Chapter 3: The Post-Disaster Era

“Really works!”

Wang Xi’s eyes lit up, and he immediately thought to himself:

“Extract!”

As if understanding the command, three spheres of white light suddenly appeared in his mind, intertwining and swirling continuously.

After consuming 100 energy points, one of the white lights detached on its own, its glow intensifying, accompanied by a cold female voice:

“Heh, the nobles of Lundal are nothing but a bunch of gluttonous slackers… Those who look down on me will ultimately pay for their arrogance!”

Wang Xi recognized the voice instantly—it was Wendy Baroff, the Iris Knight from another world.

Suddenly, a cluster of light materialized out of thin air before him and swiftly converged into a glowing orb.

Wang Xi stretched out his hands to hold it gently. As the light gradually faded, only a palm-sized card remained.

The card measured about four fingers wide and as long as the palm.

Its material was unknown but decidedly hard.

On the front was an image of a short-haired girl wearing a hemp shirt, persistently throwing punches, sweat pouring down her face.

The back bore an irregular pattern of white crystalline markings.

“Diligent Training (Function Card)”

“Quality: White One-Star (Non-upgradable)”

“A sixteen-year-old girl with unyielding faith, training hard solely to pass the knight squire selection. This was her first step toward power.”

“Upon use, you permanently gain physical enhancement equivalent to that of the regular Lundal army. This card will disappear after use.”

“A one-time use enhancement card?”

Wang Xi looked at the universal card in his hand in surprise.

Though unfamiliar with the details, his prior knowledge told him that among the many types of universal cards, permanent enhancement function cards were quite rare.

They were also expensive within the Shanhai Federation.

‘This seems different from the dungeon card decks in the main world. It originates from my captures in the other world—it’s a card unique to me!’

Realizing his uniqueness, Wang Xi’s heart swelled with joy. Without hesitation, he chose to use it immediately.

He lifted the card slightly, then sent a will to activate it in his mind.

Instantly,

A soft buzzing sound.

The card transformed into a writhing white light that enveloped Wang Xi’s body.

He involuntarily hummed with comfort.

This sensation was even more pleasant than a back massage with essential oils.

Within less than a dozen seconds, the white light and the “Diligent Training” card in his hand vanished together.

Soon after, surprise crossed Wang Xi’s face.

He felt his body had grown stronger and more powerful.

Rolling up his sleeves, he examined his once unremarkable arm, now more muscular with clear contours.

He lifted his pajama top to see his abs had transformed from one pack into six, his figure gradually taking on an inverted triangle shape.

Then, pulling down his waistband for a look—

Good grief!

“No progress at all!”

He shook his head in disappointment, releasing his hooked thumb as his waistband snapped back.

“But overall, not bad. At least I have some semblance of my past life’s vigor.”

Wang Xi jumped in place a few times, taking quick steps and shaking his head like a boxer, throwing punches left and right.

Though his form was unrefined, the sharp whooshing of his fists was undeniable.

He was quite satisfied.

With a strong body, he finally had capital to work with.

“All thanks to my ‘Diligent Training’!”

Wang Xi placed his hands on his hips, feeling proud.

In truth, in his previous life he frequented gyms and was very disciplined. A muscular, well-defined appearance was a powerful charm to attract women.

Few girls could resist the allure of a six-pack.

“One more time, then! I still have one left!”

Wang Xi rubbed his hands and issued the command to the card cluster in his mind again.

Another 100 energy points were consumed, and the remaining two light orbs spun rapidly. Soon, one detached and blossomed with light.

Wendy’s voice followed, tinged with contemplation:

“The swordsmanship master from the Dunkel Duchy once said that swordsmen seeking agility should not carry shields, but instead use their long swords as shields…”

The orb before Wang Xi transformed and was caught deftly by him.

“Iris Swordsmanship: Parry (Skill Card)”

“Quality: White One-Star (Upgradeable)”

“A twenty-four-year-old female knight, guided by a traveling sword master, independently developed this sword technique. She used it to remain unscathed amid an onslaught of over a dozen crossbow bolts.”

“After use, you can parry attacks with a long sword or rod-like object, performing force-dispelling defense.”

“A sword technique?”

Wang Xi held the card thoughtfully.

“A defensive passive skill…”

He had no intention of saving it, so he activated it immediately.

With a faint buzzing, the card turned to white light and merged with his body.

Wang Xi glanced around, then picked up a small rubber ball toy from the table and threw it forcefully at the wall.

Whoosh—smack!

The yellow rubber ball, about the size of a baby’s fist, bounced back at incredible speed, leaving a blur.

Having enhanced his physique, Wang Xi’s throw now packed a punch; even a toy ball could bruise flesh.

In a flash, as if having practiced swordsmanship for two and a half years, he instinctively grabbed a magazine from the table, rolled it into a stick, and blocked the ball with a reverse grip.

The moment the ball struck the paper stick, Wang Xi flicked his wrist like an antelope swinging its horns. The ball deflected at a ninety-degree angle, ricocheting wildly across the room before thudding softly into the bedding on the bed, finally coming to rest.

“Not bad.”

Wang Xi put down the magazine with satisfaction.

He walked over to the bed, quietly retrieved the ball from the bedding, then neatly refolded the rumpled covers and smoothed the sheets.

Though his parents had passed away over a decade ago, before awakening his memories, Wang Xi always kept this room clean, as if they were still alive.

Now awakened, he had no intention of breaking this “rule.” To him, though strangers, his parents had given him a second life and deserved respect.

...

Wang Xi went to the kitchen and took out the half box of yogurt and dried fruit left in the fridge. After blending them, he ate it for breakfast.

Just as he finished, his phone rang.

An upbeat electronic tune made his brow furrow. Hastily, he answered, and a sweet female voice came through:

“Hello, may I speak with Mr. Wang Xi?”

“This is he.”

“Good. This is the HR department of Cupid Housekeeping calling to officially inform you that you have been hired. Please bring the necessary documents to the company before 9 AM tomorrow to complete your onboarding.”

Wang Xi was momentarily stunned.

Cupid Housekeeping?

Only then did he remember that he was now a fresh graduate. Before awakening his memories, he had submitted a resume to Cupid Housekeeping and completed several rounds of interviews.

Wang Xi’s university major was “Disaster Early Warning and Monster Materials,” but unfortunately, he hadn’t inherited his parents’ gifted genes and lacked scientific talent, resulting in poor grades.

While his classmates smoothly defended their theses, he barely managed to scrape through.

Others graduated; he nearly dropped out.

If not for a sympathetic professor, Wang Xi might not have even received a diploma. This made job hunting difficult, and he spent over half a year unemployed.

During the post-disaster reconstruction era, with many tasks to be done, job opportunities should have been plentiful. But as dungeon technology advanced, the Shanhai Federation grew increasingly competitive and elitist.

New graduates like Wang Xi, lacking ability and ambition, could only wait at home.

Fortunately, as his savings dwindled and worries grew, a former colleague and friend of his father learned of his situation and recommended him to Cupid Housekeeping.

Wang Xi knew very well that his employment was largely thanks to the influence of “Researcher Tang Yi,” the uncle who had helped him.

Cupid Housekeeping was not a typical housekeeping company; it was a semi-official enterprise established specifically for disaster response.

Its main duties included disaster warning, publicizing disaster prevention knowledge, temporary traffic planning, assisting defense squads, and post-disaster cleanup and reconstruction.

The Shanhai Federation had a supreme special agency handling dungeons and disasters, called the Overlook Bureau.

Cupid Housekeeping was one of many companies supervised by the Overlook Bureau.

Although joining Cupid Housekeeping didn’t grant him official civil servant status, it was akin to being a state enterprise employee with excellent benefits.

“Alright, thank you. I understand.”

Wang Xi politely replied, holding his phone.

He hung up and immediately changed his ringtone from the tacky electronic tune to classical pure music.

Wang Xi rolled his eyes, amazed at how poor his taste had been before.

...

Time quickly passed to the next day.

Waking early, Wang Xi tidied himself up and donned a cheap suit he had only worn once at graduation, then headed out.

His funds were tight, with less than a thousand credit points remaining, so he chose to take the hover track car.

Credit points were the currency in the Shanhai Federation, enabling transactions via mobile phone—somewhat similar to the previous world, though with less purchasing power.

For example, his ride on the hover track car cost 15 credit points.

The track car functioned like a subway but felt more like a high-speed train—smooth and nearly silent.

Its energy source was an “Aether Battery,” jointly developed by the Dungeon Research Institute and consortium laboratories, with raw materials extracted from “Aether Crystals” produced within dungeons.

This energy was far more durable than fossil fuels, more efficient at converting electricity, and much safer than nuclear power.

Across the five major nations, “Aether Energy” was becoming mainstream, poised to replace old energy sources.

Whoosh—

The hover track car sped swiftly through the city.

Passengers varied—students and office workers alike.

Wang Xi sat mid-car, leaning his elbow on the window, his chin lazily resting on his arm, eyes fixed on the passing streetscape.

Among the towering buildings, various flying machines and mechanical devices flitted by. Occasionally, one could even see figures gliding through the air.

A look of wonder flashed in his eyes.

But he soon shook his head and withdrew his gaze.

This was a world where extraordinary powers existed.

People flying was not unusual.

“Hey! Look at this news! There was a disaster yesterday in the Rust Belt area!”

At that moment, a young girl standing before Wang Xi exclaimed, holding out her phone to a few companions.

They were a group of girls wearing matching uniforms—white shirts, black skirts—with a round cross badge on their chests, resembling high school students.

They huddled together, gasping repeatedly as they read the phone screen.

“Blue alert? Even the Defense Squad was deployed? So scary! The whole street was destroyed…”

“How many died?”

“Still being counted, but comments say at least several hundred. Some surviving residents of the Rust Belt replied that the situation is worse than expected!”

“Oh my god!”

The girls chattered nervously.

Many office workers nearby pulled out their phones and checked the news, their faces darkening. Some elderly people wore sorrowful expressions, closing their eyes with a sigh.

Wang Xi quietly took out his phone and found the relevant report, beginning to read carefully.

The first thing in sight was a clear, large photograph.

It showed a collapsed street scene, rows of twisted and deformed houses.

The walls appeared to be coated with a thick layer of paint, covered in colorful substances.

There were also frozen human figures scattered about the street, motionless as if sculptures, their expressions frozen at the final moment.

Their bodies were enveloped in the same strange colorful material, looking very eerie.

Wang Xi frowned as he continued reading.

One passage read:

“According to the Overlook Bureau’s announcement, the initial assessment of this disaster attributes it to the Fairy Tale Series Dungeon, designated Black Spade ♤2 ‘Sugar Witch.’”

“Disaster Type: Legion.”

“Disaster Level: Area Lockdown (Blue).”

He took a deep breath.

This was a world of the extraordinary.

At the same time, it was a world fraught with danger…