In the last round of the game, Qi Xu had provoked a giant green-headed fly, which chased him for nearly a hundred kilometers. Eventually, his car ran out of fuel, forcing him to confront it head-on.
Not only was he poisoned, but he also suffered severe injuries. When the fly swooped down to devour him, Qi Xu played dead before delivering a final stab, finally putting an end to it.
He then traded almost all his supplies for an antidote pill and a hemostatic bandage, barely surviving the ordeal.
With no fuel left, he had to push his car forward... Those days were so unbearable that Qi Xu even questioned whether life was worth living.
Now, Qi Xu grew wary again. The strength of the monsters had clearly escalated—whether it was the black-striped snake last time or the giant green-headed fly this time, they had appeared much earlier in the game compared to the previous round.
This often made Qi Xu feel like his experience wasn’t quite enough anymore...
However, his thoughts were clearer now. He had a theory and decided to confirm it by sending a message in the group chat.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "What kind of monsters have you all encountered recently when opening boxes?"
War Wolf 009: "Absolutely insane. I just ran into a radish monster that could spit wind blades. I wasn’t paying attention, and it slashed a huge gash in my arm—even tore my clothes. The monsters are getting stronger by the day."
Qi Xu sent him a hemostatic bandage. "I’ve got plenty of meds here. Let me know if you need anything."
War Wolf 009: "Thanks. I won’t hold back if I really need it."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "I just ran into a whole pack of eight gray-furred rats!"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Haven’t opened any boxes today, but yesterday I fought a giant cockroach."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Were its antennae super long?"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Yeah, you’ve seen one too?"
Retired Magical Boy: "Damn, that’s terrifying! My boxes either have rats or these white, limbless freaks!"
Now Qi Xu understood—the stronger one’s stats and combat power, the stronger the monsters they faced.
The monster War Wolf 009 encountered was even stronger than his own, possessing special attack abilities.
The long-antennaed cockroach, giant green-headed fly, and black-striped snake were all enhanced versions based on their natural traits, meaning Qi Xu and Old White Dragon in the Waves were likely at a similar level.
As for the gray rats and white limbless monsters the younger players faced... those were the weakest, barely a threat unless luck was truly against them.
Invincible Black Whirlwind shared his theory in the group.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "ಥ_ಥ... So I’m that weak?!"
Chinese Master Chef: "The snowstorm’s so heavy—are you guys still traveling?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Stopped. The battery drains too fast, and it’s hard to keep moving forward."
Chinese Master Chef: "Same here. Since we’ve got time today, what’s everyone having for lunch? Let’s have a group meal. Whirlwind Boss, you can even snap a pic for the chat."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Anyone got booze? I’m dry..."
Qi Xu had an idea. "Old White Dragon, can you hold your liquor?"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Hell yeah! I’ve hardly met anyone who can outdrink me—and I’m not even exaggerating!
Before the game, I drank at least a pound a day. The only reason my no-name college degree landed me a 30k monthly salary was because I spent every night drinking with my boss.
But ever since this game started, I’ve been cut off from both cigarettes and alcohol. It’s been driving me crazy."
Qi Xu said, "There’s a stop called the Tavern. It has a drinking challenge—you compete against a monkey. I don’t know how much the monkey can handle, but if you can drink it under the table, something good will definitely happen."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Holy crap, that sounds amazing! Is it free?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Entry costs two survival coins."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Worth it! Even if I lose, I’ll drink my two coins’ worth! I just don’t know when I’ll stumble upon this Tavern."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "I have an Any-Stop Selection Card."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Bro! Uncle! Boss! Name your price! I’ll move heaven and earth to get whatever you need!"
Qi Xu chuckled—it was rare to see Old White Dragon in the Waves so fired up.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "I heard a rumor that the Tavern rewards energy stones. I need those."
Qi Xu had never been to the Tavern himself; the info was secondhand, and he wasn’t sure how accurate it was.
Chief Beauty Officer suddenly teleported over an energy stone. "Is this the thing? I got it from my first golden supply box but never knew what it was for."
Qi Xu was stunned. You never knew what surprises people had until you asked.
He accepted it and asked, "What do you need in return? My inventory’s pretty stocked."
Chief Beauty Officer: "I’d love a green-fur suit... if that’s okay?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Of course. Anything else?"
Chief Beauty Officer: "Got any winter coats or snow boots?"
Qi Xu sent over a full set of cold-weather gear from his stash.
Retired Magical Boy: "You that sensitive to cold? The green-fur suit keeps me plenty warm—I only need a hot water bottle when sleeping."
Chief Beauty Officer: "It’s not for me... Haha, guess what? I found my girlfriend! I gave her all my warm gear earlier."
Qi Xu was shocked. What were the odds of running into someone you knew in this game?
Just in the China region alone, there were 999 major zones, each with countless sub-zones—Qi Xu didn’t even know the exact number.
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "You sure it’s really her? Don’t get scammed."
Chief Beauty Officer: "Positive. We voice-chatted."
Retired Magical Boy: "Congrats, congrats, congrats! So you’re actually a guy? With a name like that, and you two still found each other—that’s fate!"
Chief Beauty Officer: "Heh, I was using her Douyin username, and she was using mine. Neither of us noticed until now."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Congratulations."
Chinese Master Chef: "That’s wonderful. I’ll make an extra portion for you at lunch."
Chief Beauty Officer: "Haha, perfect! I’ll trade you some other supplies. I haven’t had your cooking since we reunited—I’ve been craving it!"
Qi Xu scanned the player list again, carefully this time, but still found no trace of the people he hoped to see.
He had no immediate family left—his parents had passed away, and ties with his grandparents had faded over the years. He hadn’t seen them in ages before joining the game.
The ones he still wanted to meet were his university boss, who’d supported him through work-study and helped him graduate, and his old roommates...
........
