Balancing Things in Reality Too?!

The western Frontier of Nine Provinces.

As soon as Lu Xiu got out of the car, she couldn't help but grab Jian Li's shoulder and cover her mouth.

Lu Xiu was not normally prone to motion sickness.

However, the journey to the Frontier is very long and the road conditions are generally poor.

Lu Xiu was nearly shaken to death.

This is still a shorter route, going to Jade Capital first and then to the Frontier.

Otherwise, starting from Chen Capital —it's unimaginable how painful it would be.

certainly.

This may also be related to the fact that Nine Provinces is indeed a vast region.

Jian Li reacted quickly and caught Lu Xiu with her back to the ground.

Shen Nian then took out a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and held it to her lips, then gently patted her back.

Actually, neither of them looked well either.

"No, it's that far."

Lu Xiu took a sip of water and finally recovered. She helped Jian Li straighten up, gently flicked her ponytail, and looked at the desolate land around her. "We absolutely have to put a Bonfire here. I really don't want to take the car back!"

"The reason I asked you to come in person is for this."

Li Shengkai, who was accompanying them, was a bit better. Upon hearing this, he said directly, "This is the westernmost point of Nine Provinces, and it happens to be connected to the Red Tide and the territory of Franca, so we definitely need a Bonfire."

Lu Xiu nodded, then glanced at Lordvessel.

It's a bit of a shame that only four Bonfire can be placed at the moment.

Jade Capital, Chen Capital, western Frontier.

Placed in three locations.

There was only one Bonfire left to place.

I wonder if I can use Deconstruction skills to create a second Lordvessel ----

certainly.

The current materials are definitely insufficient to create it, but if we place the Dark Souls instance, perhaps we can find a way.

But Lu Xiu's biggest concern right now is the placement of Sekiro and Dark Souls Dungeon.

I have a feeling this is going to be a huge commotion.

But there's no point in thinking about that now; let's deal with the anomaly in the Witch Instance first.

Lu Xiu shook her head, clearing her mind of the jumbled thoughts, and then turned her gaze to the distance.

Not far away stands the weathered boundary marker of Nine Provinces.

Less than ten meters from the outer edge of the boundary marker, a huge, semi-transparent barrier with a faint shimmering light on its surface stretched across the area.

It stretches across the desolate Gobi Desert like an insurmountable chasm, reaching straight into the clouds and extending infinitely to both sides of the Horizon Zero Dawn, as if cutting the entire world in two.

This is the Border Barrier.

Lu Xiu stepped forward, extended her fair palm, and gently pressed it against the light barrier.

A distinct feeling of stiffness and resistance came from my palm, as if I were pressing on a tough thin film. But if I tried to apply force, although there was a slight repulsion, it seemed that I could actually force my way through little by little.

"Is this what Border Barrier?"

Lu Xiu withdrew her hand and asked with some curiosity.

"Right."

Li Shengkai walked over and nodded. "In the early days of the World Gamification, this barrier was unbreakable, but since the new expansion was released, it has been weakened and is now like this."

Following the semi-transparent barrier, Lu Xiu cast her gaze across to the land opposite, only to find it equally desolate. "Didn't they send anyone to check the situation?"

"It used to be like that; you could often see people from the other side loitering near the fortress."

Li Shengkai glanced at the desolate wilderness opposite and explained, "But their delegation is officially setting off tomorrow. The journey is long, so they've probably withdrawn all their personnel to clear the way."

According to intelligence gathered by the Coordination Bureau, although both nominally sent official delegations, the legitimacy of the regimes in both Red Tide and Franca is currently unstable, and there is considerable internal turmoil. Therefore—"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiu nodded thoughtfully.

It's like our backyard is on fire.

From this perspective, Nine Provinces is quite impressive.

Although there are a lot of problems.

But at least its legitimacy is far from exhausted.

This is probably because the monsters at the front line have been stopped.

Thinking of this...

She withdrew her gaze, no longer thinking about the messy affairs of other countries.

"Okay."

Lu Xiu clapped her hands lightly, turned around, and looked at the desolate landscape before her. "Let's get down to business—replace the Witch Instance."

Upon hearing this, the others took a few steps back.

Lu Xiu took a deep breath and slowly opened her arms.

As she closed her eyes, an invisible wave emanated from her and instantly swept across the wilderness in all directions.

Immediately afterwards.

A three-story Western-style building, its exterior walls covered in vines and exuding an eerie atmosphere, appeared as if it had been forcibly squeezed out of the void, landing with a bang on the Gobi Frontier directly in front of Lu Xiu.

The Witch's House.

But this is just the beginning.

Then.

From this Western-style building as the starting point, an incredible miracle began to unfold.

On the once dry and cracked wasteland, countless thick roots suddenly broke through the soil, and towering trees rose from the ground, their branches and leaves growing wildly.

The expansion is accelerating, spreading outwards with overwhelming force, and its area is far larger than when it was in the abandoned residential area of Chen Capital.

Since it was the Frontier, Lu Xiu didn't take any control.

In just a few dozen seconds.

As far as the eye can see, the desolate Gobi Desert is completely swallowed up by the forest.

A gentle breeze rustled through the massive canopy of trees.

The desolate Frontier landscape that was just moments ago has vanished, Take Their Place by a dense, towering, and lush primeval forest.

The vast Witch Forest, like a living fortress, clings to the Border Barrier and stretches outwards along the Frontier of Nine Provinces.

Standing at the back, Li Shengkai, even though it wasn't the first time he had witnessed such methods, still couldn't help but hold his breath as he looked at the seemingly earth-shattering miracle before him.

That's amazing.

"Call----"

Lu Xiu slowly lowered her arms and breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at the Witch Forest that had taken root on the Frontier, she felt a little more at ease.

Here it is.

Even if we continue to expand outwards, there shouldn't be any major problems.

After all, the surrounding area is deserted.

"I'll set up Bonfire first, and your reception staff can be teleported over through Bonfire. As for the soldiers for protection—draw them from Jade Capital."

As Lu Xiu spoke, she walked to the spot where the Bonfire in Chen Capital had been placed earlier and set up the third Bonfire.

After it was done.

Looking at the wandering NPCs around her, Lu Xiu decided to properly resolve the issues in this dungeon.

Regardless of what happens when Ellen and Viola come out—let them come out first.

Otherwise, it won't be a good thing.

Just as Lu Xiu was planning what to do next...

Li Shengkai greeted her and said he needed to go back to Chen Capital first.

Lu Xiu nodded.

Clearly, with the arrival of delegations from three countries, these directors of the Coordination Bureau, even those not specifically responsible for foreign affairs, had quite a lot to do.

In fact, as far as Lu Xiu knew, the department responsible for external affairs seemed to have been disbanded.

After all, the Border Barrier were once impregnable, and it seemed like there was no need to use them.

The reconstruction is not going smoothly at the moment, and it can only be temporarily led by the Coordination Bureau.

After Li Shengkai left...

The escorting soldiers also began to disperse to the surrounding area.

soon.

Only Lu Xiu and her two companions remained in the center of the forest.

What's next?

Seeing that everyone around had left, Shen Nian couldn't help but look at Lu Xiu, who had completely recovered from motion sickness, and asked curiously.

"I'll go into the offline instance one more time."

As Lu Xiu spoke, she raised her hand, and a Wooden Cabin rose from the ground not far away.

It was the same building where Chen Capital and his two companions had previously stayed.

Shen Nian asked curiously, "----How do I farm rewards?"

What do you think?

Lu Xiu said helplessly, "Didn't I tell you before? Before level 10, it was fine to not need to leave the dungeons running, but now I need to leave them running to log in. Whether it's Witch or Monster Hunter, when I enter the dungeon offline, the second completion of the quest is all weird."

What do you mean by "carrying water"?

What proof of strength?

They did it and gave me nothing in return.

"I think I understand now. If I want to get the rewards from the second or third run of the dungeon, I have to enter the dungeon online."

Lu Xiu shook her head. "But the problem is, if I want the instance to mutate after it's placed, I, as the Architect, have to enter the instance offline. Completing those strange offline quests also counts as attempts. It's a dead end."

"----Perhaps it's because after the Architect reaches level ten, it's still hard to say whether verifying the memory stripping process will be successful, but clearing the online dungeon a second time was no challenge for you at all."

Shen Nian said, "That's why the system has this restriction, forcing Architect to choose between two options, especially for you. It seems like online dungeons are no challenge for you at all; you could clear them with your eyes closed."

"I guess so."

Lu Xiu wasn't sure either. "Let's verify that later. Let's deal with the immediate problem first."

Speaking of which...

She paused, glancing at the Witch's House not far away. "I'll go inside first; you all rest in the Wooden Cabin for a while."

That's all.

She then walked directly through the forest and arrived at the gloomy Mansion.

Behind the Gothic carved window frames lay a bottomless abyss of darkness.

Lu Xiu stood in front of the wooden door of the Mansion, stretched out her fair hand, gently pressed it on the cold door panel, and pushed it forward with a little force.

Squeak.

A pop-up window appeared.

[Bite!]

[Entering the instance----]

[Role played: Lu Xiu]

The last line of the message flashed by.

A beam of Bai Guang suddenly shone from the void, completely enveloping Lu Xiu.

Lights intertwined and flowed.

The next second, Lu Xiu's figure turned into specks of Bai Guang and completely disappeared into the Mansion.

Then, with a muffled thud, the wooden door, which had been slightly ajar, slammed shut as if pulled by an invisible force.

Inside the instance.

The interior of the Mansion.

The darkness before Lu Xiu's eyes faded.

She discovered that upon entering the instance, she had directly arrived inside the Witch's House.

This time, however, it wasn't the front hall, but Ellen's boudoir.

Surprisingly, Ellen's room wasn't as shabby as it had been in the online dungeon, with blood and such everywhere. Although it was a bit eerie, it was quite clean.

Lu Xiu looked around; everything seemed familiar, even the diary lying open on the table was still there.

66

"

journal?

Is it the one you created when you were building it?

Lu Xiu walked over curiously and took a look.

[She's here again, that blonde thief-like woman. Why is she always haunting us?]

[No—she might not be here for me, she's here for Lu Xiu —ah, I hate seeing her, I hate the way she looks at Lu Xiu, it's disgusting.]

[Lu Xiu is clearly mine! She's mine alone!! She's my friend alone.]

My pain, my tears, my rebirth—everything I am is a gift from her; we should be one.

[Perhaps I could kill that thief, and then—hide Lu Xiu, hide her somewhere only I know, but she's getting stronger and stronger; neither of us can defeat the other.]

Why hasn't Lu Xiu shown up yet? She said she was coming to find me!! And why can't I still go out?

[----]

Looking at the entries in the diary.

Lu Xiu immediately covered her face with her hands and let out a mournful cry.

What is all this nonsense?

What does this have to do with the instance I created in the first place?

Is there something wrong with the system, evolving like this?

"----You've finally arrived."

Just then...

A soft, ethereal voice suddenly rang out from behind Lu Xiu.

Lu Xiu abruptly lowered her hand and turned to look.

Ellen appeared at the doorway without anyone noticing.

The purple-haired girl, still wearing her dress and cradling the Black Cat in her arms, smiled sweetly, "I knew you wouldn't abandon me, you saw that, didn't you? It's okay, you've already read my diary. But after reading it, you should know how much I hate Viola, right? She's coming soon—shall we kill her?"

"Don't want."

Lu Xiu composed herself, instantly adopting the persona of a scumbag woman—no, a master of impartiality—and went directly to Ellen, looking down at her. "She's my friend, you're not allowed to kill her."

Hearing Lu Xiu's refusal, and hearing her say that Viola was also a friend...

Ellen paused, lowered her eyes, and unconsciously tightened her grip on her hands.

"Meow!!!"

The Black Cat in her arms immediately let out a pitiful cry, "It's breaking! It's breaking! Let go of me!"

The Black Cat's fur stood on end instantly, and it kicked its legs desperately, trying to break free from Ellen's increasingly tight embrace.

Seeing this, Lu Xiu reached out and gently placed her palm on the top of her head, ruffling her long purple hair. "Be good, don't do anything reckless—okay? Although she's also my friend, I've only ever taken risks with you—"

I felt the warmth coming from above my head.

Ellen's body trembled slightly, and her tense arms suddenly relaxed.

"Good----"

She tilted her head slightly, her attitude changed abruptly, and she responded very obediently, even nuzzling her head against Lu Xiu's palm.

The Black Cat, which had narrowly Outlast, scurried onto the cabinet, still shaken.

However.

This harmonious scene did not last long.

Knock knock knock!

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The next second.

A woman with a golden ponytail, wearing a well-tailored, dark-colored, belted long dress with silver patterns, rushed over.

It was Viola, whose features had long since lost any trace of the frail country girl she once was.

She was also carrying a long sword—clearly she had been chasing after them.

"Witch!"

Viola spotted Ellen immediately, and a fierce killing intent instantly flashed in her eyes.

But then, her light fell on Lu Xiu, and the murderous intent on her face vanished instantly. "You're finally back. Let's kill this Witch together."

Looking at Viola, who exuded a murderous aura, Lu Xiu immediately said, "No."

"Why?!"

Viola pursed her lips. "She's Witch."

Lu Xiu looked at her and said directly, "But she's my friend now too."

Upon hearing this...

Viola gripped the sword so tightly she almost crushed the hilt, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Ellen then looked at Viola defiantly.

It looked like tensions were about to escalate between the two.

"Come here for a second."

Lu Xiu reached out directly towards Viola, her tone softening slightly.

Viola stiffened, but under Lu Xiu's gaze, she bit her lower lip and walked up to Lu Xiu with her sword in hand.

Lu Xiu grabbed her fair wrist and said sincerely, "I'm not asking you to forgive her. I can't do that, and I don't have the right to do it—I just hope that when I'm around, you'll give me some face and not fight."

Ellen is my friend now, and so are you. I was once your childhood friend, even though it was just an act, the feelings were real—"

Viola glanced at her wrist, which was being held, and her eyes softened when she heard Lu Xiu mention childhood sweethearts. "Okay."

call.

Seeing that she had calmed down, Lu Xiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at the mission.

[Detection indicates that all core NPCs (Ellen / Viola) have appeared in the instance.]

[Offline dungeon clear conditions have been triggered!]

[Current clearance condition: Afternoon Tea.]

[Task Description: Without killing the unique NPC, successfully host an afternoon tea session, allowing both sides to stop fighting for at least half an hour and get along peacefully.]

[WARNING: If either party loses control of their emotions during the process, the instance will fail.]

The second time I entered the instance offline, the mission was the same.

This was something Lu Xiu hadn't expected.

but.

Once you have experience, it's not too troublesome.

I mastered it so easily; I'm really amazing!

etc.

Wrong!

Lu Xiu suddenly realized what was happening and spat at herself.

What's with all the pride a "bad girl" has to be so smug about?!

"Then let's have a good talk."

Lu Xiu suppressed her strange thoughts and pointed to the tables and chairs in the room.

Viola and Ellen exchanged a glance. Although there was still hostility in their eyes, neither of them drew their swords or made a move because Lu Xiu was present.

The two sat on either side of Lu Xiu.

After Lu Xiu sat down, she immediately asked, "Why are your phantom images appearing outside—in my world?"

I want to go out and look for you.

Ellen spoke first, her eyes lowered. "I can already sense that place—but you're not there. I want to find you."

I'm afraid you'll be in danger.

Viola chimed in, "The forest over there isn't big enough. Our power can only be used within the forest. Once you leave, we won't be able to help you anymore. If the area could be expanded a little more, a little more, we should be able to keep you in the forest forever."

After listening, Lu Xiu seemed to be deep in thought.

It seems that after the instance is placed, these core NPCs will gradually become aware of the reality and develop a strong urge to overstep boundaries, which will trigger the uncontrolled expansion of the Witch Forest.

Although I don't know where the limit is.

But this is clearly quite dangerous.

"No."

Lu Xiu looked at the two of them and said, "From now on, whether I am in the forest or not, you can no longer expand the forest, because this will encroach on our living land, and you cannot do that."

The two were just about to speak.

"You want to get out, right?"

Lu Xiu suddenly changed the subject. "I came here to invite you to see my world. If you stop the forest from expanding, I'll take you out."

Upon hearing this...

Ellen suddenly raised her head.

Viola also looked up.

"Real?"

The two asked almost simultaneously.

"Really, I can take you to my world."

Lu Xiu met their expectant gazes and nodded. "However, I have conditions."

"What are the conditions?" the two asked almost simultaneously.

"Once you're outside, no matter what happens, you absolutely must not fight."

Lu Xiu held up her slender white finger and waved it in front of the two of them. "And you must listen to me. You must listen to everything I say. If you fight in real life and hurt people at will, I will immediately banish you from my world and never enter your world again."

"I promise."

"Good."

Ellen and Viola once again gave their assurances in unison.

For them.

Lu Xiu's last words were extremely damaging.

"Very good."

Lu Xiu looked at the two girls who agreed instantly and nodded in satisfaction.

Even if you don't agree----

Lu Xiu also vaguely sensed that these two would soon be able to appear in reality on their own.

At this point, it would be best to establish three rules.

However, there's still some time before the mission ends.

Lu Xiu couldn't immediately return to reality to try, so she could only continue interacting.

She first looked at Viola and asked, "Viola, if you go to my place, will your father be alright alone?"

"It doesn't matter----"

Viola gently shook her head. "I told her about my childhood last time, and he already knows why I chose the path of a witcher. He understands me now. He's always been alone, so he's probably used to it. Besides, I'll come back to see him often."

Lu Xiu nodded, then looked at Ellen: "And what about you? Are you sure you can get used to leaving the Witch's House?"

"I dream of leaving this place."

Ellen replied, then looked at Viola: "If it weren't for this person setting the seal—"

Viola looked over upon hearing this and said, "Of course we need to set up a seal. What if you go and harm someone again?"

"I told you, I can't do it anymore!"

Who knows?

"You!"

The smell of gunpowder is rising again.

"Ah"

Lu Xiu let out a short "ah," drawing their attention, and began to change the subject. "Ah----speaking of which, why are you two, one big and one small?"

"She wasn't human before."

Viola didn't dwell on the previous topic. "And after taking the Demon's soul, she essentially became Demon herself, and will never grow up."

Yes, you've grown up, that's amazing.

Ellen scoffed, "I almost forgot, you really enjoy being flattered. A little girl's appearance certainly doesn't suit flattery—'Dear Ms. Viola,' what a disgusting title. I wonder if those who flatter you know how you cried as a child."

"That's better than you, who'll never grow up and has to crawl to get on a chair!"

"So what if you've grown up? Your figure isn't even as good as Lu Xiu's! Her breasts are much bigger than yours! And the shape is more perfect! Flawless!"

"As long as it's bigger than yours! And I admit I'm no match for Lu Xiu, not to mention her breasts, even—"

Snap!

Lu Xiu's pretty face flushed slightly, and she slapped each of them on the head. "If you're going to argue, just argue! Why are you dragging me into this?!"

What I look like is none of your business!

The two immediately stopped talking and turned their heads Don't Look from each other.

Lu Xiu took a deep breath, unable to suppress her thoughts.

Is it really a good thing to bring these two people into the real world?

I always felt that bringing the two of them into the real world would be the stupidest decision I've ever made.

Thinking of this...

Lu Xiu even considered running away.

But it feels like things would be worse if I ran away.

The die is cast.

We had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue.

Half an hour finally passed.

Task completed.

Let's go.

Lu Xiu stood up. "I'll go back to my own world first, then I'll bring you out."

"Good."

See you later.

The two looked at Lu Xiu.

Lu Xiu exited the instance.

A flash of Bai Guang.

Lu Xiu's figure reappeared in the real Witch Forest.

"How about it?"

Lu Xiu.

Jian Li and Shen Nian, who had been waiting outside the Wooden Cabin, immediately ran up to greet her when they saw her appear.

I'll explain later.

Lu Xiu shook her head with a complicated expression, then turned her gaze straight ahead.

Following her gaze.

Jian Li and Shen Nian followed suit and looked over.

Two illusory figures slowly emerged in the air ahead.

One was petite with purple hair, the other tall with blonde hair.

It was Ellen and Viola, who had just been arguing in the dungeon.

This time, however, compared to the phantoms that appeared not long ago, they seemed to be experiencing some kind of enormous repulsive force.

It's as if they're trying to squeeze into a world that doesn't belong to them.

Lu Xiu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stretched out her hands toward the two illusory figures.

In that instant, a vague feeling arose.

Lu Xiu felt she could catch them.

And that is indeed the case.

When Lu Xiu, the owner of this altered instance, wanted them to come out.

A miracle happened.

Lu Xiu should have passed directly through the illusory fingertip and touched the real object.

Lu Xiu grasped their wrists tightly, one on each side, then took a step back and slowly pulled them toward the real world.

Buzz!

Two illusory figures slowly squeezed through some kind of barrier and gradually appeared in reality.

As they squeezed into reality.

At the same time.

The entire Witch Forest rustled with every branch and leaf.

Meanwhile, the surrounding forests expanded again, at an unprecedented rate.

Not only that.

The entire atmosphere of the forest changed; the forest, which had previously carried a dreamlike and illusory feel, slowly came into reality as two figures, one large and one small, stepped in.

It seemed as if it too was transforming from the illusory to the real.

Fallen leaves, cold wind, the earthy smell—everything seemed different.

Clatter

The sound of something landing echoed.

Ellen and Viola finally faced reality and settled down.

Viola took a deep breath, glanced around, and then looked at Lu Xiu: "This is... your world?"

On the other side.

Ellen, her bare white feet stepping directly onto the grass, glanced around before looking at Lu Xiu with a look of surprise and delight.

It was very quick.

She noticed Jian Li and Shen Nian beside Lu Xiu, paused for a moment, and then her purplish-black magic began to surge.

Viola then realized what was happening and followed Ellen's gaze. Her previously docile demeanor in front of Lu Xiu vanished instantly, replaced by wariness. Her hand instinctively went to the longsword at her waist. "Who are you?"

Shen Nian slowly typed a question mark.

Jian Li frowned slightly.

"Lu Xiu's Guard?"

Ellen muttered softly, raising her small, fair hand. "You look so weak, you're not worthy."

"Ha?!"

Shen Nian was still a little confused, but she exploded upon hearing this. She took a step forward and glared at Ellen: "Who are you saying is unworthy?"

Jian Li didn't speak, but scales had already appeared on her fair arms.

Their gazes met in mid-air.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiu stepped forward without saying a word.

Raise your hand.

He punched each of them in the head.

"No!"

Lu Xiu withdrew her hand, looked at the four stunned people, and snapped, "It's one thing for me to need to fetch water in the dungeon, but why do I have to do it again in real life?! Stop it!"

Can't you just let me have some peace and quiet?

Four unexpected punches.

This immediately dispelled the tense atmosphere that had just been building.

Ellen covered her head, and the magic power in her body instantly dissipated.

Viola glanced at Lu Xiu and silently put the longsword she had drawn half an inch back into its sheath.

Jian Li and Shen Nian also stopped.

He just looked very unhappy.

Yes.

Jian Li seemed quite displeased, and even showed it openly.

Who is this?

Finally, Ellen spoke first.

However, before Lu Xiu could reply...

Shen Nian retorted sharply, "What's it to you?"

Viola inexplicably sided with Ellen: "That's someone insignificant."

Jian Li rarely spoke, but said, "You are the insignificant people."

"I----"

Shut up!

Lu Xiu stood in the middle, caught in a dilemma, her face full of exasperation.

He punched them both again. "You're all my friends, so don't talk. Let me have some peace and quiet. If you two make a sound, go back to your own world, and the other two go back inside!"

The four of them immediately looked away.

Upon seeing this scene, Lu Xiu slightly raised her snow-white chin and looked up at the sky, her face filled with utter despair.

No, why do we have to maintain a facade of reality too?

What is all this nonsense?!