Only 17 types of materials remained to collect for the "Eggshell Breakthrough." Qi Xu marked them in red on the holographic screen's homepage and updated the pinned post in the chat hall, keeping a close eye on the progress.
Qi Xu wanted to indulge in a proper sleep—the kind where he wouldn’t wake up until the sun was high in the sky, rewarding himself with pure laziness...
Every time he returned from a dungeon, Qi Xu felt as though his energy had been completely drained, requiring a good recovery period. Especially since there were more plans lined up ahead.
He set his vehicle to autopilot for the next morning, then collapsed into bed, losing consciousness almost instantly—too exhausted to even dream.
Still, as comforting as sleeping in felt, nothing compared to the security of having formidable strength...
After a full ten hours of sleep, Qi Xu freshened up, his stomach growling in protest from hunger.
Xiao Dangjia had been on a low-fat diet lately, so the meals had become lighter and healthier—today’s menu was avocado chicken toast and steamed shrimp...
The charm of Xiao Dangjia’s cooking lay in how simple ingredients could transform into rich, delicious flavors under his hands.
The recipe didn’t look complicated, but Qi Xu was certain that if he tried making it himself, the result would be nowhere near as good!
He wolfed down three or four sandwiches without feeling full, then polished off two beef-stuffed flatbreads, two eggs, and finally a dragon fruit-banana smoothie to top it off...
Once satiated, Qi Xu first sent a message to Luo Xinpan.
"I’m heading to the Pink Map Secret Realm. Not sure how many days I’ll be gone."
"Tonsils Never Speak" replied: "Got it. Don’t worry, the district’s peaceful right now. The cross-district challenge and dungeons are over, so go handle your business. When you come back, our Whirlwind Boss will be an Ability User!"
"If even A-Flat says so, I’m even more confident now!"
Qi Xu pulled out 20 fragments of the pink map—already pieced together into a complete route.
[Pink Map Secret Realm route detected. Begin navigation? Note: This is a one-time coordinate lock. Once initiated, withdrawal is impossible. Proceed with caution.]
Seeing his daily mileage already maxed out, Qi Xu tapped [Yes] without hesitation.
The vehicle swerved sharply and charged into the black mist again. This time, with experience on his side, Qi Xu didn’t panic.
Fortune God's Only Daughter had mentioned that every map secret realm was different—others’ experiences held no reference value—and had even listed numerous examples, each explanation lengthy and detailed.
Qi Xu skimmed through the chat logs again. The descriptions were all-encompassing, with no discernible pattern.
It was entirely possible to fail the mission yet still awaken an ability, or to simply wander through the realm like a tourist and exit when the journey ended.
Some realms didn’t even have tasks, leaving everything up to personal interpretation—though whether an ability would awaken was anyone’s guess.
The only certainty was that most realms correlated with the color of their fragments. Pink—what did that signify? A thousand people, a thousand interpretations. Nothing concrete came to mind.
After passing through the black mist, Qi Xu expected to find himself back on the highway. Instead, a sudden, intense sensation of weightlessness struck him, followed by a blinding light—so harsh his eyes watered uncontrollably, even when shut.
Faintly, the theme of this pink map secret realm materialized before him:
〖Pink Romantic Journey〗
Qi Xu felt a twinge of disappointment. He’d been hoping for a slaughterfest-type realm—no thinking required, just kill and level up his combat skills...
More importantly, he wanted to awaken a combat-oriented ability, not a support one. This theme sounded too gentle. The last thing he needed was to end up with some domestic-life ability—how embarrassing.
And honestly, the whole thing sounded boring as hell...
But the moment he could finally open his eyes, Qi Xu realized—his body had reverted to its weakest state, even his height and build had changed. A quick glance confirmed it: this was his physique from when he’d first joined the survival game.
Before he could process it further, the scene before him seized his attention in a vice grip. Who said this was boring? This was anything but!
Qi Xu was covered in blood, gripping a kitchen knife. At his feet lay a corpse—a man with a gaping wound in his abdomen, the laceration a perfect match for the blade in Qi Xu’s hand.
A rapid scan of the surroundings revealed a shabby room—peeling walls exposing yellowed concrete beneath, furniture in ruins, everything smashable already smashed. A clear case of crime of passion...
Yet the decor was oddly cozy.
A knitted cover adorned the light switch. Neatly arranged sofa throws and cushions. A pink checkered tablecloth with a vase holding three or four fresh flowers. Near the entrance, a "Happiness Calendar" scribbled with memos.
The date: August 6, 2000.
Qi Xu crouched to examine the corpse. Still warm—freshly killed. Blood continued to seep from the stomach wound...
Moving carefully to avoid disturbing the scene, Qi Xu combed through the house for clues, pocketing any valuables along the way.
Total cash: 876.
His search turned up no signs of an intruder—even the door had been locked from the inside. Unwilling to give up, Qi Xu scrutinized the knife under a flashlight, only to find his own fingerprints all over it.
He had no memory of what had happened. Meanwhile, the noise outside served as a stark reminder—this wasn’t the kill-or-be-killed survival game of the highway. One wrong move, and he’d end up behind bars.
How was he supposed to trigger an ability awakening then?
Steeling himself, Qi Xu cleaned up, stashed the bloodied clothes and weapon in an opaque bag, then spotted the victim’s phone on the toilet tank.
The texts were all intimate exchanges with another woman. Well, that explained everything.
Qi Xu had read plenty of detective novels. For a second, he considered treating this like a puzzle—solve the case, find the real killer, unlock his ability!
Then it hit him: Wait, no—I’m the killer. No doubt about it.
His first reaction? Destroy the crime scene he’d just been so careful to preserve.
Right on cue, a voice shouted from outside:
"It’s in there! That woman was screaming like a maniac, waving a knife around—someone do something! My one-year-old can’t sleep with this nonsense. What kind of neighbor from hell is this?!"
Instinct took over. Qi Xu bolted—grabbing the murder weapon, the gold jewelry from the cabinet, and every last bit of cash.
He’d already scoped out the escape route: second floor, no security bars on the bedroom window.
He stepped onto the AC unit outside and jumped down—only for his weak physique to betray him. The impact numbed his ankles, and after two steps, his legs gave out, sending him crashing to his knees.
Just then, a child approached from the side. "Miss, did you fall? Let me help you up!"
.........
