Rampage

Upon hearing Rosalind's words, the accompanying staff member was speechless.

However, if that's the case...

The accompanying staff looked at Rosalind with concern and asked, "Your Her Royal Highness the Princess —are you alright after another Blood Frenzy Art? What are the aftereffects of Blood Frenzy Art—?"

"It's okay, the aftereffects from last time haven't fully healed anyway."

Rosalind shook her head dismissively. "It'll just mean being weak for a while longer. Getting to know Lu Xiu is worth it, and if I can gain her friendship through this, that would be even better."

The accompanying staff hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, we could do it—"

"No—you risk failure, I have to do it."

Rosalind waved her hand. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Hopefully, we can meet that Architect soon."

The entourage fell silent, gazing at their Her Royal Highness the Princess's stunning profile, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It's truly a blessing for Franca!

only.

The accompanying personnel hadn't even finished processing their thoughts.

A communication window suddenly popped up in front of Rosalind; it was a call from her Emperor Father, the current King of Franca.

Rosalind answered the call quickly.

The entourage could not hear King of Franca's words, but they could clearly hear Rosalind's voice gradually rising in pitch.

Rosalind's face slowly flushed red, and she quickly began stomping her feet in exasperation. "Who said I was going to sacrifice myself?! I didn't! I was just going to demonstrate Blood Frenzy Art! Don't you believe your daughter? -- What?! You don't believe me?!"

Do you think your daughter is that easy to fool?

"Who exactly told you? Was it Lucy? Is she an intelligence agent also working undercover?"

"I said! I didn't!!! And what do you mean everyone in Nine Provinces is in danger? Women are in danger too? You are the king! Don't say things that are detrimental to unity!"

The accompanying personnel silently turned around, pretending to be deaf, and secretly took back their earlier exclamation.

to be honest.

Even our own Her Royal Highness the Princess isn't very reliable.

On the other side.

Lu Xiu rested in the Witch Forest for two hours, during which time she found Jian Li and asked her about her progress in releasing skills autonomously. She discovered that even a player as talented as Jian Li was completely unable to control the flow of qi and blood freely.

She didn't even get close to the threshold.

Not to mention others.

"As expected, it's still a bit difficult."

Looking at Jian Li, who seemed somewhat downcast, Lu Xiu sighed and then comforted him, "It's alright. After all, it's difficult to activate your qi and blood on your own without the system's assistance. Take it slow."

As he spoke.

Lu Xiu casually touched Jian Li's silver hair, as if to smooth it down.

"----How exactly did you do that?"

Shen Nian curiously leaned closer, glanced at Jian Li's defeated expression, and then looked at Lu Xiu: "How exactly did you extract your blood and qi and turn it into that blood mist? Is there any trick to it?"

Lu Xiu had just demonstrated to the two of them how to release blood energy onto their faces.

However, its power is definitely not as great as Construction Space, since in reality, if you lose health and vitality, you really lose it.

Lu Xiu didn't dare to act recklessly, and only activated a very small amount of her qi and blood.

"That's the trick!"

Lu Xiu thought for a moment, then raised her right hand.

Soon, an arc of electricity appeared, then, as if it possessed a life of its own, it danced and weaved between her slender fingertips, making a snapping sound, "The trick lies in the micro-manipulation of guiding qi and blood and Mental Strength, like this—"

Lu Xiu tried to explain it in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

Neither of them seemed to understand, both looking bewildered, before asking in unison, "----What does 'Mental Strength ' mean?"

Lu Xiu realized something was wrong and suddenly asked, "Wait—how high are your Mental Strength attributes?"

The two reported their mental attribute points.

----It's almost only one-tenth of Lu Xiu's.

"I think I know where the problem lies."

99

Lu Xiu shared her guess.

Simply put...

Both of them did not meet the required level of mental attribute points.

They couldn't even reach the threshold of Mental Strength perception.

"----So that's why?"

Shen Nian was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then murmured, "Before the [Ordinary Person's Courage] skill from the Resident Evil dungeon came out, everyone thought that the Mental Strength attribute points were useless, because it seemed that they could only affect a very limited number of things."

After being gamified, there is no mana bar attribute, and there are very few skills that are affected by the spirit attribute. If it weren't for the Ordinary Person's Courage that can convert the spirit attribute into strength and agility, many players would simply ignore this attribute.

But now that you've said it, the mental attribute seems quite important—?"

"The system cannot assign a completely useless attribute."

Lu Xiu gently shook her head. "Now it seems that this attribute is really important. At least if you want to release skills on your own, your mental attribute must meet the standard."

"I've been tricked—the system's lack of explicit explanation is deadly."

Shen Nian pursed her glossy red lips. "And what's even more outrageous is that this attribute is hard to get. I've hardly ever seen a reward for the mental attribute in all this time. The most I got was from clearing the Resident Evil dungeon."

Lu Xiu lowered her head in thought, "A horror dungeon?"

Does this mean we can't be like you anymore?

Jian Li looked at Lu Xiu and asked, "No matter how hard you try, it doesn't work?"

"----I'm not sure either. I've only just touched the threshold myself, but I personally guess that there's a certain threshold in terms of Mental Strength when it comes to releasing skills autonomously. However, I'm not sure how high that threshold is."

Lu Xiu looked at Jian Li: "I'm Architect. Every time I construct a dungeon, I get a huge reward of Mental Strength. My current Mental Strength is ten times that of yours—"

The two: "----"

"However, if you have time, you can try again, but there's no need to rush."

Lu Xiu continued, "I'll practice some more. Once I've completely mastered it, and I'm absolutely certain that it's related to mental attributes, and I've confirmed just how high the barrier to entry is—then I'll see how to solve it."

Speaking of which...

Lu Xiu remembered the method for implementing the Blood Frenzy Art that Franca had sent her.

The Frans Blood Frenzy Art is a brutal ignition of blood, seemingly requiring no Mental Strength manipulation, relying purely on physical strength and Ancestral Bloodline to withstand it.

Now that the break is over, it's over.

I should give it a try.

In reality, Lu Xiu wouldn't dare to try, fearing she might die.

"That data on the Blood Frenzy Art gave me a new idea, but it's too dangerous to use in reality. I'm going back to the Construction Space for a bit; you guys practice first."

Thinking of this...

Lu Xiu summoned the System Panel and was about to re-enter the Construction Space.

However.

Before her finger could even touch the confirmation button in the air, her sleeve was suddenly tugged.

Lu Xiu paused and looked over.

A hint of reluctance appeared on the silver-haired girl's cool and beautiful face as she gazed at her.

"Jian Li? What's wrong?"

Jian Li didn't speak, but looked directly at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian noticed Jian Li's gaze and immediately looked at Lu Xiu: "Are you going in again? You've only been out of the Construction Space for less than two hours, right? There's no need to keep going like this. This isn't urgent."

Lu Xiu paused, glanced at Jian Li who was tugging at her sleeve, then at Shen Nian beside her, and asked curiously, "So, what are you planning to do?"

I want to go shopping for clothes with you.

Shen Nian explained, "Didn't I just tell you not long ago? It's almost broken—yours isn't suitable either, is it? I heard your complaints after you took a shower last time, and we haven't even gone shopping together yet, have we? Except for that time we ordered three vegetables. I thought you'd have some free time after the delegation arrived, but I didn't expect you to have some ideas again."

Jian Li stood to the side without saying a word, but nodded vigorously twice.

"I'm not going with you!"

Lu Xiu noticed where the two were looking, her face darkened, and she immediately reached out her other hand to press the confirmation button in mid-air.

But before she could press it...

Shen Nian reacted quickly and grabbed her other sleeve.

The two of them looked at Lu Xiu together.

That look—

Lu Xiu: "----"

Okay, okay, so you want to play it this way?

Under their gazes, she finally gave in and sighed helplessly, "Wait until I come out—not now, I'm having an inspiration, and if I'm interrupted, I might forget it."

Upon hearing her agree, the two exchanged a glance before releasing her sleeve.

Shen Nian smiled brightly again and said, "Alright then, we'll try again—"

Jian Li also said softly, "I'll go see if there are any system dungeons that reward Spirit attribute points."

Lu Xiu rolled her eyes at the two of them, then without further delay, clicked the confirm button.

A slight feeling of weightlessness followed.

Lu Xiu returned to the boundless Construction Space once again.

She stood still, composed herself, then summoned the System Panel, opened the window, and glanced at the recording progress bar that was stuck at 31%.

"The lack of price increase might really be related to the Berserker gameplay I came up with—"

Lu Xiu closed the window in front of her, muttered a sentence, and then prepared to create a new enemy.

This time it's not just for fun.

Lu Xiu closed her eyes and raised her hand.

With her movements.

Not far away, streams of data began to converge, and at the same time, the pure white ground began to surge like waves, reshaping the terrain.

Soon, a gloomy and oppressive gray beach appeared before her, with dark clouds covering the sky and leaden waves constantly crashing against the sand.

In the very center of the beach, a corpse of unknown origin lay lying there.

Everything seemed exceptionally strange.

That's right.

Lu Xiu planned to build the final boss of the Bloodborne DLC, the most insane and difficult boss that had tormented countless players.

Orphan of Kos!

Scene completed.

The BOSS is formed.

Lu Xiu slowly opened her eyes and lowered her hand.

Ahead.

With a tearing sound of flesh and blood, a emaciated, hunched humanoid creature slowly crawled out of the abdominal cavity of the corpse on the beach.

It was pale all over, so thin that it seemed to be nothing but skin and bones. It looked like a newborn baby, but it had an old face covered with wrinkles.

In its right hand, it was dragging a huge, deformed, pinkish mass of flesh.

Judging from its shape, it seems to be a round knife, but it also looks somewhat like a placenta.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

The newborn orphan suddenly raised its head and let out a mournful cry.

Then, it slowly turned its head, dragging its round knife, and looked at Lu Xiu not far away.

moment.

An overwhelming sense of pressure washed over me.

"----That's the taste!"

Lu Xiu looked at the strangely-looking BOSS in front of her and smiled.

The pressure from her former enemies is decreasing.

Let's use this enemy as an experiment now.

If you want to test a modified version of Franca's brutal, Blood Frenzy Art -burning style in a short time, then Kos's Lonely Guy, a high-mobility, illogical, and unpredictable high-pressure enemy, is the perfect opponent.

Its massive swings and ground slams without any pre-cast animation offer no bonuses in role-playing mode. If Lu Xiu cannot enhance himself with his Qi and Blood Burst, he simply cannot keep up with the pace.

Give it a try.

Lu Xiu took a deep breath.

She recalled the Blood Frenzy Art method in the information, and first cautiously detonated the blood and qi in her body to strengthen her physical body.

At the same time.

Seeing that Lu Xiu did not move, Orphan of Kos suddenly leaped up and launched a powerful and heavy jumping attack!

Lu Xiu immediately rolled to the side.

Boom!

He slammed the round knife in his hand down on the spot where Lu Xiu had just stood, sending grayish-white sand and gravel flying.

"So fast."

Lu Xiu quickly regained her balance.

That's truly a lack of martial ethics.

---- He was almost chopped to the ground.

Before Lu Xiu could catch her breath, the Orphan of Kos, whose attack had missed, seized the opportunity to snatch the heavy, deformed round knife and then charged towards her in a contorted manner, unleashing a wide-ranging sweeping attack.

As Lu Xiu retreated rapidly, she sensed the current level of enhancement in her physical body.

"It seems average----"

She frowned slightly.

While strength and agility have indeed been improved, this increase is still somewhat insufficient in the face of the unreasonable and high-pressure attacks of the Orphan of Kos.

Still not bold enough?

The Frans's Blood Frenzy Art is a gamble with their lives, it's too dangerous, so although she also detonated her blood and qi just now, she subconsciously left herself some room for maneuver.

However, to truly achieve a qualitative change, it seems necessary to push the Qi and blood to a critical point where they are about to ignite.

Swish!

Orphan of Kos screamed, and his round knife slashed horizontally once more.

Lu Xiu jerked her head back, narrowly avoiding the attack once again, several strands of her hair being severed by the strong wind.

The boss was becoming increasingly enraged with each attack.

Without further hesitation, Lu Xiu released her last line of defense, pushing her internal energy to the brink of ignition.

The next moment.

A surge of frenzied energy suddenly erupted from her body.

Agility and strength instantly surged!

Lu Xiu's beautiful eyes brightened slightly.

However, the next second...

"Hmm----"

Lu Xiu let out a muffled groan, her face turning pale. Her internal energy and blood instantly went out of control, surging wildly within her body and causing intense pain.

That's a bit difficult.

This feeling of teetering on the edge of self-destruction is too difficult to control; one wrong move and you'll go too far.

"Pause."

Lu Xiu decisively raised her hand.

Everything froze in an instant; the surging waves stopped, and Orphan of Kos was also frozen in mid-air.

Lu Xiu raised the back of her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, calming her internal energy and allowing the system to repair her injuries. At the same time, she carefully recalled the feeling when her internal energy reached the critical point of ignition just now.

really.

Copying blindly will lead to your demise.

One cannot completely let go—it is still necessary to use Mental Strength to control it during this period. One cannot injure oneself, nor can one suppress it too much, because the former will leave serious aftereffects, while the latter has limited benefits.

"How do you get the balance right? You can only try again and again!"

Lu Xiu took a deep breath and then lifted the pause.

In the blink of an eye.

Two days have passed.

In the hotel where the Franca Delegation was staying in Chen Capital.

Rosalind stood in front of the French windows, her face showing barely concealed anxiety, and she even subconsciously bit her fingers. She had been like this for two days.

Since the manuscript of the Blood Frenzy Art was sent out, the Nine Provinces Coordination Bureau has only offered a perfunctory thank you and has not followed up at all.

As for Lu Xiu, the legendary chief Architect of Nine Provinces, we haven't even seen a trace of him.

"What's going on—did Lu Xiu simply not understand it?"

Rosalind frowned and paced back and forth in the room.

That's correct.

After all, it was a technology developed based on the physical structure of the Franca Beastfolk. It's normal for pure-blooded humans to be completely clueless when reading the written description, as if it were a book written in a foreign language.

If you can't understand it, why not ask Frans for help?

I'm right here in the capital!

"She wouldn't just go and try things out on her own, would she?"

Sudden.

Rosalind realized something ominous.

But she quickly dismissed the idea. "No, that's impossible. She wouldn't just randomly try a technique that could cause her to explode and die. Even if she tried it in Construction Space, she would have to endure countless unimaginable pains—she's probably just too busy lately to research it."

Rosalind comforted herself with this thought.

However, what she didn't know was—

At the same time.

Construction Space.

On that gray and cold beach.

"Ah!!!"

Orphan of Kos let out a scream as his emaciated body was slammed away by a violent force, carving a furrow tens of meters long in the sand.

And where it had just been standing.

Lu Xiu slowly straightened up.

At this moment, her entire body was enveloped in a tangible crimson aura of blood, and under the suppression of her Mental Strength, the blood and qi within her body were perfectly locked at a delicate threshold that could provide a terrifying burst of power without harming herself.

Yes.

After two days of effort.

It hurt terribly.

However, Lu Xiu finally mastered Franca's Blood Frenzy Art and made improvements, grasping that delicate balance.

No.

Perhaps it shouldn't be called "Blood Frenzy Art" anymore, but rather "Rampage"!

in addition.

After two days of practice.

Lu Xiu's ability to precisely control her Qi and blood has also improved.

now.

She didn't even use any physical weapons; in her right hand, she only held a scarlet longsword formed from compressed blood energy.

You need to know.

She's still using her Rampage to strengthen herself.

To do two things at One Mind.

It not only strengthens oneself but also allows one to control the blood energy and prevent the longsword from dissipating.

This is a huge improvement compared to two days ago.

On the other side.

As soon as Orphan of Kos got up from the ground, before he could even roar and grab the round knife, Lu Xiu's figure instantly left a bloody Afterimage in place.

Swish!

This is the agility and strength attribute boosted by Rampage!

Accompanied by a piercing whooshing sound.

Lu Xiu was like a streak of blood-red lightning, instantly appearing before the orphan. The long sword in her hand, formed from blood energy, left Afterimage as she swung it upwards and then horizontally.

Cross Slash!

Two cross-shaped blades of energy suddenly slammed into Orphan of Kos's chest, interrupting his movement as he swung his deformed round blade.

"!!!"

Orphan of Kos staggered back a step, letting out an angry shriek, his body twisting violently in mid-air as he still brandished the round knife in his hand.

"Come!"

Seeing this, Lu Xiu stopped dodging and instead raised her blood-red longsword. With the boost from her Rampage state, she directly met the opponent's weapon and began to clash and hack at him wildly!

The deafening sounds of collisions continued to emanate.

The Orphan of Kos's attack was both unpredictable and swift.

But no matter how they attacked, Lu Xiu's longsword always managed to meet their attacks.

The two men's weapons clashed repeatedly.

Each time their weapons clashed, a blood-red shockwave would erupt.

If a player who has played Bloodborne saw this, they would probably ask a question.

Who are the Orphan of Kos?

Because Lu Xiu really looks even more mad Orphan of Kos.

I don't know how many times they fought.

Both the man and the boss leaned back slightly and then swung their weapons forcefully.

When!!!!!

The two weapons clashed violently once again.

A tremendous reaction force was generated.

The two men each took half a step back.

But in that instant when both of them were somewhat off balance...

Lu Xiu reacted much faster. She suddenly reached out with her left hand and grabbed Orphan of Kos by the neck. The blood energy in her palm exploded, sending the already unbalanced Orphan of Kos flying instantly.

Immediately afterwards, she lunged forward, wielding her long sword, and began chasing and slashing at the BOSS.

Start slashing the moment the opponent is sent flying!

The other party flew all the way.

Lu Xiu hacked and slashed her way through the boss that had tormented countless players in the game, leaving it utterly helpless.

Then, the instant the other person lands.

Start by using Bloodlust skills to attack their faces in sequence.

What Mountain Collapse Strike, what Rage Burst, what Crimson Blade?

Put everything that can be put in there.

When the last Rage Burst was released.

Sudden.

Lu Xiu stopped her relentless barrage of attacks.

Orphan of Kos was stunned for a moment, then struggled to get up. Just then, he saw Lu Xiu suddenly take a step back, slightly lower her center of gravity, and her long, blood-red sword in her right hand suddenly retracted to her waist. The movement was smooth and fluid, as if she were sheathing a sword.

Immediately afterwards.

The next second.

Clang!

As Lu Xiu sheathed her knife.

The blood mist that had been permeating the air due to the fierce battle around Orphan of Kos suddenly solidified.

Swish swish swish swish!

Countless blood-red blades appeared out of thin air and then exploded with a roar. Hundreds and thousands of sword energies swept out like a vortex, frantically slicing through the orphan's emaciated body.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

The screams of the Orphan of Kos rang out.

Then it was completely engulfed by the violent, blood-red sword energy.

A few seconds later.

As the sword energy dissipated, the Orphan of Kos also transformed into countless specks of light, completely disintegrating.

Lu Xiu slowly straightened up, looked at the empty beach in front of her, and couldn't help but slightly raise her snow-white chin. After taking a deep breath, she exclaimed, "So handsome!"

to be honest----

Lu Xiu had just been fighting when she suddenly noticed the blood mist around her.

Then I wondered if I could control it with my Mental Strength again.

Surprisingly, it actually works.

And it's quite simple.

It looks cool even when you play it!

The visual effects are off the charts!

that is----

Handsome as he is.

Unfortunately, it's completely unusable in reality.

Within the Construction Space, she can rely on blood lock to recklessly squander her vital energy, creating a situation filled with blood mist.

But once back in reality, you can't be so wild.

It's not bad, though!

This at least proves that my control over my Qi and blood has reached a state of perfection!

Furthermore, changing Franca's Blood Frenzy Art to Rampage was also successful.

Thinking of this...

Lu Xiu looked out the window.

[Current system integrity: 85%]

"As expected, this is related to the blood energy skill I created."

Looking at the progress bar, which had soared to 85% in just two days, Lu Xiu thought, "I wonder what will happen when it reaches 100%? Will it turn what I created into a skill? --- Oh well, whatever, as long as I keep practicing, I'll see it reach 100% sooner or later."

Lu Xiu closed the window that was floating in mid-air.

Then they exited the Construction Space.

With a familiar feeling of weightlessness, the gloomy, oppressive beach receded rapidly.

When she opened her eyes again, a cool and refreshing forest mist enveloped her; she had returned to the Witch Forest in reality.

"Let's see the results of these two days of suffering first."

Lu Xiu stood still, this time without deliberately taking a deep breath to adjust her state, and simply raised her right hand.

Crack!

Almost the instant the thought arose in her mind, blue arcs of electricity suddenly appeared, darting and leaping across her right arm, radiating an aura of destruction.

Both its formation speed and power feel almost identical to the original [Transcendent·Remnant] skill in the system.

Lu Xiu's thoughts shifted again.

boom.

The electric arcs on her fair arm instantly subsided, Take Their Place by blazing flames. The surrounding air was distorted slightly by the heat, but she felt no pain whatsoever.

"As expected— Heaven Rewards Diligence."

After two full days of grueling training, the improvement was remarkable.

Her control over the qi and blood in her body has now reached an unbelievable level. Manually creating the [Transcendent·Remnant] skill without system assistance is no longer a challenge for her.

certainly.

The Metal Aspect and Earth Aspect a separate system.

This still requires practice.

Lu Xiu gently clenched her fist, dispelling the flames in her palm, then hesitated.

She was wondering if she should try using Rampage in real life.

Those skills that forcibly draw blood and energy out of the body and then smear it on people's faces.

Lu Xiu dared not try.

However, Rampage only ignites the internal energy and blood, thereby enhancing strength and agility; it does not require the external release of energy and blood.

Could this also be a side-effect-free buff in reality?

Lu Xiu hesitated for a long time.

I'm still going to give it a try.

Since it's just circulating within her body, if anything goes wrong, she can simply cut it off with her current control over her qi and blood; she shouldn't die.

Thinking of this...

Lu Xiu slowly closed her eyes, her Mental Strength sinking into her body, directly triggering the qi and blood within her body, bringing it to a certain critical point.

A familiar feeling washed over me.

Lu Xiu could clearly sense that her strength and agility attributes surged instantly at that moment.

It's done!

It can be perfectly replicated in real life!

Lu Xiu opened her eyes, raised her hand, and tentatively swung her fist forward twice.

Whew!

The punch was fierce, accompanied by a muffled whistling sound as it cut through the air.

It is indeed exactly the same experience as the one in the Construction Space.

However, the surprise in Lu Xiu's beautiful eyes didn't last long before her brows furrowed slightly.

Something's not right!

--In the Construction Space, as long as she finds that balance point, she can keep her Qi and blood close to the critical point without causing them to heat up.

But in reality, as the [Rampage] state continues, the violent blood and energy begin to heat up continuously.

"Five seconds----Ten seconds----"

Lu Xiu felt the blood and qi in her body becoming increasingly violent and the temperature rising rapidly, quickly approaching the dangerous critical point where it would ignite completely.

At sixty seconds.

Lu Xiu decisively cut off the outburst of qi and blood, allowing the surging blood and qi in her body to calm down.

In just sixty seconds, even though she hadn't done anything, a fine layer of sweat appeared on her fair forehead, and she even started to breathe slightly. Her fair, snow-white skin also flushed slightly due to the rapid circulation of blood and qi.

"----As expected, there are limitations."

After pausing for a while, Lu Xiu straightened up, seemingly lost in thought.

Sixty seconds.

This is the current limit of the [Rampage] state she can maintain in reality without side effects. Once she exceeds this time, it will be no different from the suicidal Blood Frenzy Art of the Frans.

I don't know if it's because the attributes aren't high enough.

The sequence is still not high enough.

Or perhaps for some other reason.

"I wonder if the Frans encounter this situation where their blood and qi continuously heat up, making it increasingly difficult to suppress when they experience Blood Frenzy Art?"

Thinking of this...

Lu Xiu looked towards the Wooden Cabin where Jian Li and Shen Nian were not far away.

Her Rampage is based on a modified version of the Frans's Blood Frenzy Art —completely abandoning any Ancestral Bloodline. If one could see firsthand what role the so-called Ancestral Bloodline of the Franca Royal Family plays in Blood Frenzy Art, perhaps one could find further ideas to refine the [Rampage].

It seems so.

I must go and meet Her Royal Highness the Princess Franca.