Breaking their defenses (two-in-one)

Inside the instance.

Lu Xiu left the tomb of Gravelord Nito and rushed onto the Dragon Bridge.

Since Feilong could no longer communicate, Lu Xiu could only press its head down to force it to face reality.

It didn't take much effort.

However, this ordeal did confirm one thing for Lu Xiu: the monsters in this offline dungeon were ridiculously stronger than expected. The monsters had become much stronger, and the sense of oppression Nito gave her was not an illusion.

The subsequent fight against the Bell Gargoyles further convinced her of this.

Those two gargoyles really do look like ghosts!

Fortunately, Lu Xiu was more skilled—in the end, she managed to force them to go to reality.

This time, unlike the Monster Hunter and Witch Instance dungeons, she doesn't need to control the expansion range and speed of the dungeon in the real world.

This time, her sole aim was to bring the entire Dark Souls instance into reality.

So after the first bell was rung.

Lu Xiu rubbed her shoulders, then immediately charged towards the lower levels of Undead Burg with her sword, intending to take down the Capra Demon first.

After that, there are the Gaping Dragon and other bosses. Then Blighttown to see Spider Lady and ring the second bell.

Once everything is settled, you can head to the Anor Londo.

But to be honest----

There aren't many bosses in Dark Souls that you can actually interact with. Nito is a rather special case, since he's a total shut-in and his will hasn't been distorted by external forces. Unlike the Witch of Chaos, who has gone too far and turned herself into a living disaster, Seath the Scaleless has become obsessed with studying her broken crystal, and the Four Kings of New Londo have even become vessels for the will of the Abyss.

These guys are completely impossible to communicate with—the only thing to do when you see them is beat them up, see if you can beat them up even a little bit to send them back to reality.

Of all the remaining bosses, the only one that's really troublesome is Gwyndolin.

Because this person has a clear mind—after his father rekindled the flame, his brother was banished, and his sister married far away, he still guarded Anor Londo alone with illusions, and he doesn't seem easy to persuade.

However, things will work themselves out in the end.

Let's put the Anor Londo last for now.

If all else fails, then let's fight.

As Lu Xiu pondered this, she set off with a murderous aura.

soon.

She fought her way through Blighttown, reaching its lowest level and the location of the Blighttown Witch, Quelaag.

As soon as she stepped inside, the sound of joints rubbing together rang out.

A fierce flame ignited.

Her lower body was that of a twisted spider, while her upper body was that of a woman. The older sister, with her long, flowing hair, emerged from the shadows carrying Chaos Blade that burned with her own soul and humanity.

She moved swiftly, arriving before Lu Xiu with a resolute expression, and drew her sword.

"Stop."

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiu immediately raised her hand, palm facing forward. "I didn't come here to fight."

Quelaag immediately stopped moving, his Chaos Blade hovering in mid-air, and his spider body no longer spewing lava.

She hesitated for a moment. "Creator —you're not here to kill me?"

Lu Xiu shook her head. "No."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"----chat.

Quelaag stared at Lu Xiu, a complex look in his eyes. "Chat—well, Creator, I remember what you said when you first met me, you expressed pity for us sisters—so, can you tell me? Why did you put us sisters in such a predicament?"

To protect his tormented sister, he could only lurk in the mud like a monster, hunting down the undead who came to ring the bell, stealing their humanity and souls to alleviate his sister's suffering.

This situation is truly hopeless.

Lu Xiu sighed inwardly.

But to be honest, she didn't know how to explain it either.

You can't exactly say it was plagiarized, just to highlight the unforgettable tragedy, can you?

"Because that's fate, and I'm not the true Creator; I'm just a storyteller. Your story has already unfolded."

Lu Xiu looked at the half-human, half-spider girl before her, remained silent for a moment, and could only say, "Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things as straw dogs. Things will develop according to their own Effect and Cause. If your mother hadn't tried to replicate the First Flame with the King's Soul, the Chaos Flame wouldn't have gone out of control, and the bodies of all those affected wouldn't have been distorted."

Quelaag immediately said, "The First Flame is about to die out, and Mother is a possessor of the King's Soul. She did this for—"

Lu Xiu interrupted, "I know, that's the reason."

"Then why did the First Flame go out? Why must you bring this world to an end?"

"I said I was just a storyteller—if you really want an answer, it's that everything will eventually come to an end."

Lu Xiu said softly, "Your world will end, and so will mine. One day, the world I live in will also end, and so will the boundless universe beyond it."

"Stars will dim, stars will die out, and everything will inevitably perish."

"Whether it's heat death, cold death, or the Great Rip or the Great Collapse—although the time span may be extremely long for mortals, it will always come to an end; nothing is eternal."

"That's the answer."

Quelaag fell silent, even though she only understood most of what she was saying.

At that moment, Lu Xiu suddenly felt a gaze upon her. She looked up at the ceiling but found nothing.

"But I didn't come here to talk about that, Quelaag. Now there's an opportunity."

Lu Xiu withdrew her gaze, temporarily abandoning her concern about being stared at. Seeing that she had gotten away with it, she immediately changed the subject. "I can send you and your sister to my world. Would you be willing? There, your sister's suffering won't be so intense, and you won't need to hunt undead and extract that pitiful bit of humanity like you do now."

Quelaag slowly raised his head and looked at Lu Xiu: "----Really?"

"Real."

"My sister won't be in so much pain?"

"Yes, but there's a condition—you need to help me defend against the invaders."

Lu Xiu still has the authority in this regard. She can't change the already launched dungeon, but if the dungeon characters appear in reality, it's the same as the dungeon scene.

The Witch Forest is a case in point.

Unless the Quelaag sisters are core NPCs.

But clearly they are not.

Quelaag glanced back at his sister's location, then at Lu Xiu. His massive spider body shifted aside, clearing a path into the depths, and he whispered, "Creator, I hope your promise is true—"

Done!

Lu Xiu took a deep breath, picked up the Nameless Blade, strode across the empty nest, and began to ring the second bell.

Reality.

The deep, resonant chimes rang out once more.

The entire Blighttown began to emerge in reality.

After ringing the bell, Lu Xiu did not linger. She left directly through the back gate of the Blighttown, returned to the Firelink Shrine along the same route, then passed through Valley of Drakes and plunged into the Black Forest Courtyard.

Ten minutes later.

Deep within the dark and tranquil Black Forest.

A tombstone stands silently.

The Great Grey Wolf Sif, leaped down from behind the tombstone, its broadsword clenched in its teeth. Its beastly eyes were fixed on Lu Xiu, and it let out a low growl, extremely wary.

Schiff was clearly someone who couldn't be communicated with.

but.

Looking at the giant wolf in front of her, Lu Xiu decided to give it a try.

She took a deep breath, then raised her hand. "Hey hey hey—come on, let's shake hands."

Schiff:?

Abysswalker, the companion of Artorias and guardian of the graveyard, whose breed is wolf rather than dog, had clearly never suffered such an insult.

Its face turned fierce, and it immediately pounced on Lu Xiu!

"Fine, fine, you won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!"

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiu went Rampage. She dodged the attack, then leaped onto Sif's back, raised her fist, and delivered two powerful punches to the furry wolf's head!

"Aww!"

The howl of the giant wolf echoed through the forest.

"What are you yelling for! I've already beaten your master into submission! You still dare to bare your teeth!"

Lu Xiu yelled as she beat it, "Spit out the Covenant of Artorias! Now!"

As he spoke.

Two more punches, bang bang.

Just as Lu Xiu was preparing to increase the intensity and completely subdue the giant wolf.

Schiff, who was already somewhat dazed from the beating, suddenly froze.

Its nose twitched, as if it had smelled something, and it immediately released the greatsword it was holding in its mouth.

Then.

It let out a pitiful whimper, its massive body crouched down, and then opened its mouth, actually spitting out the Covenant of Artorias.

Lu Xiu was taken aback. She jumped off the wolf's back, picked up the ring, and looked at the giant wolf that had suddenly become docile. A hint of surprise flashed across her face.

So you're convinced now? Or is it because you fought Artorias before?

Hmm... never mind, it's not important.

Lu Xiu shook her head, sent the giant wolf back to reality, and then turned and left.

And then...

Lu Xiu completely let go.

Because most bosses are truly impossible to communicate with—and she got fed up with trying to talk to her, she simply let loose and transformed into a tyrant from the Dark Souls world.

The Duke's Archives, Crystal Cave.

Lu Xiu kicked the primordial crystal to pieces, then started punching the head of the Seath the Scaleless.

"Immortality, huh?!"

"If you want immortality, then go to reality! I guarantee you'll be immortal! I won't die, and neither will you!"

New Londo ruins.

Bottom of the Abyss.

Lu Xiu, wielding the Nameless Blade, chased after the clones of the Four Kings of New Londo, slashing at them.

"The Dark Lord, huh? Aren't you ashamed? You're proud of becoming a soul-devourer, aren't you?"

"I'll show you what a true Dark Lord is!"

The chaotic Lost Izalith of Izalith.

Lu Xiu frowned as she looked at the twisted and enormous Bed of Chaos before her.

"You looked really cool when you tried to replicate the First Flame using the King's Soul, but now you look absolutely hideous!"

"And I have painful memories of you, so you'd better die! Go shine in the real world!"

And not only those who possess the King's Soul.

The other bosses weren't much better off.

I'm suffering terribly----

Even in Oolacile, chaos reigned.

Anyway, along the way, Lu Xiu used talk therapy and empty promises to anyone who could be communicated with or persuaded, while the BOSSes and elite monsters who had long lost their minds and were completely incapable of communication were all beaten to a pulp.

If you can't kill him, beat him to death.

Then, after you're done, kick yourself into the real world.

Let's move the timeline forward slightly.

The real world.

The Seventh Defense Line, in front of the temporary command post.

Cheng Xiu and the others looked up in astonishment, watching the enormous Hellkite Drake hovering above the city.

I haven't recovered yet.

when----

A deep, resonant, and penetrating bell rang out once more.

The entire Sea City could hear it.

Players from other directions all stood up and began to discuss the matter.

Because the sound of the bell was so familiar----

It is the Bells of Awakening from the Dark Souls dungeon.

As the chimes echoed, the instance scene expanded once more into the real world, the earth trembled, and an ancient Bell Tower rose from the ground in the distance.

This is just the beginning.

As Lu Xiu rapidly advanced (and attacked) within the instance, the ground shook more and more frequently.

The commotion deep within the southern part of the South City grew increasingly louder and more outrageous.

Firelight, thunder, darkness—all sorts of things lit up one after another.

Then.

Wei Yidong and the others witnessed firsthand how the towering buildings in the distance began to collapse like building blocks—and the collapse was happening at an increasingly rapid pace!

It's as if something is taking over the territory.

Then came inhuman roars, eerie lights, and the booming sounds of heavy objects crashing into the earth, one after another.

Even the celestial phenomena in the South City have changed.

The continuous commotion left everyone on the Seventh Defense Line, including the battle-hardened soldiers, completely bewildered.

This is nothing like the Monster Hunter and Witch Instance that Lu Xiu previously created.

Shen Nian murmured, "This is too exaggerated—"

Jian Li, who had been gazing into the distance without moving, couldn't help but tiptoe slightly.

At this moment.

Wei Yidong suddenly said, "Wait—did you hear the wolf howling?"

"What wolf howls? Where did those wolves come from?"

Listen carefully!

"Holy crap! Over there! Could it be the Great Grey Wolf Sif?"

"Ah?"

"Wait! Another dragon roar? A dragon from Valley of Drakes? Or the Gaping Dragon? No, this commotion is much more terrifying than before. Could it be the White Dragon Sith?"

"Ah?"

"What the hell is this all about???"

Yan Fushou stared blankly at the South City Ruins, whose landscape was gradually changing.

But he quickly realized what was happening and turned sharply to Cheng Xiu: "Wait! Did Lu Xiu mention the scope of this instance? It's not like Lu Xiu is going to bring the entire Dark Souls map and all the monsters from there into reality, is it???"

No one answered him.

And soon—he knew the answer.

Inside the instance.

After making her way around, Lu Xiu finally stepped into Anor Londo. She deliberately left the Anor Londo for last because she thought Gwyndolin, the Shadow Sun, would be difficult to deal with.

It's not that we can't win.

Instead, they felt that if it was possible to avoid fighting this person, it would be best to avoid it.

Because Lu Xiu had a premonition that such a conscious BOSS could go on strike or even cause trouble, she basically tried to reason with the BOSS when she encountered one she could communicate with.

Unlike dealing with a boss who can't be communicated with, I won't try to reason with them directly.

When Lu Xiu actually set foot in the Anor Londo, she became even more certain of her judgment.

A boy and a girl might really be difficult to manage.

Because the entire Anor Londo was very quiet.

The giant guards and the Silver Knight have all vanished.

The vast Anor Londo was bathed in a false golden sunset, and not a single ghost could be seen.

Is this a welcome—or Gwyndolin simply run away?

Lu Xiu circled the Anor Londo but still couldn't see anyone, and couldn't help but mutter to herself.

However, Anor Londo is very important.

Lu Xiu desperately wanted it to appear in reality, so even though the atmosphere was strange, Lu Xiu thought for a moment and then strode through the corridor with the Nameless Blade in her hand, heading towards the Gwynevere's bedchamber.

Push open the heavy door.

Lu Xiu suddenly stopped—she had finally seen someone.

Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough.

These two Ornstein and Smough, who once left countless players with psychological trauma, stand like statues on either side of the entrance.

The moment Lu Xiu entered, both of them simultaneously lowered their heads and raised their weapons, as if facing a formidable enemy.

But in the end...

The two still didn't make a move, but instead resumed their standing positions.

Seeing that the other party did not make a move, Lu Xiu did not strike first as a sign of respect, but simply dismissed the two gatekeepers, since the core of the Anor Londo was not these two.

She didn't plan to make a move until she saw Gwyndolin.

She strode directly between the two men, took the elevator, and arrived at the princess's bedroom on the second floor.

Open Gate.

The giant treasure chest is still there.

Gwynevere lay on her side on the couch, radiating a soft, holy light, and looked at her with a smile.

But this is just an illusion.

Lu Xiu was as hard as iron. She directly swung the Nameless Blade. The moment the blade touched the Gwynevere, the illusion vanished. The Gwynevere, along with her warm and holy light, instantly turned into countless particles of light and disappeared.

at the same time.

Lu Xiu's vision went black.

When she opened her eyes again, she had already entered the BOSS arena, and in front of her was a dimly lit corridor that seemed to have no end.

"The Creator ----"

From the shadows, an androgynous voice slowly rose.

Then.

Accompanied by a soft, rustling sound, a figure wearing a golden, sun-shaped spiked crown, dressed in a pure white robe, and with its lower body composed of coiled, writhing snakes, gradually slid out of the darkness.

It is the shadow sun, Gwyndolin.

The last the Deity to remain in Anor Londo.

Lu Xiu looked at Gwyndolin, about to speak.

But before she could speak...

"Crossdresser, effeminate man, coward, weakling even an old lady could beat, crossdressing master----"

Gwyndolin looked at Lu Xiu and suddenly said, "This is the Creator's evaluation of me."

Lu Xiu momentarily speechless. "There's no need to remember that so clearly—"

She did seem to have complained about it back then.

He also said that Nito are shut-ins.

It seems that these lucid NPCs remember all of this.

It's just that Nito doesn't care, but this guy does...

She had clearly already toned it down!

"I was just curious."

Gwyndolin stared at Lu Xiu: "As the Creator, if you despise me, why did you create me in the first place—?"

"What's so disgusting about it?"

You called me a cross-dresser.

"These are just words describing a state."

"Coward."

"It's just repeating other people's misunderstandings."

"A weakling that even an old lady could beat."

"You are skilled in illusion magic and dislike physical combat."

"Cross-dressing master."

"I'm also a cross-dressing master."

Hearing the answer to the last question.

Gwyndolin slid forward a short distance, seemingly scrutinizing Lu Xiu, and after a long while said, "From my observation, Creator, your biological sex is female, and your soul also manifests as female."

"That's not right of you. Do you even know what I'm thinking?"

Lu Xiu extended her fair hand. "My heart is masculine, so I'm wearing women's clothing now, just like you, so I can empathize with you."

Upon hearing this answer...

Gwyndolin was stumped and fell silent for several seconds before saying, "Creator —that's sophistry."

That's called empathy.

"..

Gwyndolin fell silent again.

Then.

He skipped over that topic and instead said, "Creator, you already know this is a false dream, so why did you still come to shatter the last peace of the Anor Londo?"

Lu Xiu retorted, "----You should have guessed my purpose by now, right? You had all the Silver Knight hide and deliberately pulled me in here, wasn't it because you knew you couldn't stop me by force?"

Gwyndolin didn't refute, but instead said, "Then why should I help?"

I can free you.

Lu Xiu said softly, "To protect your father's glory, you are desperately maintaining a false sun, guarding an empty city that contains nothing but illusions. It's so pathetic."

Isn't there a successful Firelinker standing before you? So your duty is over, Gwyndolin. Your father has sacrificed himself for the cause, your brother has been banished, your sister has married far away, and your other brothers and sisters have their own destinies. You can be free now.

You have already proven yourself worthy of the title of Son of Gwyn.

Upon hearing Gwyndolin stood motionless.

Much later.

He had only glided forward a short distance when he leaned slightly forward and asked softly, "----Is this the Creator's evaluation?"

"Yes."

"As you wish, Creator."

Gwyndolin seemed to close his eyes.

After a moment of silence, he bowed slightly to Lu Xiu.

The next moment.

The setting sun, which had fallen on Anor Londo, quietly disappeared.

The real world.

The southern half of Sea City has undergone a dramatic transformation.

Although the defensive line is far from the center of the South City.

But at this moment, everyone on the defensive line could clearly see that the entire cluster of high-rise buildings in the very center of the city had vanished.

The taller buildings that were closer still stood, but in the very center of that dense cluster of buildings, the buildings had vanished, leaving a void in the heart of the southern city, dividing the remaining half of the southern city of Haicheng in two once again.

Lightning, flames, crystals, and Abyss black mist—all sorts of things were constantly flashing in the void.

Cheng Xiu, Yan Fushou, Fan Lixin, and the others were all dumbfounded.

Because they already guessed what was happening over there.

But what they didn't know was that deep inside the South City, the situation was far more exaggerated than what they could see.

At this moment, the South City center was in utter chaos.

The ground was littered with the corpses of monsters from the front lines.

The moment Nito appeared.

The king, far away on the beach, realized something was wrong. Countless King's Scion launched a fierce attack, seemingly trying to extinguish the Bonfire in the center.

But those King's Scion, who once posed a challenge to Lu Xiu, are now being chased and slaughtered like dogs by all sorts of bizarrely styled bosses.

The half-human, half-spider Quelaag wielded the Chaos Blade, the Great Grey Wolf Sif transformed into a silver whirlwind with the greatsword in its mouth, Seath the Scaleless was even more unrestrained, letting out a dragon roar as countless blue crystal clusters grew wildly from his body, bursting out in all directions, while the Chaos...

The breeding ground—it didn't even attack actively; the out-of-control chaotic flames spread out, and the monster corpses inside countless King's Scion and their offspring twisted into Demon.

The entire South City was in complete chaos, a veritable den of demons.

Various drastically different forces erupted, and the King's Scion perished one by one.

Even though the king had sent all his sons, it still seemed like there weren't enough to kill.

After all, these bosses are really strong. Don't be fooled by how Lu Xiu beat them up in the dungeon; that was inside the dungeon.

Even offline dungeons are still limited by the Primordial Settings and dungeon framework. In addition, since Lu Xiu is Architect, it's no problem for her to rampage through them.

But once they emerge, their fate in the face of the King's Scion is uncertain.

And it was amidst this chaos...

A sudden change has occurred!

Directly above the center of the South City, space suddenly tore open.

Then a golden sunset suddenly descended----

In that golden light that seemed to dispel all gloom, the giant eyes in the center of the bodies of the King's Scion who had not yet been killed suddenly moved and all looked at the suddenly appearing sunset.

only.

They didn't get to see it for long.

The moment they came into contact with the setting sun, the shadows that the King's Scion used to maintain their forms were forcibly erased—without the support of shadows, the remains of countless frontline monsters that constituted their physical forms immediately poured down.

Immediately afterwards.

Anor Londo has arrived.

At first, it was just a phantom bathed in light.

But in just a few breaths, this magnificent city, known as the land of the gods, came to life under the setting sun.

The white spire pierced the boundary between reality and the virtual world, and the remaining modern ruins around it began to crumble inch by inch, as if making way for the city.

Soaring spires, magnificent flying buttresses, and intersecting circular staircases—as its massive outline becomes fully realized, the golden twilight begins to drape it in a sacred halo, like a divine miracle.

When!

The colossal city had transformed from illusion to reality, and the ethereal sound of bells rang out.

The bell tolled across the vast distance, reaching clearly the ears of all players on the Seventh Defense Line.

All players witnessed the arrival of the Anor Londo.

Whether it was Yan Fushou and the others in front of the temporary command post, the battle-hardened frontline soldiers, or the other players scattered throughout the defensive line, everyone stared blankly at the white city bathed in the setting sun.

"Anor Londo ----"

"Holy shit!!!!"

Why would Anor Londo appear in Assimilation Zone?!

"Lu Xiu? We're not going to be fighting Dark Souls monsters in real life, are we?! No! We'll die! We'll really die!"

"Idiot! This is just like Astera! It must have been Lu Xiu's doing! The frontline monsters should be fought by bosses from Dark Souls!!"

"No wonder the ground was shaking and the bells were ringing! So that's why! Lu Xiu brought Dark Souls into reality!"

"Awesome— the Anor Londo has actually appeared in reality!!"

"With the Anor Londo here, what's there to fear from the monsters on the front lines!"

Wow!!! Architect really that outrageous?

moment.

Ordinary players, who hadn't even realized what had happened, started shouting.

Because they were too familiar with this city; after all, it had left them with countless psychological scars.

And now, it stands tall above the Assimilation Zone!

This means it's now the monsters' turn to face the Anor Londo!

This news is so reassuring!

This scene is truly breathtaking!

In front of the temporary command post.

Cheng Xiu and the others were also dumbfounded. Although they were mentally prepared, they still couldn't help but gasp when they actually saw the Anor Londo descend.

Yan Fushou also gasped, the icy air filling his lungs, but it couldn't calm his wildly beating heart.

He finally confirmed it.

Lu Xiu was determined to bring the entire Dark Souls Dungeon to life! And she actually succeeded!

Awesome!

Looking at the magnificent white Anor Londo, he inexplicably recalled what Chen Fu had told him before, "Don't look down on top players with the mindset of a fledgling just because you're young. They can even crush an entire army."

At the time, Yan Fushou thought it made sense.

But at this moment, he wanted to turn around and ask Chen Fu a question.

Isn't that too conservative?

And beside him.

Chen Fu, the frontline officer known for his calm and ruthless nature, also slightly opened his mouth, his pupils reflecting the illusory sunset appearing above the South City, and the magnificent metropolis bathed in that illusory sunset, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while.

He murmured, "... Has the offensive and defensive strategies shifted?"

At the same time.

On the beach of Sea City coast.

With the arrival of Anor Londo, that false sun cast its rays.

The enormous mountain of flesh that had been lodged on the beach suddenly stopped moving.

A searing pain shot through it, and the thousands upon thousands of eyes that had been scattered all over its body abruptly withdrew their gaze, no longer looking directly at the sky over the South City.

Its tentacles, extending from its massive, fleshy body, rose from the seawater and the sand, lashing wildly in mid-air and even intertwining with each other, as if trying to obscure the view.

At the same time, murmurs echoed across the coastline.

"Not a hero—not a hero—not a hero—"

It was repeated several times.