Without a second thought, Qi Xu decisively tore off the crown and cloak, hurling them straight into the ring of flames below the ruins.
Instantly, the flames surged three meters high, creating a breathtaking spectacle. But once the crown and cloak were fully consumed, the fire completely died out...
At the same time, Qi Xu felt an overwhelming surge of power, reminiscent of when the [Undying War God] title had been triggered. A glance at the personal stats panel revealed a temporary boost of 20 points across all three attributes!
Not only that, but health was now maxed out, fatigue was completely depleted—far surpassing the state granted by the [Undying War God] title.
Monsters unable to approach? The option to exit the dungeon at any time? Qi Xu couldn’t care less. After all, this dungeon was one she had gathered everyone to tackle in the first place.
In a survival game, the moment you let fear take hold, death isn’t far behind.
Fortune God's Only Daughter had already resolved to fight tooth and nail the moment she was assigned the role of warrior—at the very least, she wouldn’t stand idly by.
But watching Qi Xu unhesitatingly discard the crown and cloak into the flames sent a thrill of excitement through her. This is what makes the legendary Black Whirlwind so captivating!
No wonder this was the player who’d triggered a server-wide announcement. The only question was—with such skill, luck, and nerve, how had her name never come up before?
This dungeon was a strange beast—neither purely difficult nor purely simple.
Fortune God's Only Daughter remembered playing it five times already. It wasn’t a mandatory refresh in every survival game cycle; it only appeared when the server had multiple widely respected top-tier players.
Rated five stars, it was more brutal than many six- or seven-star dungeons.
She’d been a prisoner, a puppet, a warrior, a strategist, and a leader—each role exactly once.
The most intriguing part? Every role had hidden rules. A single selfish player meant instant failure for the entire team.
And the twists never stopped—right up to the last second, you never knew whether you’d live or die, succeed or fail.
No dungeon death protection card? Then death was a certainty.
This was her sixth attempt, and once again, she was a warrior.
The warrior’s hidden rule was the most useless: You can voluntarily die in place of the strategist or leader.
The irony? Both the strategist and leader could assign the warrior’s combat tasks. You didn’t choose to die for them—they ordered you to.
But now, watching this unfold, Fortune God's Only Daughter felt today’s run would be different. That was why she couldn’t contain her excitement.
Even bound hand and foot, the three prisoners stared at their leader with shining eyes. The three puppets were even more amusing—not a trace of panic, just calmly discussing battle plans among themselves.
It reminded her of that absurdly difficult clearance condition...
Suddenly, a distant rumble shook the ground. Centered on the ruined throne, deafening roars erupted from all directions...
Qi Xu tried summoning a weapon, but nothing came. Fighting bare-handed was a disadvantage. A quick scan revealed no usable weapons nearby—until her gaze landed on the throne.
The material looked high-quality—not pure gold, but some kind of alloy, surely?
What a waste to leave it as a mere chair.
With brute force, Qi Xu lifted the throne and slammed it into the ground. A thunderous crash echoed, drawing puzzled looks from the group.
Fortune God's Only Daughter sucked in a sharp breath. If Black Whirlwind knew what she just destroyed, he’d be clutching his chest in agony!
Damn. The leader’s three sacred items, obliterated before the dungeon even properly began. Now that’s bold. Never seen anything like it.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu dismantled the throne. She tore off four legs, keeping one for herself and tossing one each to Dongfang Yuan and Breaking Cocoon into Butterfly.
Fortune God's Only Daughter watched eagerly.
The last leg went to her.
Others might not know, but Qi Xu was well aware—this girl was no delicate flower. Finally, a chance to see what a true ability-user can do.
Besides the legs, there was the throne’s backrest—a bit heavy, but perfect for Lala, one of the few pure strength-types present.
Just as combat was about to begin, the game seemed to freeze.
Everyone except Qi Xu and Luo Xinpan stood motionless.
A banner notification unfurled before them:
[First Wave: 80 Iron Mole Rats]
The leader and strategist have one minute to assign combat roles. To skip this wave, sacrifice one prisoner.
Note: To leave this dungeon alive and compete for ranking rewards, clear at least five waves. Failure means total annihilation.
Qi Xu’s brow furrowed.
From a design standpoint, surviving five monster waves shouldn’t be hard—especially with three puppets on their side.
The first wave was mole rats: weak attack, weaker defense, practically free kills, just numerous. The second wave likely wouldn’t be much tougher.
If things got desperate, sacrificing one prisoner per wave for the last three would let most survivors escape.
Of course. This dungeon’s true test was the choice between humanity and survival.
But Qi Xu would never press that button. Never.
Below the notice, a projection displayed the battlefield and all participants. Time was short. Qi Xu quickly strategized: four directions, each needing defenders.
The first wave was straightforward. East: Dongfang Yuan. North: Fortune God's Only Daughter. South: Breaking Cocoon into Butterfly, Lala, and Ballpoint Pen. Qi Xu would take the west.
With Dongfang Yuan anchoring the south flank, they could reinforce if the puppets malfunctioned.
As for Fortune God's Only Daughter up north? Let her handle it. She’d promised to pull her weight, and Qi Xu trusted her—a seasoned ability-user would know where the traps lay.
At last, the fight began. After so many twisted choices, pure combat felt good.
..........
