Once inside the dungeon, trading and chatting were disabled.
Qi Xu hurriedly asked Chinese Master Chef for some hot porridge to eat at noon.
Invincible Black Tornado: "Got any other warm soups or broths? Hook me up with some more."
Chinese Master Chef: "Yesterday, I traded lamb meatball soup and brown sugar egg water with another player. Want some? It’s still hot—I stored it in the static space grid. The meatball soup pairs great with flatbread!"
Invincible Black Tornado: "Yes! Thanks. I’ll bring you something nice when I get out of the dungeon."
Qi Xu wasn’t being stingy—it’s just that Chinese Master Chef would refuse if given directly. But if he brought back specialty items from the dungeon as gifts, there’d be no reason to decline.
Chinese Master Chef: "No problem! The beef jerky’s just done roasting—take some. And these baked sweet potatoes too. Travel prepared, stay safe!"
Qi Xu felt a pang of emotion. A 1–3 star dungeon would take less than a day at most, yet Chinese Master Chef had packed enough food for two or three days.
Qi Xu put on the green fur suit again and stuck a heating pad on her abdomen.
At exactly 6 a.m., she sped forward—after all, the farther she traveled, the more supply chests she’d encounter.
Only when she saw the first bronze supply chest did she remember:
That "Super Luck Card" from the double-or-nothing chest... its effect lasted 24 hours. So unless something unexpected happened, all the chests today would still be monster spawns.
Qi Xu sighed deeply.
Monster chests weren’t bad either. Stockpile them well, and they could work wonders.
From 6 a.m. until just before entering the dungeon, two hours later, Qi Xu collected six more monster chests—one wooden, two bronze, two silver, and one gold.
Using the X-ray function of [I Have X-Ray Vision], she peeked inside the gold chest and confirmed the 24-hour curse wasn’t over yet.
Inside was a Ghostface Monster—ridiculously high defense, a nightmare to fight...
Right before entering the dungeon, Qi Xu changed into a fresh sanitary pad and a new heating pad, leaving no preparation undone.
At 8 a.m. sharp, all registered players were teleported into the "Frozen Fantasy" dungeon. Those dressed too lightly instantly felt a bone-chilling cold.
[Good morning, dear players!
Just survived the cold snap, and now you’re here—feeling that nostalgic warmth? In this dungeon, everyone will be automatically paired with a teammate. Work together to collect Frostbloom Flowers.
But here’s a reminder: While monsters in the wild are nasty and terrifying... what about your partner? Are they truly selfless enough to split the Frostbloom evenly with you?
Each team can only bring one vehicle into the dungeon, and only one player’s backpack can be activated. Negotiate wisely with your teammate—watch your back!
Note: Firearms are banned! Use them at your own peril. Other weapons? Go wild.]
The broadcast’s tone practically screamed "stir the pot," and it worked.
Every player was already wary of their yet-unseen teammate.
In the last round, Qi Xu had paired with a decently skilled, fairly good-natured guy who started off enthusiastic.
But when he noticed Qi Xu’s constant guardedness, he lost interest and stuck to bare-minimum cooperation.
Looking back, Qi Xu realized the failure made sense—her own personality flaws played a part. Caution was necessary, but shutting others out entirely was counterproductive.
Now, every player was hesitating.
Of course, they wanted to use their own vehicle and backpack... but how to negotiate? If talks broke down, the dungeon run was basically doomed.
After all, collecting Frostbloom required teamwork.
Everyone was teleported—along with their vehicles—into the dungeon lobby. Compared to the cheerful, relaxed atmosphere of the last "Take Me Home" event, the mood was palpably tense now.
Small groups chatted quietly, with none of the previous rowdiness.
Qi Xu suddenly spotted a man holding a cigarette. She glanced up and instinctively felt this had to be Old White Dragon in the Waves.
Around forty, with a world-weary air—just like the vibe he gave off in chats.
[Team assignments in progress... Please wait patiently.]
Soon, Qi Xu’s vision darkened as she was teleported to the dungeon entrance.
Beside her stood... a girl who radiated arrogance.
Shivering violently, she wore only a fleece jacket and a pair of traditional cloth shoes—both marked with the "Survival Game" logo. As for why she seemed arrogant?
Maybe it was the way she tilted her head at a 45-degree angle, arms crossed, looking down her nose like she was driving a luxury car... despite piloting a delivery van.
Qi Xu had a hunch this was "Watch Me Cut You Down," though she couldn’t be sure.
But when the girl caught sight of Qi Xu’s pastel-pink garbage truck, her haughty posture faltered. Her eyes lit up with envy and curiosity.
Qi Xu stepped out and greeted her.
"Hey, you cold? I’ve got an extra green fur suit you can borrow."
This was just the entrance. Deeper inside, temperatures would plunge to -30 or -40°C. In that outfit, she’d freeze solid before even meeting a monster.
"Huh? Oh, thank god it’s a girl."
The moment the girl spoke, Qi Xu grinned. No doubt—this was Watch Me Cut You Down.
The Survival Game’s matchmaking had given Qi Xu the chance to meet her, and now that they were face-to-face, she seemed much easier to get along with than expected.
Qi Xu handed over the fur suit. "You can wear it over your clothes. Don’t freeze—put it on."
Watch Me Cut You Down hesitated, trying to think of something to trade.
But her backpack was empty.
So she sniffled hard and waved a hand. "Nah, I’m good. Cold doesn’t bother me."
Qi Xu replied, "I’m from Harbin."
Small talk wasn’t her forte, but fellow townsfolk always had common ground.
"Wait, really? You don’t sound like it."
Qi Xu nodded. "Born there, but left young. Family’s gone, so I never went back."
Watch Me Cut You Down gave a cool nod, but her frequent side-glances betrayed her improving mood.
........
