Not only did Bian earn the title of "Top Strategist," but he also received a chessboard artifact—capable of both offense and defense. Finally, the kid had some combat power!
Aside from Qi Xu and Luo Xinpan, everyone else received an SS-tier rating, meaning each got an identity-specific reward.
Sister Cut You, Baby Milk, Breaking Cocoon into Butterfly, and Ballpoint Pen received a support skill called "Control Control Control," which could stun enemies for one second.
The last three prisoners all gained an active attack skill, "Smash the Fish Tank," so their fish tanks also returned along with them...
No matter how bizarre these rewards sounded, their practicality was undeniable. Even Magic Girlie was so excited she couldn’t wait to jump into battle!
As for the other teams... Even Team Warwolf 009, which secured second place by clearing the sixth stage, suffered heavy losses.
All their dungeon death-protection cards were used up, and only Strategist "Shared Hardship" and Warrior Song Peifeng received an S-tier rating. The rest got no identity-specific rewards.
Team Egg Seven fared even worse—wiped out entirely. Sure, they cleared five stages, but all they got was the third-place dungeon reward for the entire region. Nothing else.
Zhu Fu’s future father-in-law, however, scored an S-tier as a Leader and was already showing off in the group chat. But... he seemed to have completely fallen out with his teammates.
The Anti-Wealth Dog Alliance disbanded entirely, with members now hurling insults at each other in the chat lobby, occasionally tossing in a few curses at Zhu Fu.
But Baby Milk gave as good as she got, firing back even fiercer insults. Qi Xu could only sigh—maybe this was just their unique way of emotional communication.
The entire 444th District was full of keyboard warriors. The moment they entered the chat, everyone else—traders, sharers, casual chatters—had to step back and clear the battlefield. Not that it mattered; no one could keep up with their typing speed anyway.
Qi Xu watched the chaos for a while, then glanced at the total number of players in the chat lobby. He licked his lips in shock—this was brutal. He’d expected the dungeon to eliminate many players, but not to this extent.
The move of auctioning off team-up cards before the dungeon was downright ruthless. Those who’d used the cards and kept preaching about trust and unity in the chat lobby had all gone silent now.
Because they were either dead or shattered. Going up against Egg was just too hard.
Qi Xu did a full inspection of the train before heading to the top floor, intending to water the two golden seeds. But instead, he found two robots leaning against the wall, resting.
No big deal—Qi Xu wasn’t some slave driver. But the moment the robots heard him, they slammed upright, one grabbing a broom, the other a mop, acting as if they’d been working nonstop, efficiency cranked to the max.
"What’s this? Work should be balanced with rest—don’t overexert yourselves!"
"Nah, boss," one robot replied, almost smirking. The master’s words were just words—taking them seriously would be a mistake.
"We love working! We’re super enthusiastic about it!"
Qi Xu tsked. "Well, keep it up then! I’ll leave you some extra energy stones—don’t starve yourselves, alright?"
The robots understood: "Don’t starve yourselves" really meant "Don’t let yourselves slack off!"
Realizing he couldn’t get through to them, Qi Xu just let them be.
Then he turned to the golden seeds he’d been missing. "Hey there, little darlings! I was out making money to buy you treats, so I couldn’t visit these past couple days. Let me take a look... Wow, you’ve grown even prettier! So smart, so lively!"
As he spoke, he poured all the plant nutrients onto the first seed. Rich first, then the rest—the second one would have to wait.
The growth cycle was still painfully long, so Qi Xu skipped reading it, muttered a few sweet nothings, and left.
Next, he placed the Pink Chainsaw on the crafting table, wondering if his old companion could still be salvaged. The dungeon monsters had been too strong—the chainsaw was now just a pile of scrap metal.
It had lost a tooth in the earlier stages, and by the time it faced the high-tier stitched abomination, the entire body had shattered.
[No possibility of repair. Dismantle? Dismantling yields: 200 Weapon Upgrade Cards, 3 Pink Pigments, 39 Alloy Ingots.]
Well. Qi Xu’s heart shattered too.
Even though the upgraded Pink Chainsaw had been a bit heavy, draining his stamina in prolonged fights, he couldn’t help but feel reluctant to let go.
"Goodbye, old friend."
Still... Qi Xu knew the chainsaw’s power couldn’t keep up with him anymore. It didn’t suit his current fighting style either.
With his combat skills rapidly improving, he no longer needed such a complex weapon—something more autonomous would be better.
The electric baton was an option, but... he just didn’t like it much. Fine as a backup, but not as a main weapon.
So Qi Xu pulled out his dungeon reward instead.
[Exclusive Weapon Customization Voucher]: Present this to the adorable little goblin, who will craft a personalized weapon just for you. Note: Fees not included.
Once activated, the voucher would transform into coordinates, guiding him to the goblin’s workshop.
Qi Xu decided to set off first thing tomorrow. Without a proper weapon in hand, he just felt uneasy.
But before that, he needed to prepare, so he sent Taotao a private message.
"Hey, my treasure, you busy?"
Taotao: "Qi Qi! It’s been so long!"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Yeah, I even dreamed about you. Wanted to visit, but then the dungeon popped up. Just got out."
Taotao: "I saw the server announcement! Qi Qi, you’re amazing! I just made a strawberry-mango cake—want some?"
Qi Xu wasn’t in a hurry. Chatting with the pretty white-and-pink two-tailed fox lifted his spirits, turning his mood as rosy as her fur.
After a long, sweet conversation and an exchange of gifts, Qi Xu finally brought up the main point. "Oh, Taotao, do you know the little goblin? I’m heading there tomorrow to get a custom weapon made."
Taotao: "Of course! The Pink Chainsaw was from him! He’s got a bit of a temper, though. What kind of weapon do you want? Want me to ask for you?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Nah, you’re already swamped with work. Hit your sales quota this month? I can help boost your numbers—got too much money to burn anyway."
Taotao: "Just a little short, hehe."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "See you tomorrow morning, then. My Taotao has to be the top seller!"
With just a few words, Qi Xu had Taotao blushing and eagerly awaiting their meeting...
