Battle Wolf 009 and Dongfang Yuan immediately positioned themselves on either side of Qi Xu, shifting their strategy to focus on supporting him while prioritizing disruption. Recognizing Qi Xu’s intent to hone his skills, they held back from intervening too much, merely standing guard as backup in case of emergencies.
Qi Xu’s heart swelled with excitement—Now I’ve got teammates watching my back!
Emboldened, he threw himself into the fight with renewed ferocity.
This, however, sent the other two into a panic. We knew you were bold, but this is next-level reckless!
Some of the snakes, small and nimble, slithered past the trio’s frontline defense.
Old White Dragon in the Waves and Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt did their best to shield the less experienced trio at the rear, but as the battle dragged on, their efforts began to falter.
Noticing this, Bubbly Girl Guo Degang stepped forward, brandishing a long staff. Though her movements were stiff and repetitive at first, she quickly found her rhythm.
After all, he’s just a young guy in his prime—once he pushed past the fear, it wasn’t so hard.
Qi Xu, lost in the thrill of combat, became a blood-soaked figure, his chainsaw roaring relentlessly in a gruesome, violent spectacle.
Yet, when only three snakes remained, he stopped himself.
He’d intended to let the "newbies" take over, but a glance back revealed all three were already in fighting stance.
The ground was littered with slain serpents—proof of their efforts. So, without hesitation, Qi Xu finished off the last three with swift precision.
Pleased by their progress, he grinned and encouraged them, "You’ve improved!"
Chinese Master Chef patted his chest. "Not bad, huh? I’ve killed snakes while cooking before, but never this many. Once I got over the fear, they really weren’t much."
"Exactly. The courage to fight is progress in itself."
Retired Magical Boy had been bitten on the leg but stayed silent, embarrassed—no one else got hurt… He slunk off to a corner, swallowed an antidote pill, and squeezed out the blackened blood.
When he turned back, the entire group had gathered around him, faces full of concern.
He forced an awkward laugh.
"It’s fine. The antidote’s already working. My health only dropped by a dozen points, and I’ve got recovery items saved up."
Relieved, the group nodded. Chinese Master Chef even praised, "Magical Sister’s really tough—adapted so fast!"
Retired Magical Boy chuckled. "‘Magical Sister’ does sound better than ‘Magical Boy,’ though both are pretty cringe!"
"Hey, you’ve got your Bubbly Bro here with you."
"Yeah!"
Old White Dragon in the Waves smiled wistfully. "Ah, youth..."
Qi Xu fetched a basin of water to wash his face—not out of fussiness, but the stench of blood was unbearable.
Still, with more battles ahead, a thorough cleanup was unnecessary; comfort sufficed.
After clearing two more levels, the challenges grew more chaotic, with mixed monster types complicating the fights.
Injuries piled up, but Qi Xu’s Medicine Basin proved invaluable.
Stocked with hemostatic bandages, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antidotes, their supplies were more than ample, fueling the group’s confidence. Not a single thought of retreat crossed their minds.
"Whirlwind Boss, we’ll replenish your supplies after the dungeon."
"Absolutely! Without all these meds, we’d be in deep trouble."
Qi Xu nodded without saying much else. "Relax, push through a few more levels, and you’ll get all the rewards. Let’s see if we can upgrade our vehicles by the time this dungeon run ends."
Old White Dragon in the Waves looked shocked. "Whirlwind Boss, you... are due for another upgrade already?"
Qi Xu sighed. "Not that fast. It takes 10,000 vehicle upgrade card fragments... I haven’t even saved up a third yet. I was talking about you guys."
"Then let’s go all out! Full throttle!"
Despite the dangers, they managed to clear each level with teamwork.
Qi Xu had learned a great deal from Warwolf 009 and Dongfang Yuan.
By the tenth level, everyone was clearly struggling. Though the number of monsters had decreased, their strength had risen sharply.
The three rookies had no chance to fight back—they simply huddled in a corner, shields pressed tightly in front of them, not daring to peek out even slightly.
The situation was dire... one wrong move meant instant death.
Flame-spewing wolves, three-meter-tall black gorillas, black eagles soaring through the air unleashing gales, and steel rats with silver-glowing bodies burrowing up from the ground...
Even Qi Xu and the others were taking damage now.
A steel rat had torn a chunk of flesh from Qi Xu’s arm, the pain nearly suffocating. Though the dungeon’s protective item hadn’t triggered, his health was dropping by one point every second.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu swallowed a universal healing pill. The wound closed rapidly, new flesh growing in its place.
His health stabilized at 61.
Sheathing his long blade, Qi Xu decided to flex his financial power.
Pulling out a pistol, he fired wildly, not sparing any bullets. With an abundance of basic materials—thanks to the sudden influx of survivors in District 666—production tables and water condensers had seen a massive resurgence.
Qi Xu had prioritized steel and iron in his trade lists, so ammunition materials were never in short supply.
Though his aim wasn’t as sharp as Dongfang Yuan’s, the pistol was a tier-three weapon, its firepower no weaker than the machine gun Dongfang wielded. Seeing this, Dongfang also switched to firearms, and together they took down the last fire-breathing dragon.
Looking back, the team was in rough shape...
Nearly everyone was injured. Old White Dragon in the Waves leaned against the checkpoint door, pale and dazed, barely able to stand.
Qi Xu handed out all their medical supplies, letting everyone take what they needed.
Nine hours had passed. Though they still had a long way to go before the dungeon’s 24-hour limit, it was clear no one had the energy to keep going.
"Let’s rest first," Qi Xu said. "We’ll decide whether to push forward later. Anyway, no supply crates will spawn outside while we’re in the dungeon."
"Agreed!"
"I’m exhausted... but I haven’t even used my ‘Drunken Super Saiyan’ talent yet. Feels like a waste to quit now."
Old White Dragon in the Waves sounded weak, barely able to stand, yet still brimming with fighting spirit.
The battle had been thrilling. Though their skills varied, every teammate had given their all—no one slacked off.
And with their "online camaraderie," everyone felt a sense of belonging.
Qi Xu couldn’t help but worry about Little Seven back in the vehicle, wondering if the food he’d left was enough.
Truly, having something to care about only brought more things to fret over.
Yet this feeling was quite intriguing—Qi Xu knew there were still companions waiting for her to "return home."
.........
