Dungeons usually start at 10 AM every day. If things go smoothly, Qi Xu could finish today's journey tasks before entering the dungeon.
But within just an hour, Qi Xu stumbled upon three wooden crates in a row—luck was truly on his side, and there was no stopping it.
Of course, Qi Xu couldn’t just leave the crates untouched, even if it meant wasting some extra time going back and forth.
Even if the crates contained nothing particularly valuable, Qi Xu was still happy. After all, every little bit counts!
At 9:55 AM, the notification for the impending dungeon entry arrived right on schedule.
Qi Xu gripped his knife and clicked "Confirm Entry."
In dungeons, players could freely attack each other, so caution was a must.
This one-star dungeon, "Speed and Fury," was one Qi Xu had participated in before, where he’d secured 5th place in his group—though he’d only taken down three green-haired monsters.
His strategy had been simple: floor the accelerator. His off-road vehicle had been exceptionally fast, allowing him to reach the finish line second, though his total points landed him in fifth place.
Upon arriving at the starting point, Qi Xu immediately chose the outermost lane. While all lanes covered the same distance, the edges were safer.
All 20 players set off simultaneously, but after 500 meters, they’d gradually be separated into different lanes—likely a protective measure for newer players.
Only in the final 500 meters before the finish line would they converge again, minimizing risks for the weaker participants.
Out of the 20 players, only five would face punishment. If those five could be eliminated before the race even began, the rest could proceed without fear of being taken out mid-race.
That was why Qi Xu had picked the outermost lane—to guard against any pre-race ambushes.
The road survival game didn’t encourage killing, but it also didn’t protect the weak. Everything came down to individual strength.
Gradually, the other players arrived, most looking curious. Some even struck up conversations. To Qi Xu’s relief, no one seemed intent on causing trouble.
This second time around, the butterfly effect was in full swing. The dungeon, the people he encountered, and even the supply crates were completely different from the previous round.
Qi Xu had no intention of picking fights, but if someone came at him, he wouldn’t back down either.
The player next to him was a girl, though she seemed introverted and uninterested in talking.
But Qi Xu noticed her repeatedly sneaking glances at his absurdly pink tricycle… and inexplicably blushing.
Qi Xu scanned the other vehicles. Most appeared to be Level 1—two sedans and a minivan, which were relatively well-equipped.
The rest were motorcycles, bicycles, pedal tricycles, and even skateboards—a motley assortment of rides.
At first glance, the bicycles and skateboards seemed weaker, but anyone who’d signed up for this race surely had a plan.
The countdown began: "Three, two, one!"
With the bang of a starter pistol, all 20 vehicles surged forward.
The girl beside Qi Xu was on an electric scooter, which had a slower start. Just as Qi Xu was about to overtake her, a motorcyclist on her other side abruptly cut her off.
The girl lost her balance and crashed into the side of Qi Xu’s tricycle. If not for Qi Xu slowing down slightly, the collision might’ve flipped his ride entirely.
The motorcyclist then started circling Qi Xu and the girl like a vulture.
Qi Xu had initially planned to ignore the situation—such things were common, and weakness was often its own punishment.
But since this guy had dragged him into it, Qi Xu figured he might as well take the motorcycle for himself.
Just as Qi Xu was about to step down, the girl tugged at his sleeve. "No need to get off. I’ve got something."
She pulled out a poison gas grenade and hurled it at the motorcyclist. The moment it hit his bike, the man collapsed, convulsing violently within seconds.
The girl exhaled shakily. "Let’s go! We’re falling behind!"
Qi Xu frowned. "Aren’t you going to finish him off? Or loot his stuff?"
The girl hesitated, then steeled herself, slapping the man once before rifling through his pockets. All she found was a lighter—nothing else. His other belongings were probably in his backpack.
After she left, Qi Xu was speechless. What a soft-hearted girl.
The man was still alive. If he had an antidote pill or managed to trade for one later, he’d become a problem.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu slit his throat with his knife.
What good was a slap? Qi Xu then scanned the motorcycle with his work permit, and the result left him stunned.
[Hello, Scrap Collector! Wow, a brand-new motorcycle tossed away as scrap? What a waste! Wear level: 3%. No visible scratches. All parts intact and fully functional. Valuation: 119 survival coins. Confirm sale?]
119 survival coins?! His previous silver minivan had only fetched 89!
Qi Xu immediately clicked "Sell." Vehicles couldn’t be dismantled or recycled—selling was the only option.
With this work permit, it felt like he was practically cheating. Survival coins were invaluable later on, even life-saving in critical moments.
Out of habit, Qi Xu tossed the body into the black mist by the roadside before resuming his journey.
Soon, a green-haired monster appeared. Without hesitation, Qi Xu swerved and rammed straight into it—no need to even get off his ride.
The moment it died, Qi Xu scanned it with his interface, collecting "Green Hair × 3."
He’d even cleared a slot in his backpack specifically for these monsters.
From then on, Qi Xu ran down every green-haired monster he could. If one was awkwardly positioned, he didn’t bother—speed was the priority. These creatures spawned one at a time, and their frequency increased the closer he got to the finish line.
By the final stretch, killing one would instantly trigger another to appear.
So Qi Xu decided to race ahead to the converging fork near the finish line before starting his monster-slaying spree.
Gripping the handlebars at full throttle, his pink tricycle flew down the open road. The anti-fatigue sunglasses he wore spared him from squinting constantly.
Strangely, they didn’t darken his vision—just added a soft, desaturated filter that was easy on the eyes.
Only when he reached the fork did Qi Xu finally dismount, knife in hand, ready to fight.
A green-haired monster immediately charged from behind, letting out cute "squeak-squeak" noises that belied its murderous intent—it swung its fists, aiming to crush his skull.
Luckily, it was slow.
Pressed for time, Qi Xu sidestepped and lopped off its head with a single slash.
The moment it died, another spawned in its place…
By the time he reached the finish line, seven players had already arrived.
"How long do we have to wait here?"
"Who knows? Probably until everyone finishes for the rankings to be finalized."
...
