【This instance is a two-star dungeon, "Frozen Wonderland."
Isn’t it beautiful? Just hearing the name must already make your heart race! But this dungeon is highly dangerous. Unlucky fools and idiots might not make it back alive. So, what are you—an unlucky fool or an idiot~】
But the rewards are exceptionally generous! Whatever reward you desire, it’s there—just see if you have what it takes to claim it. The sign-up countdown is at 10 minutes!
Click the button below to confirm your registration. The dungeon officially begins tomorrow at 8 AM. During the dungeon, supply crates will not refresh along the roads. Rookies, remember—fall behind once, and you’ll keep falling behind. Seize the opportunity!】
【Sign up? Yes/No】
Qi Xu didn’t hesitate to click "Yes." With three dungeon protection cards and other magical items like monster disappearance cards, there was no reason not to participate. She had been waiting for a dungeon like this, though the last opportunity had been ruined by "Bright Tomorrow."
The only thing was... "Frozen Wonderland" was a bit unusual. It was one of the rare low-star dungeons that required a two-person team, with partners assigned randomly.
If her partner turned out to be useless... her performance would definitely suffer. No matter how strong she was, she couldn’t carry dead weight.
But even so, Qi Xu had to sign up. A dungeon meant a chance for rich rewards.
After registering, Qi Xu was about to go back to sleep when she noticed multiple mentions in two group chats.
She went to the smaller group first: "This dungeon seems combat-heavy. Not much else is clear yet."
Chinese Master Chef: "Got it. Then I won’t sign up. You guys go ahead—come back safe, and I’ll make everyone a big plate of spicy chicken for lunch."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "I kinda want to sign up, even though I’m a total noob..."
Retired Magical Boy: "Me too!"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "If you want to join, upgrade your weapons and stay sharp during the dungeon."
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt: "Got it! Who still needs bulletproof undershirts? Want me to make another set for everyone? Maybe doubling up would work better."
Retired Magical Boy: "Haha, probably not. The item description says effects don’t stack."
Chinese Master Chef: "If wearing extra layers actually worked, I’d pile on seventy or eighty sets and pretend to be a pro. Hahaha."
Chief Beauty Officer: "Whirlwind Boss, can you make me another crafting table? Good luck tomorrow, everyone! (^_^;)"
Qi Xu raised an eyebrow.
Normally, whenever she got something good—or even just something new—she’d share it in the group immediately.
The crafting table was no exception.
After obtaining the blueprint, Qi Xu had sent the materials to the group and helped everyone who contributed materials make one.
Some people were considerate and threw in extra items, but Qi Xu never made a big deal about the value.
She opened Chief Beauty Officer’s private chat and realized that, aside from a simple "thanks," the kid hadn’t given anything extra.
At the time, Qi Xu hadn’t noticed. But now she did.
The lively group chat suddenly fell silent, the awkwardness palpable.
Then, Old White Dragon in the Waves replied:
"Whirlwind Boss already posted the crafting table in the trading hall. Just check the auto-reply and grab it yourself."
Chief Beauty Officer: "Oh, I didn’t notice. Let me check. Been busy upgrading my vehicle lately."
Closing the group chat, Chief Beauty Officer irritably messaged his girlfriend:
"I told you it wasn’t appropriate! I already sent you the supplies—just go to the trading hall if you need something. Invincible Black Whirlwind ignored me, and now the others are giving me crap for it."
"What? You’re blaming me? You didn’t refuse when I asked you to message them! Face it, you wanted free stuff too."
Qi Xu had seen him snatch a red packet in the chat earlier... There was no way he hadn’t noticed.
She had advertised the crafting tables and raincoats in the trading hall right after sending the red packets.
Qi Xu didn’t kick him out immediately. She’d seen enough cases of betrayal—even if Chief Beauty Officer had seemed decent before, desperation could make anyone unpredictable.
The group had shared a lot of private info. Qi Xu decided to wait for the right moment—either to confirm he was no longer a threat or to... take drastic measures.
Mercy didn’t keep you alive long in this world.
She checked the larger group, where most were asking if she’d signed up for the dungeon.
Qi Xu replied:
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Signed up. Last time, I skipped it because something felt off. This time, the system announcement was normal—midnight reset, clear star rating, and dungeon name."
A bit unsettled, Qi Xu sent the message and lay down to rest. She expected trouble sleeping, but the soothing rain quickly lulled her into dreams.
The next morning, Qi Xu woke to raindrops hitting her face.
Sitting up groggily, she looked up—the truck bed’s ceiling was leaking. Outside, the rain was so heavy it looked like someone was dumping buckets.
The garbage truck’s seal wasn’t perfect, and water was seeping through the seams.
Qi Xu hurriedly opened the trading space to look for waterproof tarps.
If she couldn’t find any, she’d at least put a bucket under the leak for now.
After searching, she didn’t find tarps—but she did spot vehicle raincoats, an even better solution!
The trade conditions: 6 plastic + 6 of any resource.
She paid with 6 plastic and 6 of her most abundant resource, wood.
Once she had the raincoat, Qi Xu put on her own rain gear and went outside to cover the truck from head to toe, removing the snow chains in the process.
Despite the downpour, there was no standing water—the melted snow and rain all drained into the dark mist flanking the roads. The chains weren’t needed anymore.
Even with the raincoat, her shoes and pants were soaked by the time she got back.
A glance at her health points showed a drop of 3. The survival game was merciless—no matter how tough you were, getting wet meant losing health, and worse, risking illness.
So she took a hot shower and chugged ginger-date tea. Mid-shower, she frowned—her period had decided to arrive right now.
The dungeon she was about to enter was called "Frozen Wonderland." The name alone screamed cold—brutal for someone on their period.
Normally, Qi Xu’s cramps left her doubled over in pain.
She finished showering quickly, dried her hair with a blow-dryer, and blasted warm air at her abdomen. To her surprise, there was no pain—no cramps, no aching back.
A good sign!
Maybe it was the regular sleep schedule, or maybe all the hot water and ginger-date tea had finally paid off...
As luck would have it, the Chinese Master Chef had prepared red bean porridge in the morning. After drinking it, Qi Xu felt a comforting warmth in his stomach and became less worried.
.........
