Chapter Sixty-Four: Debuff

The moment the announcement appeared, the public channel in the region exploded.

"Fang Tang was actually right—are the Fallen really that dangerous?"

"Fang the Skinner once said that after he dealt with the Fallen, he became an Evolver. Does that mean I could become one too?"

"Mom, I want to be Superman! That's awesome!"

"Fang Tang counts as a high-level player now. Even he barely made it out alive—what chance do us weaklings have?"

"Fang Tang, can you say something? Can you help explain what's going on?"

One message after another popped up.

This was a matter of life or death, and everyone was panicking.

Fang Tang frowned, thought for a moment, and then typed out a message.

"The Fallen are very strong. Unless you become an Evolver, you can only rely on elemental weapons. Unfortunately, elemental weapons are weakened by the Twisted Rule—second-tier elemental weapons only deal first-tier damage. Still, if used properly, you can kill a Fallen.

The Fallen don't all have the same abilities. What we know is that they are people consumed by desire and negative emotions, and their powers are tied to those desires.

When facing a Fallen, you must keep calm. Do not let fear, anger, or any other negative emotion take hold; only then will you have a chance to survive.

Finally, remember this: the Fallen are not invincible. On the contrary, if you find their weakness, you can defeat them easily."

Fang Tang had explained everything as clearly as he could. That was all he could do for now.

He didn't want to see these people die. If they all died, how would he make money?

Cold as it sounded, it was the truth.

The Fallen were powerful, and facing that kind of strength alone could easily lead to despair.

So Fang Tang told a well-intentioned lie.

He did it to calm everyone down.

As long as no one became a Fallen, everything would be manageable.

After giving his explanation, Fang Tang stopped looking at the public channel.

Orders were pouring in again.

After all, the official announcement was more credible than anything Fang Tang could say.

So, Fang Tang processed the orders with a mix of pain and pleasure.

And then, Fang Tang made an exciting decision.

He would offer free services for a limited time!

For Fang Tang, whose wallet was already bulging, the stockpile of elemental stones was just a number until he found a shop.

For others, elemental stones were a lifeline.

To cast a long line for a big catch, and to maintain his reputation, Fang Tang decided to do this.

Free for one day only—after that, the price would return to normal.

Isn’t that considerate?

Fang Tang was touched by his own generosity.

What moved him even more was that some people, upon learning about the free offer, still sent him food as thanks so he wouldn't work for nothing.

Bread, cola, sausages, chocolate—odds and ends, not enough to fill one up, but enough to keep from starving.

Even so, with the sheer number of orders, Fang Tang’s food reserves increased dramatically.

Yueyue, beside him, was eating so joyfully she forgot her owner was toiling away, sacrificing sleep to fulfill orders.

At that moment, Xie Ling sent a message.

"Big Boss, can you make me a Heart of Extreme Frost?"

Fang Tang replied, "Did you find the Frost Cannon too?"

Xie Ling answered, "No, the Heart of Extreme Frost is needed for the Ice Armor. That’s the only thing I’m missing."

Seeing the word "armor," Fang Tang’s fingers trembled slightly.

Level six technology!

So this is what it means to be blessed by luck.

Fang Tang looked on with envy. He had been beaten half to death and struggled to finally craft the Frost Cannon, while the lucky one managed to create level six tech in just seven days.

Comparisons really are odious.

Fang Tang said, "The Heart of Extreme Frost requires ten Bluewater Stones. Do you have enough?"

Xie Ling replied, "What? Why does it need so many? I already used ten elemental stones to make the Ice Armor. Why does it need more here? Suddenly, I don’t feel like making the armor anymore."

Fang Tang said, "You could also put up some second-tier weapons and earn elemental stones like I do. If you want to make money, you’ll probably have to wait until tomorrow. Today, I’m working for free."

Xie Ling responded, "But that’s such a hassle! Big Boss, could you lend me some elemental stones? I’ll pay you back in a few days."

...

Now that’s the confidence of the truly lucky. Only Xie Ling could say she’d return ten elemental stones in just a few days.

Fang Tang replied, "...Alright."

Helping Xie Ling craft the Heart of Extreme Frost meant that, as long as she didn’t encounter a fourth-tier or higher Fallen within the Twisted Rule, she would be nearly unstoppable.

That’s just the power of level six technology.

Even if Xie Ling wasn’t an Evolver.

He used ten elemental stones to make the Heart of Extreme Frost and sent it to Xie Ling.

Xie Ling replied, "Wow, so this is the Heart of Extreme Frost? It’s so cold and beautiful! Thank you, Big Boss. Once I finish the Ice Armor, I’ll be able to explore more caverns."

Fang Tang said, "No need to thank me. If you encounter a Fallen, don’t leave right after killing it. Stay a little—there might be unexpected rewards."

Xie Ling: "Is it becoming an Evolver?"

Fang Tang: "Exactly. Evolvers are also a product of the Twisted Rule."

Xie Ling: "Got it, thank you, Big Boss!"

Fang Tang flexed his stiff fingers, then helplessly scooped up Yueyue, who was still munching away, and ruffled her little head.

"Being lucky is truly enviable! Should I ask her to make me some armor too?"

Fang Tang pondered seriously, but ultimately gave up on the idea.

Armor was still technology—though its level was high, it was still subject to the Twisted Rule.

It was better to focus on improving his own strength.

He grabbed a quick bite, fixed himself a cup of coffee, and went back to processing orders.

The cave gradually darkened. Fang Tang glanced at the time and realized three hours had already passed.

He carefully checked his evolution progress—first tier, stage six.

Huh?

He’d made so much progress in just three hours, yet he still hadn’t reached the limit of this cavern?

Fang Tang’s interest was piqued. He took out his dwelling and opened it up.

He decided to stay the night in this cavern.

A fifth-level dwelling, when packed up, was the size of an iron box—not much larger than a wooden one.

But when unfolded, it became a three-bedroom house.

The exterior was reinforced steel, capable of withstanding elemental weapon attacks.

Inside, it was fully furnished—even the blankets and sofa covers were prepared.

Perfect!

Fang Tang stretched out comfortably on the sofa, ice-cold cola at his side, and continued working on orders.

About an hour later, Fang Tang suddenly felt restless.

"What’s going on?"

[What do you mean, what’s going on? You’re under the Twisted Rule—did you really think you could live here in complete comfort?

Within the Twisted Rule, every four hours, humans are afflicted with a random debuff. The first debuff of your life—Restless Mind: unable to focus or think clearly.]

"...Alright, I can manage."

Fang Tang rubbed his temples. The Calm Mind technique helped a little, so he just ignored it.

Late at night, as Fang Tang’s eyelids grew heavy, Liu Xu sent a message.

"Mr. Fang, I’ve gathered all the materials for the mechanical claw arm. Could you craft one for me?"