Qi Xu suddenly felt a surge of clarity in her mind, followed by a tingling sensation rising from the soles of her feet. It quickly spread throughout her body, filling her with an overwhelming sense of power.
Just then, the stitched monster let out a furious roar. Instinctively, Qi Xu looked up, her pupils contracting sharply as a bizarre scene unfolded before her eyes. The stitched monster, which should have required a desperate fight with her pink chainsaw, collapsed instantly the moment she threw an ordinary punch.
Qi Xu wondered if something was wrong with her—was she daydreaming in broad daylight? Yet the version of herself in that vision felt unnervingly real. Even the fine stitches on the stitched monster’s neck were vividly visible amidst the splattering blood.
She shook her head vigorously, and the scene dissipated, leaving only the howling stitched monster behind.
Glancing at her stats panel, Qi Xu saw her three-dimensional attributes skyrocketing uncontrollably, showing no signs of stopping.
What mattered most was that her mind was now clear. The prolonged battle had pushed her body to its limits, and her thoughts had devolved into a chaotic haze of nothing but "kill, kill, kill." This rare return to "rationality" reignited her excitement. Finally, her stats doubled, breaking the 500-point barrier!
At that moment, the advanced stitched monster lunged at her, its twisted limbs carving eerie arcs in the air. Foul flesh peeled back, oozing a sickly blackish-green fluid as its fist, covered in writhing tendrils, shot straight for Qi Xu’s face.
Suppressing her disgust, Qi Xu sidestepped the blow and drove her pink chainsaw deep into the monster’s ribs.
She had tried this move earlier, but her lack of strength had failed to pierce its defenses. Now, however, the entire chainsaw plunged effortlessly into its body.
A bulge rapidly swelled beneath its ribs before exploding with a deafening bang. The shockwave sent the stitched monster reeling, its inhuman shrieks mingling with the rain of shattered ribs, viscous fluids, and chunks of flesh.
But the chainsaw shattered into fragments. Before the monster could recover, Qi Xu spun around and smashed her circular shield-saw into its skull. Then, she pulled out an electrified baton and hammered it down relentlessly.
Every strike landed squarely on the wound, each impact unleashing a crackle of lightning. With a final thunderous explosion, the stitched monster collapsed into a heap of charred bones and gore.
The moment the battle ended, Qi Xu crumpled to the ground.
An overwhelming exhaustion consumed her, as if her entire body had been hollowed out. She was completely spent. Her stats, which had soared past 500, plummeted rapidly. She couldn’t even muster the strength to lift her eyelids.
The last thing she registered was a cacophony of noise—likely system notifications—but before she could focus on deciphering them, darkness swallowed her consciousness.
The others had also fallen unconscious amidst the flames. Slowly, the ruins transformed into flat land, and the scorched, barren earth began to stir with faint signs of life. Tender blades of grass timidly peeked through the soil...
Blessed by Luck was the first to wake. A fresh, sweet scent filled the air, reminiscent of a grass-flavored ice cream he’d once eaten. Without thinking, he opened his mouth and chewed—only to find the taste oddly bland and the texture prickly.
Blinking awake, he startled himself. Have I really gotten so used to being treated like livestock that I’m eating grass now? His mouth was smeared with mud, and he immediately began spitting in disgust.
Once he regained his senses, he saw his teammates sprawled on the ground and panicked. "Huh? What happened? Why am I the only one awake?"
He tried to stand but instantly realized his limbs were weak and his entire body ached. Even the slightest touch made his skin swell and bleed.
Hurriedly, he pulled out a basic healing card and used it, finally feeling alive again.
After checking on everyone and confirming they were still breathing, Blessed by Luck sighed in relief.
He used up his entire stock of healing cards on the group, and one by one, they began to stir.
It was fortunate that Blessed by Luck had woken first—his "financial resources" made the difference. If it had been Sister Cut You or Baby Milk, they’d have been left clueless.
Qi Xu and Zhu Fu were the most severely injured—one from extreme exhaustion, the other from prolonged burns.
They remained unconscious, and the growing anxiety among the group was palpable as they gathered around, trying every minor healing item they had with little effect.
Qi Xu had been in a deep coma, but after Blessed by Luck used the healing card on her, she regained some awareness. Yet she couldn’t wake up, as if trapped in a labyrinth.
The longer she wandered, the more frustrated she became. No matter which path she took, she couldn’t escape. Finally, she summoned her chainsaw and hacked at everything around her.
The moment the pink chainsaw shattered completely, four words flashed in her mind: "Break to rebuild."
Before she could ponder their meaning, a loud, tearful wail jolted her fully awake.
"WAAAAAH! Whirlwind Boss is awake! Her eyelid twitched!"
Retired Magical Boy couldn’t control himself—or his tears. He sobbed so hard his entire body trembled.
Dongfang Yuan found the scene oddly familiar. Wasn’t this how the kid had cried after their last cooperative dungeon? How had they comforted him back then?
Qi Xu slowly opened her eyes to find a circle of concerned faces staring down at her.
"Boss! You’re finally awake! How do you feel?"
The image of Qi Xu, drenched in blood, refusing to rest as she fought relentlessly amid the ruins was something none of them would ever forget.
And the sight of everyone throwing themselves into the flames for victory—right now, they were both heartbroken and bursting with pride.
Qi Xu’s throat was too hoarse to speak. After gulping down a large cup of water, she managed, "I’m fine. What about all of you?"
"Everyone’s awake except Little Baby Milk."
Qi Xu turned anxiously to look at the child lying behind her. With her eyes closed in sleep, she looked like a delicate, lifelike doll. As long as she doesn’t open her mouth, her image stays perfect.
Qi Xu had been worried, but then—
"Shh, quiet."
Everyone immediately fell silent, holding their breaths.
A soft snoring sound reached their ears.
They sighed in relief. "Oh, she’s just asleep. Scared me to death."
"She’s still a kid. She must be exhausted. Let her sleep—it’s all over now anyway."
Qi Xu smirked, her eyes crinkling with amusement. Asleep? More like embarrassed. When Retired Magical Boy had grabbed her hand earlier, her little ears had turned bright red.
...........
