In no time, the water droplets turned into a steady stream, trickling nonstop. The "moss" in the cup shrank rapidly, like a sun-dried jellyfish, while the clear liquid kept flowing down into the measuring cup below. After a short while, when Yang Qi put down the moss cup, there was already a liter and a half of transparent liquid in the measuring cup.
Yang Qi dipped a finger into the clear liquid, sensed it, then licked it. Instantly, her face lit up with a big grin. Dog Egg was still clueless, but Cang Cang, that crafty little rodent, was already hyped up—circling and blinking at Yang Qi with hungry eyes. "Ah, animals really do have sharp instincts. Alright, you helped out a lot just now, so this cup's your reward!" Yang Qi handed over the measuring cup, and Cang Cang grabbed it with his front paws, chugging it down in one go.
The next moment, Cang Cang suddenly started rolling all over the floor, squeaking like crazy, as if in excruciating pain. Dog Egg panicked, rushed over with teary eyes, and cried, "What's wrong, Cang Cang? Don't die on me, Cang Cang!" But Yang Qi grabbed her by the collar and yanked her back, then gave the giant rodent a swift kick, shouting, "Get your furry butt outside, got it?"
"Why are you so heartless!" Dog Egg puffed up angrily at Yang Qi, just about to defend her pet, when she saw Cang Cang dart out like a rocket—obedient as ever. The next second, there was a loud bang like fireworks, followed by a string of pops and crackles. Before long, a wave of stench wafted in.
"Uh..." Dog Egg was dumbfounded, lost for words. She hadn't expected Cang Cang, who looked like he was dying a moment ago, to actually be... well, like this.
"Alright, if you're done, hurry up and get in here. Stop dawdling." Yang Qi called out. Soon, a chubby rodent poked its head in. Seeing it, Dog Egg screeched, "Ehh—!!" while Yang Qi commented playfully, "Oh... so that's a side effect? Incredible..."
The rodent was chubby and plush, its fur shiny with pretty stripes, ears perky and eyes adorably blank. Cang Cang had totally transformed—it was actually a hamster! No wonder the name fits. And the wildest part? Cang Cang was now about the size of a regular dog. Still a titan among hamsters, but nowhere near the beastly scale from before.
"Cang Cang, you..." Dog Egg picked up the hamster, both happy and worried. "You've changed back, but like this, how are you supposed to fight other monsters?" In the dungeon, a hamster this size was a gourmet feast—every monster would have their eyes on it.
But at those words, Cang Cang wriggled free, shook itself, and started growing bigger—until it was back to its original massive size. It squeaked smugly, eyes squinting with joy. Looks like Cang Cang had leveled up from street rat to hamster general, and now had the power to shrink and grow at will. The little guy was clearly thrilled.
"Alright, enough stalling. If you're ready, come with me." Yang Qi packed up the Original Liquid in a special container and smiled at Dog Egg. "Let's go, I'm taking you to meet your 'other half.'"
Just then, the entire space echoed with the sinister voice of the Ghost Player: "Greetings, brave survivors still standing! As the organizer of this game, I’m truly delighted by your dazzling performances. It’s been a blast, but I have to admit—I’m satisfied now, and if we keep going, it’s just going to get boring. So, starting now, the entrance doors will stay open for one hour. But if you don’t make it out within that hour—hehehe..."
A bone-chilling laugh followed as the Ghost Player wrapped up his broadcast. Lucas’s face darkened at the news—not because he was worried about escaping, but because he had other plans. He pulled out a strange device from his belt and, crouching low, managed to contact the surface. "Listen up! All units, mobilize and tighten the net. Anyone who survives the game—take control of them! If they resist, kill them. I want every reward!" After issuing the order, Lucas added, "Especially the No One Under Heaven crew. If you spot that woman, open fire immediately. Whoever kills her gets a fat bonus!"
Lucas had met with the Syndicate before, even held secret talks about the leader of No One Under Heaven. That meeting ended badly—Lucas realized the Syndicate was a total moron. Syndicate wanted to capture her alive, treat her as a 'woman,' and planned to deal with her as such. But Lucas knew better: that one had to be seen as an enemy. Forget capturing or recruiting—if you see her, you go for the kill. That woman is a mortal enemy, no question.
Lucas had secretly stationed a ton of troops on the perimeter this time, mostly because he wanted to take out Yang Qi. Now, the trap was set—no matter what No One Under Heaven had planned, Lucas had the upper hand. In the chaos of battle, how long could mere mortals survive? The Eighth District, by silent agreement, was already Lucas’s territory.
But on the other end of the radio came a panicked voice: "Boss, I’m so sorry, our operation has already failed."
"What?!" Lucas couldn’t believe it. "We just started—how could it fail? Say one more stupid thing and I’ll kill you!"
"Boss, I’m not making it up!" The voice on the other end was almost in tears. "That woman—she just rolled out in a monster tank! No one can stop it! And No One Under Heaven has launched a bunch of planes, it’s total chaos now!"
Lucas was stunned, just like that time he got killed in Sky City. A tank? Where’d she get a tank? Even if it is a tank, why the hell can’t anyone stop it? But no matter how many questions he had, one thing was clear—today’s plan was toast.
"Aaaah—!!" Lucas roared in fury, crushing the walkie-talkie in his hand with a loud snap.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
"Welcome to Throat of Blood Channel 1! Tonight, we’re covering a major event shaking Steelbull City: Dungeon & Adventurers." Fatty Ear Double was back on air: "Yesterday evening, Dungeon & Adventurers wrapped up with a bang. But that’s not the real story—the real story is how it ended. Most folks expected a showdown when the curtain fell, but nobody saw this coming: a direct clash between the two biggest gangs from the north and south."
"Take a look—bullets flying, explosions everywhere, this place is straight-up war. But the star of the show? That thing right there. Check out this war machine—it’s like a monster straight out of hell. Looks a bit like a Reverse Flow Tank, but the firepower is on a whole other level—at least a Reverse Flow Tank can’t set the ground ablaze everywhere it goes."
On screen, a long trail of fire burned across the night sky, and at the front of it, the monster tank charged ahead like a rampaging elephant. The heavy tank moved faster than a sports car, smashing through every blockade with ease. As for those souped-up cars dumb enough to block its path, it didn’t even bother with cannon fire—just rolled right over them, leaving behind a field of burning scrap metal.
Helicopters from both sides duked it out in the sky, while the monster tank even had enough firepower to support the air battle. Four secondary cannons, one main cannon—not even counting those. The energy machine guns could turn helicopters into fireworks. Of course, hitting the enemy without nailing your own takes serious skill. Across all of No One Under Heaven, only one person can pull off that kind of sharpshooting.
The shot froze on the tank’s roof—right where the machine gunner sat.
"See her? That’s the woman—the boss of No One Under Heaven." Ear Double tapped the screen. "She’s the biggest winner in this whole mess. Lucas tried to cast his net, but she tore it up and chased him for three blocks. Thanks to her air superiority and assault force, not only did she wreck the enemy’s plans, she even hunted Lucas down the street. Tonight, Lucas slunk home in defeat, while this woman got a hero’s welcome in Queen’s District."
"Rumor has it, some of the dungeon survivors followed her to Queen’s District, hoping to join No One Under Heaven. If these folks made it out alive, they’re serious heavy hitters. Are they betting on No One Under Heaven’s future? Are they trying to put the Queen of Queen’s District on the real throne? And is Lucas really just going to roll over and take it? One thing’s for sure: chaos is coming."
"People of Steelbull City, maybe you’re used to shootouts in the streets, but trust me, this wave of chaos is going to be a whole new storm. In times like these, maybe..." Fatty suddenly stood up, face scrunched like he had a stomachache, and shoved his head into the camera until his mug filled the screen: "Maybe what we need is a real king—a King of Steelbull City."
Smack—the TV switched off. In front of it, the No One Under Heaven higher-ups lounged on the couch, gathered at the rooftop apartment. Xiao Di set down the remote and looked at Pierce: "Don’t you think that fat guy’s stirring the pot? Why does he sound so damn persuasive?"
"Don’t get so worked up, he’s a host—stirring things up is his bread and butter. If he ever figures out how to brainwash people, then he’s really made it." Pierce twirled some kind of rubber gadget in his hand, grinning mischievously. "So who taught the boss to use these things as water bottles? Must’ve been you, Pure Lord—only you could come up with a condom canteen."
Pure Lord quickly shook his head, eyes wide and innocent: "I’ve never used a condom in my life."
"Yeah, right!" Pierce was about to tease him some more when Yang Qi strolled over, sipping boxed milk through a straw, and gave Pierce a flick on the forehead. "I came up with it myself, got a problem?" She grabbed one and stretched it like a rubber band. "See? Lightweight, stretchy, compact, watertight, and holds several liters. The perfect water bottle—what’s not to like?" She let go, and the stretched-out condom snapped Pierce right in the face.
"Wouldn’t dream of it! I can’t live without the thing—how could I not like it?" Pierce quickly buttered her up, then leaned in and whispered with a sly wink, "But boss, you really brought back some wild stuff this time. Engines, tanks, Original Liquid—those are the main course. Even the ‘dessert’ is top notch!" He glanced over, and sure enough, Cake Dog and Dog Egg were making goo-goo eyes at each other.
Ever since those two locked eyes, it was like they’d spent lifetimes wandering the wasteland of time before finally finding their soulmate. They both said, “You…” and then, “Me…” at the same time, and after that, silence spoke louder than words. The whole night went by, and they were still there, gazing at each other with puppy love—no sign of wrapping things up.
Xiao Di came over and patted Yang Qi on the shoulder. "I remember you told me on the Syndicate’s plane about swapping heads and bodies. I wanted to roast you for it, but now I’m out of jokes. If we get the chance, we should switch them back, don’t you think?"
"I agree, switching them back would be best." Yang Qi nodded, then sighed, "But who’s got that kind of skill? Looks like the Ghost Player might, but too bad we can’t get him to do it. Other than him, I can’t think of anyone."
"Hold up, boss—I might have a lead." Pure Lord suddenly piped up. "I know a guy who’s been secretly working as an underground doctor. Officially, he does plastic surgery, but I bet he’s got the chops for head-swapping too."
"Oh? Steelbull City really is full of hidden talents. What’s his name? Where is he now?" Yang Qi asked.
"He’s probably hiding out in the Second District. Folks call him the Lazy Doctor."
Second District—the most bustling commercial zone in Steelbull City. The trade volume here is world-class; a major financial shake-up in this district could rock global markets. But with the King of Finance, Kimberly, keeping watch, big trouble is rare.