Not Understanding

If there's one person whose method of passing the level is similar to Lu Xiu's.

That person must be Jian Li.

The others who entered the instance immediately after Lu Xiu went online had a somewhat mischievous feel to them.

But Jian Li had planned this all along.

And she truly lived up to her reputation as a genius; her path to victory was unlike anyone else's.

She didn't suffer the same disarray as Zhao Heng, who was blindly confident, nor did she grope her way forward with the same cautious steps as Wang Huai.

While others were still stumbling, she had already passed the first level.

While others were falling in the first stage, she was already busy saving BT.

When Wang Huai was in the Effect and Cause and Effect level, he marveled at the imaginative time travel gameplay.

She's already navigating the later levels.

As the dungeon progresses, this cold and aloof little girl seems to have finally rediscovered the warmth of human emotions.

When she crossed the Abyss with flawless precision, she heard the Militia NPCs in the control room exclaiming things like, "Only a madman would jump like that," and "You're a top- Pilot."

When BT had calculated the wind direction and gravity, uttered those flat yet weightless words, "Trust me," and tossed her into the sky, feeling the wind whistling past her ears, and when she lost her footing and fell off a cliff, BT caught her steadily, watching this massive steel behemoth clumsily mimic a human, giving her a thumbs-up—

On Jian Li's face, which seemed perpetually devoid of facial nerve activity, a very faint smile would always appear.

That's interesting.

The gameplay is fun, and the characters are interesting too.

----She thought.

Even a robot can be made so cute.

That heartfelt joy, born from pure fun and being touched, shone like a glimmer into Jian Li's world.

Especially when the Militia commander tried to replace the Pilot, and BT objected without hesitation, saying, "Cooper is my new Pilot."

Jian Li, unusually, looked up at the robot above her.

But this pure feeling quickly vanished.

The art style changes drastically in the next level.

When Jian Li emerged from the game, she was somewhat bewildered.

She didn't know why she felt so lost.

But I just feel lost, and there's always a sense of emptiness.

This didn't happen in the previous two dungeons.

now.

It was already late at night.

Yan Fushou and the others had already left, but he sent Jian Li a message telling her to go back and rest after leaving the dungeon.

The driver also walked over from a distance.

Jian Li glanced at the message, thought for a moment, closed the System Panel, and walked towards the driver.

Maple Leaf Avenue.

Jian Li out of the car, walked into the apartment, and entered the elevator. Her slender, fair fingers hovered over the control panel.

Her gaze involuntarily moved upwards, settling on one of the numbers—the floor where Lu Xiu was located.

Her fingertips lifted slightly, as if she wanted to press down.

But she stopped a split second before her fingertips touched the cold keys.

The usually aloof and proud young woman hovered in mid-air for a moment before slowly retracting her finger and pressing the button for her floor.

The elevator doors closed silently.

Back at her lodgings, Jian Li quickly washed up and lay down on the bed.

The room was dark, and the cool moonlight shone through the window onto her exquisite face.

She closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

But the moment she closes her eyes, images of raging, chaotic energy surges uncontrollably appear in her mind, along with the mechanical arm that hurled her violently, and the flat yet weightless phrase, "[Trust me]."

Then, the scene shifted to the Smart Pistol that could shoot anyone in the head, and the silent, frenzied killing in the sea of fire.

This was Jian Li's first time experiencing insomnia.

The next day, Jian Li got up early, changed into her usual clothes, and headed to the Coordination Bureau.

Coordination Bureau.

Yan Fushou rubbed his temples, pondering how to plan the next two dungeons.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

Then Jian Li walked in.

"Didn't you get enough rest?"

Yan Fushou glanced at the time, then looked at the girl in front of him with some curiosity. "Just cleared the dungeon?"

Jian Li gently shook her head.

Although he remained taciturn.

Yan Fushou was already used to her aloof personality, but he always felt that Jian Li's whole state was completely different from before she went in yesterday, as if she had gained an indescribable sense of vitality.

Yan Fushou hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did you not clear the dungeon? Was it very difficult?"

"It's not difficult."

So what's your assessment?

"It's fun, it's interesting, it's inexplicable."

"----How inexplicable? Why is it so inexplicable?"

"Because the robot died, I can't understand why a machine would do that. It doesn't make sense; even my family wouldn't do that."

Yan Fushou didn't understand at all. After a pause, he asked uncertainly, "You mean the plot?"

"Um."

"All right."

to be honest.

Yan Fushou had absolutely no interest in the plot, nor did he think that the plot of a dungeon could be any better.

Although it seems that quite a few people have been discussing the plot of Lu Xiu's previous storyline recently—saying it was very interesting.

But he was more interested in the rewards of this dungeon and the difficulty of clearing it.

But of course he couldn't say that directly. He could only follow the lead of this genius from the Strategy Group and offer a somewhat awkward consolation. "After all, it's a civilian-run instance, and there are bound to be things that General Lu Xiu has overlooked."

Jian Li didn't speak, just looked at him, her eyes gradually losing their sparkle.

Yan Fushou knew what that expression meant.

Impatient, angry.

What's wrong?

Is there anything wrong with comforting yourself?

Yan Fushou couldn't understand, so he could only continue, "Putting aside the inexplicable plot you're talking about, what are the dungeon rewards like?"

Is that warp device a reward? Does it come with skill rewards?

Jian Li continued to look at him.

Much later.

He then lowered his eyes slightly, his long, slender, white fingers swiping lightly in the air, skillfully bringing up his System Panel: "No skill rewards, but the warp drive has spawned, along with a rifle and a considerable amount of attribute points."

Is it difficult?

"The normal SS difficulty level is much easier than Sekiro."

"Then please provide a brief strategy guide."

"No, you should complete the game by yourself first."

Yan Fushou's eyes widened slightly. "Why?"

This was the first time Jian Li had made such a request.

Jian Li looked at him blankly.

All right.

It seems she really cares about the storyline of this instance.

And it doesn't seem to be because the plot was bad, but rather because it had a great impact on the girl.

What exactly happened in the story that turned this emotionally detached girl into this state?

Yan Fushou was curious, but no one could answer his question at the moment.

He thought about it carefully and came up with an idea.

We still need to pay attention to the psychological problems of troubled girls, although he doesn't know why he, Strategy Operations Division, has to do this, and it's even made him bald—but who can blame him when the other party is a genius.

"I'll try to complete the game when I have time. I'm really interested in the Jump Kit. The main reason I couldn't complete it last night was because of Lu Xiu. But you still need to write a brief walkthrough, just don't mention the plot."

Yan Fushou asked, "Besides that, do you know how to use the Jump Kit? Are you proficient at it? Can you control it like Lu Xiu?"

"Can use it, so-so, barely."

"Then how about this—you go and ask Lu Xiu for advice."

Yan Fushou said directly, "Li Shengkai and I also tried the Jump Kit yesterday. It's very difficult to control. I estimate that many soldiers will also have difficulty getting the hang of it. Although they can practice endlessly in the dungeon, when they return to reality and face a more complex environment, they may need someone to teach them and help them master the essentials more quickly. I would like you to come then."

Use this time to familiarize yourself with the operation as much as possible. If you don't understand something, ask Lu Xiu. How about that?

The one who tied the knot must untie it.

Let Lu Xiu answer Jian Li's questions.

It's better for two beautiful young women to talk than for this balding middle-aged man to guess.

He didn't understand those complicated thoughts of a young girl.

-"

Upon hearing this, Jian Li's beautiful eyes regained their sparkle. After a moment of silence, she said, "Okay."

Ten minutes later.

Yan Fushou saw the troubled girl off from his office, rubbed his temples, and was just about to get back to work.

There was another knock on the door.

Yan Fushou looked up helplessly.

"Please come in."

Wang Huai, the frontline military representative, pushed open the door and walked in.

His eyes were bloodshot, clearly he hadn't slept all night and had just come out of a dungeon.

"Old Wang? You're out too?"

Yan Fushou looked at this iron-willed warrior with some surprise, poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. "How was the dungeon?"

"Amazing."

Wang Huai pulled out a chair and sat down. "From any perspective, I think this is currently the best war-themed instance, and the rewards are also generous."

As he spoke, he took out the Jump Kit and an R97, which resembled Shortsword or submachine gun, from his backpack and placed them on Yan Fushou's desk.

"Jump Kit, weapon----"

Yan Fushou checked the attributes and then said excitedly, "Jian Li was here just now too, and her reward was similar. It seems this is a reward that's bound to appear—a weapon with a display panel, unaffected by the rule that modern weapons are ineffective. With this, plus the Jump Kit, the front lines are about to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Um.

Wang Huai nodded slightly, seemingly somewhat absent-minded. "But there are still many issues to consider. For example, the Jump Kit lacks system assistance, so its practical application is a problem. And whether others obtaining firearms through dungeons will make society more unstable is also a problem."

"I discussed the use of the Jump Kit with Li Shengkai."

Yan Fushou explained the plan to Wang Huai: "As for whether other people obtaining firearms through the dungeon will make society more unstable—there's nothing we can do about it. You saw the grand spectacle yesterday; the system promoted the dungeon across the entire region, which means Lu Xiu can't possibly not log in to the dungeon, nor can she set it as a private dungeon."

Restrictions are definitely necessary; the key is how to implement them. But there's no need to be too alarmed. Many miscellaneous skills are more powerful than firearms, and we still managed to overcome them.

Wang Huai nodded slowly. "Mm."

"Unexpectedly, the two major strategic deadlocks currently plaguing the front lines—the ineffectiveness of modern firepower and the lack of air defense capabilities—have been largely resolved by a single instance. Although it's only at this stage, it's hard to believe that such a perfect and powerful breakthrough has been found in just one instance."

Yan Fushou glanced at the rewards on the table again, then said excitedly, "Old Wang, you managed to clear it in one go, it must not have been too difficult, right? Could you write a brief walkthrough later?"

"I died once. The overall difficulty of the dungeon is still quite high, otherwise I wouldn't have made it this far. To clear it, you still need a certain level of battlefield awareness and observation skills. Although the mobility of the Jump Kit can be assisted by the system, you still need to judge the timing yourself. As for the strategy, because of Memory Blur, I can only write down what I remember."

"You died once?"

Yan Fushou was somewhat surprised. "And then you went straight into the dungeon again?"

Wang Huai fell silent.

Yan Fushou finally realized something was wrong. The iron-willed man before him was not as ecstatic as he was about finding a way to break the deadlock.

The steely veteran sat quietly in his chair, his brow slightly furrowed.

In those bloodshot eyes, which had been open all night, besides exhaustion, a complex emotion was also surging.

Yan Fushou asked curiously, "Old Wang, what's wrong?"

"----"

Wang Huai hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, seemingly unsure if it was appropriate, before finally saying, "I came to you because I need your help—you're familiar with that young girl Lu Xiu, could you perhaps ask her something for me sometime?"

"What do you mean?" Yan Fushou was completely confused.

"Ask her if there's any hidden condition for completing the game in the final part of the story?"

Wang Huai said softly, "Was it because I didn't play a previous level perfectly enough? Did I forget to collect some items? Is that why it ended that way? It's not a big deal. I'm just curious. After all, the final ending is quite moving for me. If it doesn't, then forget it."

Yan Fushou: "----"

Yan Fushou was stunned.

He stared blankly at the veteran on the front lines before him, his mind buzzing.

"You're here to ask about the plot too?" Yan Fushou asked in a strange tone.

Wang Huai: "What do you mean by 'also'?"

"Jian Li seemed to be quite interested in the plot just now."

"Is that so? That's normal, considering the ending of the dungeon was indeed unexpected."

Wang Huai nodded slightly. "Anyway, please ask around for me when you have the chance."

That's all.

He stood up. "I need to go back and rest. The application of the Jump Kit will probably be on the agenda soon; I'll be busy."

That's all.

He then left.

Yan Fushou only then realized what was happening, his expression turning strange.

One is a genius girl who is cold as ice, emotionally detached, and even somewhat inhuman.

One is a ruthless, middle-aged veteran who has seen life and death many times and has fought on the front lines for many years.

These two people are completely unrelated in terms of age, experience, personality, and fighting style.

The span is so vast.

They showed almost the exact same reaction after clearing the same dungeon?

As Yan Fushou pondered this, he switched to the System Panel, opened the dungeon library, and found the Titanfall Instance.

Then I looked at the details page.

I'm really curious about the storyline beyond the dungeon rewards.