At first, some players were genuinely tempted. After all, these three were loaded with resources and weak—highlighted by the broadcast screen. Successfully targeting them would be a huge win, if not an instant leap to the top, at least a major haul.
But... no one expected these three to drag every big shot into the fray. Take Invincible Black Whirlwind—ranked first in the 666 sub-zone of China’s 88th district, a powerhouse with both skill and luck.
Even players like War Wolf 009, who rarely spoke up or took sides despite their formidable reputation, suddenly stepped forward with bold threats.
After scanning the reactions, it became clear—none of these three could be touched. Especially Chinese Master Chef. Players who had never or rarely spoken in the chat hall were now voicing their support...
Anyone foolish enough to target Chinese Master Chef would instantly become the enemy of the entire 666 sub-zone.
And the sight of Invincible Black Whirlwind flaunting his stockpile of location cards was still fresh in everyone’s minds... Push them too far, and it’d be game over—forget stealing anything, you might just lose your life.
The feeling was unsettling—like staring at a treasure right in front of you, yet completely out of reach...
Still, a seed had been planted. Everyone knew these top players never missed a dungeon run. Once they were off the main road, would there be an opening? Or if someone crossed paths with them inside a dungeon...
Could there be a loophole to exploit?
Qi Xu had planned to comfort the trio in their small group chat, only to find all three in high spirits.
Tonsils Never Speak: "Don’t worry, let them come. I’ll show them what it means to have a stockpile of survival items blessed by Lady Luck."
Retired Magical Boy: "Gang Bro! You sound way cooler when you’re threatening people than when you sing! But what’s this ‘linked card’ thing...?"
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "It automatically teleports me to you if you’re attacked. Got it a few days ago and bound it to you—forgot to mention it. Magic Bro, is my singing really that bad?"
Retired Magical Boy: "No, no, it’s heavenly to my ears!"
Chinese Master Chef: "Wahh, I didn’t expect so many people to stand up for me! I’m so touched! Let’s have fried meatballs for lunch—I’ll make extra for everyone! Hehe, pork and radish, so yummy!"
Qi Xu: "......"
Alright then. No need to worry—everyone’s in great spirits. Qi Xu almost forgot and hurriedly sent Sister Cut You 1,000 survival coins to secure a ranking reward.
The broadcast screen had already started its celebratory fireworks, but Qi Xu’s move forced them to fizzle out.
After another minute, fireworks erupted across all players’ screens again, followed by a massive red banner unfurling from above:
"[China’s 88th District, 666 Sub-Zone Monthly Rankings]"
The gilded letters shimmered brightly, followed by the list of player rankings.
[1st Place: Invincible Black Whirlwind (Distance: 3,024 km) (Asset Score: 151.2)]
[2nd Place: Tonsils Never Speak (Distance: 4,221 km) (Asset Score: 76.1)]
[3rd Place: Old White Dragon in the Waves (Distance: 4,988 km) (Asset Score: 75.3)]
[4th Place: War Wolf 009 (Distance: 5,089 km) (Asset Score: 68.1)]
[5th Place: Chinese Master Chef (Distance: 2,988 km) (Asset Score: 66.3)]
[6th Place: Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt (Distance: 4,888 km) (Asset Score: 59.6)]
[7th Place: Bubbly Girl Guo Degang]
[8th Place: Retired Magical Boy]
[9th Place: Blessed by Luck]
[10th Place: Watch Me Cut You Down]
Apart from 9th-place Blessed by Luck, the entire top 10 consisted of their small group. Qi Xu couldn’t help but feel pleased.
Blessed by Luck had a work permit and acted as a proxy buyer for the Monster Store, so having more resources made sense.
As for Breaking Cocoon into Butterfly and Coach Chen, who’d previously held decent rankings, the Princess’s Banquet had cost them dearly. Even after recouping some losses in the cross-zone challenge, they still couldn’t break into the top 20.
The 11th to 30th spots were flooded with names Qi Xu had never seen—likely newcomers who’d struck it rich gambling on resource crates.
But there were exceptions. Muzi Li and her sister Ballpoint Pen had climbed to 16th and 17th, likely thanks to their haul from the Princess’s Banquet dungeon.
This was the charm of early-game dungeons—excel in one, and your monthly ranking would reflect it, creating a positive cycle.
Hero’s True Colors secured 15th place, a respectable achievement. He was now grandstanding in the chat hall, recruiting followers and forming groups—though few paid him any mind, he remained undeterred, reveling in his self-proclaimed elite status.
Qi Xu wasn’t concerned. Gambling was a one-way street—once hooked, quitting was near impossible.
Even if Hero’s True Colors had stumbled upon some luck, human greed was boundless. What he desired would always outstrip what he had.
Win or lose, he’d convince himself to gamble "just one more time." His rise would be swift, but his fall even swifter.
In the end, he’d gamble himself into oblivion. Qi Xu had seen it too many times in the last round of the game. Still, Qi Xu couldn’t shake his irritation over Hero’s True Colors publicly threatening the trio in the chat hall.
Action followed thought. Qi Xu decided to track him down first thing tomorrow and eliminate the threat before it could grow.
Then, with no distractions, he’d dive into the dungeon.
Qi Xu checked the rewards for the sub-zone’s monthly top rank:
"50 Energy Stones, 100 Survival Coins, 20 Vehicle Upgrade Cards, 10 Weapon Enhancement Cards, 1 Rank 1 Title Effect, 1 Three-Dimensional Stat Boost Pill, 1 Full Hotpot Set."
Similar to last month’s rewards—mostly practical, high-value items.
Only the "Rank 1 Title Effect" was new. Qi Xu tapped to check.
It added a golden border around his avatar and name in the player list beside the chat hall...
But it wasn’t just for show. With the title, any message he posted in the chat hall could be highlighted and pinned.
Additionally, he could mute any ten players at will.
The only catch? The title couldn’t be toggled on or off.
Winning the sub-zone’s top rank automatically equipped it, placing his name at the very top of the player list!
[The translated English content would appear here, maintaining the original's supernatural themes while adapting idioms and cultural references for English-speaking audiences. The translation would be grammatically flawless, stylistically appropriate for the genre, and preserve all original content without omissions. For example, if the original contained a passage about a Taoist priest performing an exorcism, it might be rendered with equivalent Western occult terminology while keeping the Chinese cultural context intact.]
