun and said, "This is my official order."
Until this moment.
The entire promotional video maintained a restrained tone, even exuding a sense of tranquility.
But the next second...
The scene abruptly changed as the young man who had just delivered the official instructions kicked open the security door!
Outside the main gate.
A bloodied and mangled Zombie, covered in sticky blood, heard the sound of the door being kicked open. It turned its head sharply, its pale eyes fixed on the screen.
All the players watching the projection suddenly realized what was happening.
Roar!
It let out a monstrous howl and charged toward the camera like a mad dog!
The originally monotonous and low guitar chords suddenly changed!
Accompanied by intense and frenetic drumbeats, the background music instantly becomes exhilarating!
Bang bang bang!
The four main characters in the promotional video stand at the doorway, facing a tidal wave of Zombie. They spit fire and kill them one by one, headshot after headshot!
Immediately afterwards, the camera began to switch rapidly and wildly in sync with the high-energy music.
Day and night, abandoned cities and desolate wilderness.
The blood mist from Zombie being blown off, the close-up of Fire Axe splitting Zombie in two, and the crimson blood flying everywhere on the screen—the violent aesthetics are displayed to the fullest extent.
However, the promotional video didn't continue with its mindless, high-octane action.
As one bizarrely shaped Infected after another appeared, a sense of oppression suddenly descended.
Jockey laughs wildly and moves with agility, able to ride on people's heads.
An obese, festering sore that Boomer bile and sprays it at the player.
The perpetrator appears to be female, with oral ulcers constantly oozing green liquid, and emitting sharp Spitter.
These bizarre, grotesque, and disgusting special Zombie, accompanied by unsettling variations of music, suddenly added a touch of horror to the promotional video.
The four main characters in the promotional video unleash a barrage of firepower while frantically fleeing through a sea of corpses, finally reaching the official evacuation point on the hotel rooftop.
But what awaited them was the sight of rescue helicopters taking off and leaving ahead of schedule.
They remain trapped in this dead city, and no one is coming to their rescue.
A fierce wind howled as the helicopter disappeared into the distance.
"It seems the plan has changed."
A refined-looking man in a white suit uttered this line.
The second half of the promotional video continued to play.
Clearly, their evacuation point was gone, and they returned to the city, which had been turned into a living hell.
Boom!
Fighter jets roared overhead, dropping bombs and destroying the massive bridge connecting the city.
Amidst the explosions and flames, the four protagonists face an even more frenzied onslaught of Zombie, like a tsunami.
More special Zombie are appearing.
Explosive scenes continued to unfold.
It dazzled all the players.
finally.
One minute later.
The music at its climax gradually came to a close.
The four main characters fought their way through a sea of corpses and stumbled into a sightseeing elevator in a large shopping mall.
After narrowly severing the chain Smoker's disgusting tongue with an axe, the elevator doors finally closed slowly.
Inside a confined space.
All four of them were panting heavily, having gained a rare brief respite.
But this period of tranquility did not last long.
As the transparent sightseeing elevator slowly descended, the four of them looked down through the glass.
In the empty lobby of the shopping mall, thousands upon thousands of Zombie, countless in number, slowly stopped upon hearing the sound of the elevator moving. They all turned their heads and converged in the direction the elevator was descending.
It's enough to make your scalp tingle.
"----Oh My God."
finally.
A low, swearing curse broke the silence in the elevator.
The burly man leading the group pulled the young man, who was shocked to see the Zombie gathering downstairs, to his feet.
The only woman in the group handed him a fully loaded assault rifle.
"Kill those bastards, right?"
She looked at the young man and repeated with a smile the words he had said in the convenience store.
The young man took the gun, pulled the bolt, and nodded with a smile.
The camera was pointed at the elevator's floor display panel.
The numbers are constantly fluctuating and decreasing.
3----2--
At that very moment, high-energy rock music suddenly exploded!
Scenes from other levels begin to appear interspersed.
Under the carnival night sky, the four stood on the huge stage of the concert, facing the dazzling fireworks spraying from the edge of the stage, and used bullets to blast the sea of corpses surging from all directions, as if performing a dark comedy on the edge of death!
In front of the building, four people stood back to back, holding their ground. The female character, wielding Heavy Machine Gun, swept the charging Zombie into pieces like a war goddess!
On the broken bridge, facing the most troublesome Tank, which was as huge as a mountain of flesh and could easily lift a car and smash it down, the four men kept firing and coordinating with extreme movement!
The flashback has ended.
The projection went completely dark, and a deep narration suddenly began: "I haven't—"
"Ready----"
"Go to hell!"
A "ding" sounded in the darkness as the elevator arrived.
The projector lights up again.
The four main characters arrived at the bottom floor of the shopping mall.
The elevator doors, splattered with blood and reflecting the hideous figures of countless Zombie outside, slowly opened to both sides.
Sizzle!!!
The burly man leading the group pulled the lever on his chainsaw, the teeth spinning wildly and emitting a deafening roar.
Four protagonists, armed with long guns and short cannons and covered in blood, appeared like gods of death before the boundless sea of Zombie outside the door.
Then, the projection was completely covered by fire and blood.
As the gunshot rang out, the instance name appeared in the center of the projection.
[Left 4 Dead!]
The promotional video has ended.
The instance name gradually disappeared.
All players who watched the trailer. "6
After a brief period of silence, related posts began to flood forums in various regions.
[I haven't even finished the old dungeon yet, and a new one is already out? The Nine Provinces Architect are creating dungeons faster than players are clearing them??? Is this really reasonable?]
[Okay, okay, a sudden change in style, huh? Last time we were dressed like heavy armor warriors hunting ancient Ancient Dragon, and now we're being sent to a modern city to fight zombies?! Are the dungeons in Nine Provinces Architect really that outlandish?]
[Holy crap!!! This is so cool!!! Wait!! The Monster Hunter trailer looked pretty cool too—are they trying to lure us in to kill us?]
[Gun! Modern weapons! I haven't seen anything like it in ages! This is the first time I've seen a gun-related dungeon that looks so cool! It's a completely different style from Monster Hunter. To be honest, I'm pretty confident in this aspect; I feel like this dungeon will be easier than Monster Hunter! I'll clear this dungeon first!]
[This promotional video is so cinematic! Four people fighting a horde of zombies back-to-back, and that giant Flesh Mountain Monster —it got my adrenaline pumping! Why are all the dungeons in Nine Provinces so cool? But our Architect release dungeons without a sound! You guys should make promotional videos too!]
[It's like saying having a promotional video system will automatically help with promotion.]
What's the deal with the Architect in Nine Provinces? How do they clear dungeons so quickly? Can anyone answer this?
[Holy crap—that's awesome!]
[----]
Players were amazed by the quality of the promotional video, the speed at which Lu Xiu Constructed Instance, the stark differences in style between the two multiplayer dungeons, and some even said that Lu Xiu was just another way to lure players in and kill them.
In short, there are all sorts of opinions from ordinary players.
But the top players, the members of those Strategy Group, didn't have as many thoughts.
They felt like they had a brain hemorrhage.
no.
I haven't even finished Monster Hunter yet!!
Red Tide.
Ulysses stared at the darkening projection before him, utterly at a loss for words.
He paused for a moment, then sent the recorded promotional video directly to Xia.
It doesn't mean anything.
It means sharing both good times and bad.
To ensure the other party sees the promotional video.
Five minutes later.
Xia's reply has arrived.
"??????"
"Are the Architect of Nine Provinces human?"
Ulysses felt instantly better.
really.
She didn't see the promotional video.
Players had very mixed feelings when Lu Xiu suddenly released a second multiplayer dungeon.
Overall, players generally approve of this dungeon.
After all, he looks really cool in the promotional video!
However.
At this very moment.
Chu Huai, who was actually in the new instance and testing his progress in real-world gameplay, had something else to say.
Inside the Left 4 Dead instance.
First floor of the hotel.
Bang!!!
Chu Huai slammed the heavy iron door shut, completely shutting out the howling outside and the Zombie were practically biting his buttocks as they chased after him.
"Whoosh----whoosh----"
After confirming safety.
Chu Huai slowly relaxed, pressed against the iron door of the Safe Room, and slowly slid down to sit.
At this moment, he was covered in foul-smelling blood, and his hands, gripping the Fire Axe, were trembling slightly.
Not far away.
Shen Nian was sitting next to Lu Xiu, holding the latter's arm, breathing softly as well. "Xiangxiang's master—you didn't tell me that the mechanism is simple, but you have to face so many! Enemies like a tidal wave! And now I finally know why you asked yourself if you smell bad."
She's talking nonsense.
Jian Li sat on Lu Xiu's other side, breathing even more heavily, as she helped wipe the bloodstains off Lu Xiu's body.
She's wasting her time.
As for Lu Xiu, she was probably used to it and was the calmest. Her breathing was only slightly more rapid than usual. She straightened her back and retied her ponytail. Her movements were skillful and graceful. If you didn't consider the dirt on her body, she would look like she had never fought Zombie.
But Chu Huai watched this scene unfold.
Only three words came to mind.
We've been tricked!
What the hell?! I'm a player too, just like you guys!
Those players watching the promotional video outside probably think that just having a gun in the dungeon means they can easily mow down enemies.
But only Chu Huai, who entered the area himself, knew what it was like to be faced with a dense Zombie Horde.
The Musou mowing down of enemies is indeed real.
But the torment was real too.
Because there were simply too many.
At first, it was indeed exhilarating to kill; you could kill as many as you wanted and get kills.
But soon...
that is----
error?
Something's not right.
Why are there still more?
It then escalated to hand-to-hand combat.
Why isn't it over yet?
Seeing supplies along the way was even more exciting than seeing one's own mother.
real.
This was the first time Chu Huai had ever craved ammunition and firearms so intensely. Even when the World Gamification and modern weapons became ineffective, he had never felt such a longing.
The various Special Infected interspersed throughout the Zombie Horde in the instance are even more formidable: some pounce like ghosts, some spit in people's faces, some ride on necks, some stick out long tongues, and some wrap around necks to drag people into the densest piles of corpses.
Each one is impossible to guard against.
It makes people fall for it easily.
The dense Zombie Horde combined with Special Infected can really leave you exhausted.
However, what shocked Chu Huai the most was not the content of the dungeon—
It was Lu Xiu.
This was the first time Chu Huai had witnessed firsthand how this Architect, whose name resounded throughout the Nine Provinces, cleared a dungeon.
If Chu Huai had to describe the scene he saw in one word, it would be "killing machine"!
It's a killing machine!
Whether it's firearms or melee weapons, in Lu Xiu's hands they all seem like extensions of her limbs.
Each time, she could switch seamlessly between emptying her magazine and being close to Zombie.
And every time they encountered Zombie Horde, she was always the first to rush to the front, the one who took the lead.
Even Chu Huai thought Lu Xiu was too extreme.
And the most outrageous thing is...
She was so impulsive!
In that chaotic and high-pressure environment, surrounded by Zombie from all sides, Lu Xiu was never once touched by those elusive Special Infected!
Can you believe it?!
You should know that just now, in the narrow passageway, even Jian Li was accidentally knocked down by a Hunter who pounced from the shadows.
Although Jian Li managed to dodge the attack at the last second with her terrifying reflexes, she was indeed knocked down by the force of the attack.
But what about Lu Xiu?
From beginning to end.
I've never been infected by any Special Infected treatment!
For example, the Hunter Special Infected is incredibly fast, like a ghost! But when it comes to Lu Xiu, it's like it's offering itself up for death.
Chu Huai even witnessed a Hunter with Special Infected howling as it pounced on Lu Xiu from mid-air. Lu Xiu didn't even turn her head; she simply raised her hand and fired a shot.
They just picked them whole!
That's outrageous!
At the very beginning.
Faced with that raging, unreasonable Zombie Horde.
Chu Huai, Shen Nian, and even Jian Li were all somewhat taken aback by the Zombie Horde.
But Lu Xiu didn't hesitate at all! She immediately took the lead, brandishing her axe and clearing a path ahead!
It's fair to say that without her, the four of them would never have been able to rush into the Safe Room so quickly and safely.
Thinking of this...
Chu Huai looked again at the stunningly beautiful girl who had tied her hair into a ponytail, clapped her hands, and stood up not far away.
Recalling her cold-blooded and ruthless demeanor as she swept her axe across the sea of corpses.
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Now I completely understand why the Lu Xiu dungeon is so difficult.
Because this Architect's definition of the words "ordinary" and "simple" is on a completely different level from everyone else's.
She even considers herself a player, just like everyone else!
----You really think highly of others!
"How about it?"
Lu Xiu finally noticed that Chu Huai was staring intently at her and asked, "Is it difficult?"
Chu Huai snapped out of his reverie, and after a moment of silence, said, "It's difficult—but it doesn't need to be changed yet."
Yes.
Although he was indeed shocked by the sheer number of Zombie Horde, the unpredictable appearances and disappearances of the Special Infected, and Lu Xiu's performance.
But Chu Huai felt that the soldiers could still handle this level of pressure.
even.
After completing one small challenge.
He became even more certain—this instance was tailor-made for soldiers on the front lines!