Qi Xu didn’t hesitate at all. She immediately activated her pink chainsaw and slashed at the creature’s calf with lightning speed. Blood gushed out like a fountain, spraying everywhere!
Then, Qi Xu turned and sprinted away at her fastest burst speed. Meanwhile, her four teammates positioned at each corner launched long-range attacks to cover her retreat, unleashing a full barrage of firepower.
Qi Xu’s instincts screamed danger, so she rolled to the side, changing her direction mid-movement.
A split second later, the spot where she had just been standing was obliterated by the stitched monster’s massive fist, striking nothing but air.
Qi Xu even heard the explosive sound of the punch tearing through the atmosphere. If she had taken that hit head-on, her life-saving item would’ve shattered instantly!
Even if she survived, she’d have been knocked out of the fight.
And if the stitched monster followed up with a few stomps? No amount of life-saving items would’ve helped.
Luckily, she dodged in time, and soon the battle settled into another cycle of hit-and-run tactics.
The stitched monster didn’t seem frustrated. It didn’t fixate on any one direction—just lumbered toward whoever hurt it the most.
The three weaker teammates hiding in the corners had even lowered their shields... If they didn’t attack, the monster wouldn’t even glance their way.
And given their combat abilities, any attacks they launched probably wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.
So, Qi Xu, War Wolf 009, and Dongfang Yuan took turns rushing in, dealing heavy damage at close range before darting away, while the four teammates in the corners provided covering fire.
This back-and-forth of melee and ranged attacks went on for nearly an hour before the stitched monster finally collapsed. By then, Dongfang Yuan’s machine gun had run out of ammo...
Qi Xu had fired at least 500 rounds herself—a hefty cost—but she had a gut feeling it was worth it!
Most importantly, no one got hurt in this fight. Everyone was still in good condition, a testament to their trust and teamwork. They’d cleared the stage without casualties and scored some sweet loot!
Even though the battle dragged on, they’d only burned through attack supplies—their stamina was fine.
All things considered, it was a pretty good deal. The further they progressed, the richer the rewards would be.
They headed straight for the next stage’s gate, curious about what bizarre challenge awaited them this time.
This time, it was a "Push-Up Relay"...
The task required all eight of them to complete 4,000 push-ups collectively. Every member had to participate in a full round before the challenge could be judged as a success or failure. Three consecutive failures would force them to re-fight the stitched monster from Stage 11.
[Note! If your arms don’t bend to 90 degrees, it’ll be an automatic fail! Chest touching the ground also counts as a failure! I’m very strict! But if anyone performs exceptionally well, the survival game will reward them!]
Qi Xu worked out daily but had never counted how many push-ups she could do.
War Wolf 009 was the first to estimate, "At my current strength, my limit’s around 850."
Dongfang Yuan raised an eyebrow and chimed in cheerfully, "Then I’ll say 860."
Old White Dragon in the Waves declared, "600! I can push to that if I grit my teeth!"
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt said, "I’ll take 700."
Qi Xu considered their numbers and gave her own estimate. "I’ll also do 700."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang instantly did the math as soon as the others finished speaking. "That means the three of us only need to do 290 total!"
Chinese Master Chef clasped his hands together nervously, looking apologetic. "I... I think my max is 20. If I weren’t in this survival game, I probably couldn’t even do one. Sorry for dragging everyone down again..."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang clenched her teeth. "I can manage 200. I’ll push for more if I can!"
Retired Magic Boy added, "Then between me and Master Chef, we’ll cover the last 90. We can do it!"
Qi Xu arranged the order.
"Master Chef goes first, then Magic Girl, Bubbly Bro, Old White Dragon, Golden Bro, Wolf Bro, Slash Sis, and I’ll take the last spot."
Everyone knew the last person carried the heaviest burden. If the earlier teammates fell short, the pressure on the final one would skyrocket.
Dongfang Yuan tentatively asked, "Want me to go last instead?"
Qi Xu shook her head slightly, confident in herself.
She trusted that even if her arms burned with exhaustion, she’d push through until the task was done.
After all, she’d survived in this game for years. Her will to live and grow stronger was unshakable.
Dongfang Yuan looked at her with admiration. Not bad—none of these guys could match the two of us in style!
Once the challenge began, Chinese Master Chef stepped up first for the push-ups.
He barely finished one before the system declared him a failure...
[Belly touching the ground, arms not bent to 90 degrees—next! Look at you, so fat you can’t even do one proper push-up. If I were your teammate, I’d be so annoyed. What a deadweight~]
Chinese Master Chef stood up, hurt. "This game fat-shames too? What’s wrong with being big? I didn’t eat your food!"
"If I bend my arms to 90 degrees, my stomach touches the ground. If I keep my stomach up, my arms don’t bend enough. It’s impossible!"
He looked like a deflated dumpling, utterly dejected.
Qi Xu patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It’s fine, you just helped us dodge a trap. Now we know what to watch out for."
"Exactly, no big deal. We’ve got enough people to cover the difference."
"What a jerk! Ignore that stupid announcer, Master Chef! A little extra weight makes you more cheerful! And a chubby chef means tastier food!"
Master Chef glanced at his teammates nervously, relieved to see they weren’t swayed by the system’s taunts. Instead, they rallied around him with encouragement.
He let out a small sigh.
His whole life, people had mocked him for his weight.
He’d tried everything—dieting, exercise, weight-loss pills, boot camps—but nothing worked. All it did was leave him weak and miserable, barely able to function...
His parents and relatives would scold him, "You’re so fat and still not losing weight? You’ll never find a wife!"
The shame made him withdraw, avoiding the outside world.
But no matter what he did, his body clung to every ounce. He could’ve sworn he gained weight just by drinking water. In the end, he’d laughed bitterly and accepted it—some things were just fate.
So he stopped fighting it. He ate normally, lived normally, and stopped caring about the cruel stares.
Surprisingly, his health gradually improved.
And now, in this survival game, even when he slowed the team down, he’d found teammates who didn’t judge him for his size.
For the first time in a long while, he felt a lump in his throat, eyes stinging with emotion.
........
