Chinese Master Chef was immediately heartbroken, hugging his precious treasure while tenderly stroking it up and down...
Qi Xu stepped forward and took a look, saying, "It's alright, it's not completely shattered. Just put it away for now. Upgrade it once more, and it’ll be fully restored—no need for specialized repairs."
Only then did Chinese Master Chef let out a sigh of relief. After all, his only offensive move was pressing monsters down with his shield. If the shield broke, it meant he’d be completely defenseless...
After clearing the 12th level, everyone had practically exhausted all their skills.
Chinese Master Chef’s shield was cracked, Qi Xu and Old White Dragon in the Waves had used their trump cards, and Old White Dragon in the Waves had run out of hidden weapons entirely.
There was no way they could tackle the next level now.
But... they could solve one more puzzle before leaving.
It was just an excuse to stay a little longer and chat. Traveling alone on the highway for so long had gotten really dull.
The final puzzle was quite interesting—a real head-scratcher...
It bore an uncanny resemblance to a mini-game from earlier in the survival game, "Sheep and Sheep."
Except the matching tiles had been replaced with all the monsters that appeared in the survival game.
The flashy designs made them hard to distinguish at a glance.
But when it came to games, this was right in the comfort zone of the retired magical boy.
He eagerly raised his hand to volunteer!
The others simply sat back, snacking and spectating—utterly unconcerned.
Dinner that night was dumplings, made with dough from the Dough Monster, giving them an incredibly chewy texture. The filling was a mix of monster meat and pork, with radish and scallions mixed in, creating a deliciously rich flavor.
Chinese Master Chef even brought out his family’s secret dipping sauce. One bite of the dumpling paired with it was an explosion of flavors—so good it felt like your taste buds might melt...
Watch Me Cut You Down went from radiating hostility to becoming a well-behaved, bowl-clutching good kid in seconds—all it took was Chinese Master Chef serving up a meal.
The retired magical boy was hungry too, but the game was far more enticing.
The moment he opened the game, everyone’s eyes were dazzled by the rapid-fire visuals.
And then—he cleared it in one go!
"Yay! I did it!"
The retired magical boy turned around, bouncing with exaggerated excitement, making everyone’s lips curl into smiles.
But...
Just his luck—the tips of his hair accidentally brushed against the "Yes" option for "Proceed to the next level?"
The level gate reacted instantly.
Everyone tensed up and jumped to their feet. The retired magical boy stood there, dumbfounded, only realizing the mess he’d caused a second later—and immediately wishing he could drop dead.
Dying alone would’ve been fine, but if he dragged everyone down with him, he’d never rest in peace.
Qi Xu had just pulled out items to restore health and reduce fatigue from her backpack but hadn’t had time to use them before everything dissolved into chaos.
[Congratulations, player! You’ve triggered the game’s special mechanism, returning to the original world from the survival game! Congratulations on your liberation!]
When Qi Xu’s vision cleared again, she seemed to be back in her old one-bedroom apartment—the same one she’d lived in before joining the survival game.
Her computer was still on, displaying her unfinished novel...
This apartment was Qi Xu’s, bought outright. Seven years of savings from writing—four in college and three after graduation—had gone into this 60-square-meter home.
The decor wasn’t luxurious, but it was cozy. Every piece of furniture, every decoration, had been carefully chosen by her.
Though the location was remote and amenities scarce, for a shut-in web novelist like her, it was more than enough.
Out of habit, Qi Xu opened the novel’s comment section.
"Day 1,462 since the author vanished... I miss her."
"Scumbag! If you weren’t gonna finish it, why start? Disgusting cash-grabber."
"I’ll wait forever for you... I just want to know if my little fish survived, wuwuwu."
"Did the author die? Why no updates?"
"What even is this trash? Zero logic, pure garbage. Must’ve given up halfway. And there are still idiots waiting? LMAO."
"I hope when you come back, you’ll see I’m still here! Waiting forever..."
Qi Xu scrolled through the comments, good and bad alike, her heart swelling with emotion. Without hesitation, she opened her writing software and started typing...
Posting each chapter as she finished!
Four years’ worth of pent-up inspiration exploded onto the page. Qi Xu was electrified, losing track of time at her desk until her butt went numb, her vision blurred, and her arms stiffened.
Finally—she wrote the ending.
Qi Xu was beyond satisfied.
She skimmed the comments again, a smile tugging at her lips.
Then, without warning, she pulled out her pink chainsaw and sliced the computer clean in half. Sparks flew, but the scene before her didn’t change.
Only then did she speak: "Alright, I’ve had my fill. I’m done here. Send me back to the survival game."
Though it sounded like she was talking to herself, the computer and desk suddenly reassembled, and a voice responded:
"Isn’t it better here? Just sleep, and when you wake up..."
"No. That trick won’t work on me. Don’t waste our time—send me back."
The moment Qi Xu said this, the voice fell silent.
Illusions were fine to indulge in briefly, but getting lost in them would cost her life.
Qi Xu had encountered similar scenarios in previous rounds—some even more elaborate.
But to her... it made no difference where she was.
No family, no close friends—life was life anywhere. At least now, she could feel herself growing stronger, gradually taking control of her fate...
It was fine. Her only goal now was to reach the end of the road and see what this place—the one that had trapped her for so long—really was.
And maybe... see if she could be as fearless as the protagonists she wrote about.
When Qi Xu returned to the dungeon space, Dongfang Yuan, Chinese Master Chef, and Warwolf 009 had already woken up.
They were staring at her, wide-eyed.
"She’s awake! Whirlwind Boss is back!"
Qi Xu blinked. "How’d you guys wake up so fast?"
Dongfang Yuan lazily shrugged.
"I just killed someone inside, and they kicked me right out. I was wondering why the level’s monster was so weak..."
Qi Xu’s curiosity spiked. The figures or events in this level were supposed to be tied to one’s deepest attachments or dependencies.
"Who’d you kill?"
"My master."
.........
