Chapter Thirty-One: The Protagonist, Dead?

After kissing the System, Qian Qi quickly wiped the Earth-Tomato Fruit clean and tucked it into her pocket. She glanced around and soon spotted more Earth-Tomato Magic Eggplants nearby.

She couldn't help but raise her gleaming little knife, wearing a devious smile. "System, have you ever heard the saying... 'pluck a goose clean as it flies by'?"

System: 【???】

A low, perverted cackle echoed through the air. Qian Qi charged at the innocent Earth-Tomato Magic Eggplants with her knife. Accompanied by dull, heavy thuds and clattering, the "heads" of the eggplants split open, their shrieks rising and falling, enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

Before long, nothing remained of the crime scene but the black shells left behind by the "murderer." Inside the shells, the writhing polyps oozed pale gray blood—a truly gruesome sight.

And the murderer, clutching the tiny "brains" of her victims, only smiled more wickedly.

【...】 This wasn't just plucking a goose; this was Qian Qi plucking lives!

"Thirty thousand, sixty thousand, ninety thousand... two hundred and forty thousand, three hundred and sixty thousand..." Qian Qi calculated as she packed away the fruits. The grief of losing half a million earlier was instantly cured by her pocketful of Earth-Tomato Fruits.

She squatted on the ground, unable to stop herself from giggling. "Hehehe, I'm rich, I'm rich! My sweet retirement is one step closer now~"

However, joy often precedes sorrow.

Just as Qian Qi was getting addicted to digging, a thunderous, ferocious roar erupted from a beast behind her—a sound so loud it felt as if it might pierce the very sky above her.

She became instantly alert, grabbing the Thorn-Cloud Sunflower nearby and aiming it toward the source of the roar.

The next moment, Qian Qi’s eyes widened. She stiffened as she looked up at the six-meter-tall elephant-like beast. Once the reality set in, she spun around and bolted.

"I'm dead, I'm so dead!"

As she ran, Qian Qi didn't forget to stuff an Earth-Tomato Fruit into her mouth, muttering frantically, "Are you crazy! Why is the beast so huge! Is this really an E-rank beast?"

【Don't be afraid~】 The blue panel floated beside her leisurely: 【Face the danger bravely, Qian Qi, you invincible 'Eggplant Slayer' can do it! ^_^~】

"Go to hell—" Before Qian Qi could finish her angry curse, she was trampled under the feet of the Swift Demon Elephant.

Qian Qi: ...

Qian Qi: #￥%…*@#￥%…

Perhaps due to its massive size, the Swift Demon Elephant didn't even notice the ant-sized Qian Qi beneath its feet. When it stepped on her, it merely felt like it had trodden on a sharp little pebble. It shook its foot slightly and continued on its heavy, lumbering path.

In the footprint pit left behind, Qian Qi lay sprawled in an "X" shape, a large bump swelling on the back of her head.

She lay motionless, as if dead.

The Black Forest soon returned to silence. A breeze drifted through, leaving only the sound of leaves rustling.

Half a minute later, the "corpse" on the ground suddenly twitched.

Spitting out two mouthfuls of dirt, Qian Qi climbed up, looking dazed, and patted herself down.

Finding herself completely unharmed, she bared her little teeth and, clutching the bump on her head, glared indignantly at the blue panel.

"You could have just told me to lie down! Why did you let it smash my head!"

【Because it made me happy (ૢ˃ꌂ˂ૢ)】

Qian Qi: ???

Qian Qi hadn't expected the System to be such a troll, but these Earth-Tomato Fruits were truly incredible. To be trampled by such a heavy Swift Demon Elephant and remain unscathed was remarkable.

She had thought she would be crushed into meat paste...

Remembering something, she scurried over to retrieve the Earth-Tomato Fruits she had frantically thrown aside before being knocked down.

Luckily, she had quick reflexes, or this massive fortune of 330,000 would have been crushed to bits by that beast.

Relying on the magical efficacy of the Earth-Tomato Fruit, the last bit of fear in Qian Qi’s heart dissipated. She darted through the Black Forest, ready to hunt for more Earth-Tomato Magic Eggplants.

As she moved, Qian Qi realized the Black Forest was vast. Moreover, the number of beasts didn't seem particularly high; at least, along her route, she had only encountered that one Swift Demon Elephant.

"Looks like an E-rank dungeon isn't all that!" Having spent two hours without encountering any real danger, Qian Qi couldn't help but offer a "contemptuous" evaluation.

The next second, a giant vulture with fiery red feathers dove from the sky, its sharp talons snatching up the tiny Qian Qi and carrying her into the air.

Qian Qi: ???

Gazing at the abyss thousands of meters below, Qian Qi nearly choked with terror. "Help! I was just running my mouth—!"

Unfortunately, the red-feathered vulture didn't understand human speech. The cold high-altitude wind whistled in her ears. Feeling her body growing colder, Qian Qi decided not to sit and wait for death. She gripped the Thorn-Cloud Sunflower tightly, preparing to stab the bird.

However, just as she raised the sunflower, the vulture spotted more succulent, appetizing food. It loosened its talons and dropped Qian Qi from high above.

Qian Qi: ???

Qian Qi: #￥%…*@#￥%…

Qian Qi quickly shoved an Earth-Tomato Fruit into her mouth and braced herself for the freefall, but the red-feathered vulture dove again, catching her in its beak.

It turned out it wasn't discarding the sesame seed for a watermelon; it planned to eat the sesame seed before picking up the watermelon.

Unfortunately...

As the vulture held Qian Qi in its beak, its sharp teeth bit down on her body, only for a loud "crack" to echo.

Its hard, white, and sharp teeth shattered.

Vulture: ???

Qian Qi: "Hahahahahaha—"

The next second, the laughing Qian Qi was "pfft-ed" out by the vulture.

Tiny Qian Qi traced a "glorious" arc across the sky, eventually landing straight toward the plains outside the Black Forest.

With a "thud," Qian Qi created a shallow pit in the ground.

"Ouch, my poor back." Qian Qi climbed out of the pit, clutching her waist, and pointed at the receding vulture in the sky. "Young birds these days have no manners. How can you waste food so casually?"

Wasting food was one thing, but throwing trash—no, wait, tossing objects from high altitudes—was wrong!

She turned to look at her surroundings and realized with surprise, "Huh, this shouldn't be too far from where I arrived, right?"

【Not far at all~】 The System, having been paid, was now quite kind and generously pointed out the way back.

Qian Qi brushed the dirt off her clothes and trotted after the System.

Half an hour later, she returned to the spot where she first appeared, only to suddenly realize a problem.

"How do I get out?"

【Wow~ you finally noticed~】

The blue panel smiled slightly: 【Only by defeating the dungeon boss will the exit portal appear~】

Qian Qi’s face instantly formed the expression of the famous painting "The Scream": "What—?"

Damn this dungeon, did it really have such a setup!

"Isn't there any other way to leave?" Qian Qi asked the panel, filled with hope. "The great System is so omniscient, you must know!"

【As long as you can find the space rift of the dungeon, you can leave~】

【Friendly tip: Only 100 bucks, ^_^~】

There was such a good deal? Qian Qi was overjoyed and ready to transfer the money, but suddenly remembering something, she slammed her hand to a halt.

Wait, the dungeon rift...

If she recalled correctly, monsters could also leave the dungeon through the rift and enter the human world.

Qian Qi’s expression darkened instantly.

No, she couldn't just leave like this.

The space rift would only be repaired and closed after the boss was defeated and the dungeon cleared; only then would the monsters be trapped in the dungeon forever.

If she left now, and the monsters discovered the rift, the first place to be destroyed would be the Brightness Orphanage!

That wouldn't be a simple matter of 500,000 anymore; she might have to spend millions to rebuild the orphanage!

Qian Qi would never allow this ticking time bomb to exist!

"Looks like I can save another 100 bucks." Qian Qi patted the blue panel, her expression growing wild. "Let's go, follow me to take down the boss!"