When Fortune Flows from All Directions heard that Whirlwind Boss had returned, she figured things might take a turn. She even deliberately stirred the pot, saying, "Hahaha, just shouting is boring. Let’s place bets—who’s gonna come in first?"
The group was already hyped up, and with Fortune Flows from All Directions egging them on, everyone got even more excited. After a month of dull travel, they finally had a chance to unwind.
Chatting and joking around in the group every day was truly the best way to lift their spirits.
In the end, led by Zhu Fu, they each put down 100 Survival Coins—Bian, Blessed by Luck, Old White Dragon in the Waves, Wolf Warrior 009, and others all followed suit, betting on themselves to take first place.
Blessed by Luck didn’t actually think she’d win, but she wasn’t short on coins. It was all for fun—throwing down a bold claim and waiting to be proven wrong made her feel involved.
They unanimously decided that all the betted Survival Coins would go to the winner. Then, buzzing with excitement, they began a ten-second countdown!
Qiuqiu was practically grinning ear to ear. Playing along, she cheekily held back the rankings until after the countdown, leaving everyone baffled. Just as they were about to start cursing, she finally flashed the monthly leaderboard’s top spot in a bold banner:
[88th Zone, 666th Subzone Monthly Leaderboard – 1st Place: Invincible Black Whirlwind – Distance: 3,068 km – Asset Score: 92.3]
[Congratulations to Whirlwind Boss for securing first place in the subzone’s monthly rankings once again! A true powerhouse never wastes words. Sit back and enjoy the clowns losing their minds—hahaha!]
Instantly, the lively golden group chat fell dead silent...
Damn, the boss was still the boss. With six days spent in dungeons and nearly 24 days in secret realms, he’d only had one normal day of driving this month. How the hell did he rack up 3,068 km?
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Why’s everyone so quiet? Weren’t you all just hyped? Sis Fortune got second place—impressive! Old White Dragon made top three again. Egg Seven, you’re only fourth, but hey, at least you beat Ninth Bro in fifth. Keep it up, Gold Bro—you’re just one spot away from the top five!"
Watch Me Cut You Down: "Hahahaha, this is hilarious! I was watching them show off earlier, wondering who’d get humbled. Turns out they all got slapped at once! Clap clap clap~"
Tonsils Never Speak: "Ahhhh, Boss, you’re back!"
Fortune God's Only Daughter: "Wuwuwu, my dream of topping the leaderboard is shattered!"
Wolf Warrior Egg Seven: "666, this is peak comedy. Boss, what’s the word—did you succeed?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Absolutely."
Suddenly, the entire group chat was flooded with "666," but everyone wisely avoided digging deeper—like asking what ability he’d awakened.
Teammates like these made everything so much easier.
Glancing at the monthly ranking rewards, Qi Xu found nothing special—just basic materials.
Thinking of his newly acquired skill, he couldn’t help but hope for a combat-type disaster to test and refine it.
So he asked in the group: "What’s the next disaster type?"
Seeing everyone sighing and groaning, Qi Xu was a little confused. Could there really be something worse than Four Plagues Run Rampant?
Finally, Zhu Fu stepped in to explain: "Wintergreen Tree predicted it’s Heart Demon Sky Evasion.
This disaster is a pain—super hard to deal with. Going solo? You might off yourself. Teaming up? You might kill each other. Have you encountered it before? Maybe we should mute all group chats for a while. I’ve died hundreds of times under this disaster… always killed by my own teammates! I just can’t control my big mouth…"
Qi Xu checked the chat lobby’s player count. Maybe because there were too many anti-plague tools this time, this disaster hadn’t culled many players. Only about 3,000 were eliminated in the Zoo Dungeon, leaving just over 6,000 survivors.
No wonder Qiuqiu was rolling out the heavy artillery now. Compared to other subzones, 666 had the fewest Zoo Dungeon deaths.
"I’ve seen it before. It’s tough. Let me ask around—see if there’s any suitable gear."
Heart Demon Sky Evasion was the worst nightmare for team players. It amplified negative emotions endlessly, making people irritable, suspicious, and hypersensitive…
Even close friends and family could end up bickering every few days. And in a chat lobby full of strangers and rivals? Qi Xu could already imagine the chaos.
At least there were no new zone mergers this month—unfamiliar faces would’ve made things even messier.
Even the golden group chat wasn’t safe. Everyone was used to joking around daily, but under this disaster, relationships would definitely sour.
With everyone so strong, if things escalated to duels, it’d be a nightmare. The worst part? Knowing in advance didn’t help—your mind would rationalize every bad decision.
Qi Xu opened Taotao’s chat window and saw her messages first:
"Qi Qi, you’ll definitely succeed!"
"You back yet? No injuries, right? Nothing matters more than coming home safe."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "I’m back. No wonder everything went so smoothly—all thanks to my Taotao!"
Taotao: "Glad it went well. You must be exhausted—get some rest."
Their relationship needed no pretense, so Qi Xu cut straight to the point:
"Taotao, do you have any gear to counter Heart Demon Sky Evasion?"
Taotao: "No… The negative aura from Heart Demons can’t be blocked by external means. Only strong willpower can resist it. Sorry, Qi Qi—I can’t help this time."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "It’s fine. You’ve already done so much for me. Maybe experiencing this disaster will be good for me. Don’t worry—I’ll handle it."
If they could still coexist peacefully under this disaster, then there’d be nothing left to doubt between them.
After wrapping things up, Qi Xu returned to the golden group chat and announced:
"No suitable gear. So here’s the deal—if you feel angry, mute yourself. If I see any toxic talk in this chat, I’m shutting it down.
Unless it’s urgent, let’s avoid chatting this month. If you’re really struggling, vent by singing at the black fog.
Who knows? You might even get rewards for a good performance."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Well, now I’m wide awake."
Retired Magic Boy: "Gang Bro, you never lose sight of the fun in life."
..........
