Then Qi Xu took out two protective items, giving one to Dongfang Yuan and another to Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt, as neither of them had any defensive gear despite being on the frontlines against the monsters.
"Keep these for now. If you need them, it’ll be timely help from me. If not, just return them later."
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt waved it off awkwardly. "I don’t need it. Even without items, most monsters can’t hurt me easily. I’ve got some solid defense."
Dongfang Yuan also refused. "You keep it. Your defense is a bit weak—don’t get careless. And don’t worry about me, sis here has nine lives."
Qi Xu didn’t take them back. Instead, he said, "For this team-up, can I be the leader?"
This time, everyone nodded in agreement.
Qi Xu pushed the two items toward them again. "Then take them."
Dongfang Yuan’s gaze at Qi Xu practically turned molten, but after a brief hesitation, she accepted. Seeing this, Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt could no longer refuse either.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang also handed Qi Xu a protective item. "I’ve got extras, and I’m in the safest spot. Won’t need it."
Qi Xu smiled and accepted it.
Just as the team settled into formation, the 10-minute countdown was nearly up—only one minute remained.
Qi Xu lightened the mood. "Don’t stress. The stages will ramp up gradually—the first three won’t be any trouble. We’ll have time to adjust, and there’ll be breaks between stages. Stay loose and let’s do this."
"Let’s go!" Old White Dragon in the Waves suddenly roared, startling the already nervous trio in the inner circle.
Master Chef nearly flung his shield away before bursting into laughter, easing the tension for everyone.
Qi Xu checked his two weapons, bounced on his toes a few times, and flexed his wrists and ankles, feeling a small thrill of excitement.
This was his first real team battle.
The alliances from the last game didn’t count—those were just temporary collaborations with ulterior motives.
As soon as the timer hit zero, the stage gate opened. Sister Cut You charged in without hesitation, followed closely by War Wolf 009, leaving behind two ridiculously cool silhouettes.
The team found themselves in a void-like space of about 500 square meters. Dozens of gray-furred rats materialized ahead—weak in combat power.
Seeing how feeble the monsters were, Sister Cut You couldn’t be bothered to waste bullets. Supplies were precious, after all.
She slung her machine gun over her shoulder and moved in bare-handed.
War Wolf 009 handed her a dagger instead.
"Thanks, bro!"
Soon, the rat swarm closed in. Qi Xu and Old White Dragon in the Waves had an easier time than War Wolf 009 and Sister Cut You, handling the fight so effortlessly that they gradually pushed forward, forming a straight frontline of four, slaughtering rats with gusto.
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt played it safer, hanging back slightly to prevent any monsters from breaking through and threatening the three teammates behind.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang felt she could handle the first stage’s difficulty and stepped up beside Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt, testing her combat skills.
The battle was a complete stomp.
By the time only a few rats remained, the team deliberately let some through to give Bubbly Girl Guo Degang a taste of action.
The girl quickly gained confidence—every shot from her iron crossbow killed a rat instantly.
Thanks to auto-aiming, she barely needed to focus, just picking targets at will.
With no pressure left, she holstered the crossbow and focused entirely on her pistol, firing with surprising accuracy—whether from skill or luck, she took down two more.
Dongfang Yuan couldn’t resist snarking, "Nice shot—you aimed for the one on the right, but the one on the left dropped dead! Keep your wrist steady when you pull the trigger. Tsk tsk, your arm strength’s pathetic."
When only two rats were left, Qi Xu stopped the team. "Master Chef and Retired Magic Boy, why don’t you two give it a shot? Don’t worry, we’ve got your backs. Rewards for clearing with kills are way better than just surviving. This is the best time to rack them up."
In the last game, some players coasted through the entire dungeon and only got basic materials as rewards.
Chinese Master Chef and Retired Magic Boy exchanged glances before charging in bravely.
Chinese Master Chef led the charge like a mini nuke, slamming his shield full-force into one of the rats.
Instantly, dark-red blood—and even some whitish brain matter—splattered everywhere.
Qi Xu winced at the sight of Chinese Master Chef’s Level 5 weapon.
This kid was something else. A Level 5 weapon must’ve cost at least 50 upgrade cards.
And he’d poured all of them into a shield, only to use it like this…
If the rat had dodged, this move would’ve been pure self-sabotage—enemy escapes, you lose 3,000 HP!
Retired Magic Boy’s approach was more conventional.
He wielded the stun staff Qi Xu had given him earlier—long-range and upgraded once for extra damage. Luck was on his side too; the second hit triggered the stun effect.
Seizing the chance, he whacked the dazed rat a few more times until it went down, though he was left panting, muscles locked tight from exertion.
Once the rat died, he could barely keep hold of the staff.
Dongfang Yuan couldn’t hold back. "Girl, you’re gripping that staff like it’s about to split in half. Relax—that gray furball’s already dead!"
"How are even the first-stage monsters this tough? I’ve never seen rats that huge before!" Retired Magic Boy looked utterly bewildered.
Dongfang Yuan and War Wolf 009 were equally stunned—they’d never encountered such weak gray rats either. On the first day of the survival game, they’d faced venomous centipedes, snake monsters, and other deadly creatures.
One misstep meant serious injury.
War Wolf 009 had once suffered a festering wound that led to a high fever—only saved by buying antipyretics from Invincible Black Whirlwind, which was how they’d met.
Dongfang Yuan had seen even more monsters—practically more than the types of supplies available.
But something as weak as these rats? Never.
So she couldn’t help asking Retired Magic Boy, "What kind of monsters came out of your loot boxes?"
"Hardly any," he replied. "And if they did, they were harmless—rabbits, butterflies, tiny stickmen, or really small gray rats. If you didn’t chase them after opening the box, they’d just run off on their own."
.........
