In this game, staying alive isn't easy, but dying isn’t exactly simple either—at least not for Fortune God's Only Daughter.
Qi Xu took a deep breath and glanced gratefully at the magic boy and Bian. "Thank you all for your trust. I’m really lucky to have met you. I’ll take on the role of leader—no need for empty words. I just want to say one thing: I won’t abandon anyone’s life, and I’ll do everything in my power to clear this dungeon and get you all out. I won’t let your trust down!"
"We believe in you, boss!"
"Absolutely! We’ll all make it out safely."
"Forget clearing the dungeon—just surviving is enough."
Fortune God's Only Daughter had barely finished speaking when she was immediately silenced by Sister Cut You.
"Stop spouting that depressing nonsense."
The fortune girl shut her mouth immediately. She couldn’t win this fight—literally.
Once the group had finalized their plans, the survival game, with eerie efficiency, conjured identity cards that hovered midair in front of each person. The sight was unsettling.
"After deliberation, your identity will be set as Leader. Do you accept?"
Qi Xu hesitated briefly, first observing how the others reacted.
Most pressed "Accept" without hesitation—only Fortune God's Only Daughter mirrored Qi Xu’s hesitation, scanning the room before making a move. When their eyes finally met, she pressed the button, and Qi Xu followed suit, clicking "Yes."
Something about the fortune girl’s gaze felt loaded, as if there was more beneath the surface. But before Qi Xu could probe further, she averted her eyes.
In an instant, the surroundings shifted.
But in that same moment, the three prisoners—Muzi Li, Blessed by Luck, and the retired magic boy—received a hidden rule:
"The survival game will never leave anyone truly defenseless!
"Hey, poor prisoner, you are now granted a special ability. If you meet an unfortunate end in the upcoming challenge, you may freely transfer your death to any non-prisoner teammate!
"However, it will take delayed effect. They might think they’ve won? Wrong. The moment they exit the dungeon, they’ll die. The only ones guaranteed to make it out alive are the players with the Prisoner identity!
"Though you might black out for a while—don’t be scared."
The retired magic boy’s first reaction after reading the hidden rule was: "Boss! This survival game is full of tricks, it’s #&@%#—"
"Huh?"
He froze. Why was everything he said suddenly censored?
Glancing around, it seemed no one had even heard him. Muzi Li and Blessed by Luck also appeared to be speaking, but their words were invisible and inaudible.
The three finally understood—this was part of the rules.
By the time the blinding whiteness faded, the scenery had completely transformed.
It was as if they’d been transported to a battlefield on the frontier. Qi Xu stood atop a ruined structure, where a golden throne had been inexplicably placed.
Meanwhile, Muzi Li, Blessed by Luck, and the retired magic boy quickly realized they’d lost control of their bodies again.
Not only that—they were abruptly teleported into three giant fish tanks, their hands bound to the upper corners and their feet fixed to the bottom.
Self-rescue was impossible. Even moving was a struggle.
The sudden shift left all three rattled. Even with mental preparation, the shock was real.
The retired magic boy tried to lighten the mood. "At least our mouths aren’t sealed. We can still chat, right?"
Blessed by Luck nodded frantically. "Y-yeah! Let’s keep talking. I’m kinda freaked out."
Muzi Li redirected their focus. "Look at Boss Whirlwind—so cool! He looks powerful. We’ll be fine..."
Qi Xu, against their will, was forced onto the golden throne. A crown materialized on their head, and a cape draped over their shoulders.
But the loss of bodily control left Qi Xu deeply unsettled. Instinctively, they resisted the foreign influence.
To their surprise, their body regained freedom almost instantly. Qi Xu was baffled—what was the point of that?
Looking down, Qi Xu noticed faint embers flickering around the base of the ruins, as if ready to ignite at any moment.
The puppets—Breaking Cocoon into Butterfly, Spicy Beauty, and Ballpoint Pen—also felt the restraints, but unlike Qi Xu, they couldn’t break free. Their bodies stiffened unnaturally, completely beyond their control.
Against their will, they were dragged to the center of the arena.
Behind the three puppets stood the two warriors: Watch Me Cut You Down and Fortune God's Only Daughter.
The two seemed unaffected. Dongfang Yuan attempted to retrieve her usual machine gun from her inventory—only to find it inaccessible.
Just as confusion set in, Fortune God's Only Daughter spoke up: "What are you doing? Still trying to draw your gun? You think this level is that easy? No outside weapons allowed! All you’ve got now are your fists, hehehe..."
She smugly prepared to watch the show, arms casually folded behind her head, rocking on her heels and swinging her legs. Serves you right for mocking me earlier—I won’t tell you a thing. Let’s see how frustrated you get.
To her surprise, Dongfang Yuan only paused briefly before calmly stretching and warming up.
She even grabbed Fortune God's Only Daughter by the collar and unceremoniously deposited her next to Qi Xu’s seat.
"Keep an eye on this brat. I don’t want her causing trouble."
Bian was also perched on the rubble, reaching out to pull the girl up—though she completely ignored her afterward, not even sparing a glance. Instead, she turned to Dongfang Yuan and said, "Be careful, Yuan-jie."
"Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no monster will get near you."
"I know! Sister Cut You is so cool!" Bian’s adorable antics instantly filled Dongfang Yuan with renewed energy.
Meanwhile, Qi Xu...
A choice appeared before him, demanding a decision.
"The Crown and the Cloak represent the supreme authority and power of a ruler. Possessing the Crown grants immunity to monster attacks in this dungeon. Possessing the King’s Cloak allows you to exit the dungeon at any time.
However, if you burn both, you will gain a +20 boost to all three core attributes for the duration of this dungeon!
Make your choice. The 10-second countdown begins now—no takebacks once time’s up."
Qi Xu understood perfectly. This was a choice between playing it safe as an observer… or fighting alongside the others.
He’d known those 20 attribute points wouldn’t come easy. And sure enough—here was the catch.
..........
