Chapter Sixty-Nine: A New Use for the Mechanical Claw Arm

Two and a half hours passed.

A new debuff appeared on Fang Tang: Bloodthirsty Craving.

Without fighting, his health would continuously drain, leaving him weaker by the minute.

After another half hour, Fang Tang’s face was drained of color. He looked calmly at Ye Qing.

“What’s your evolution level now?”

At this moment, Ye Qing was also afflicted with a debuff: Sorrowful Despondence.

Memories of heartbreak kept surfacing, her eyes shimmering with tears, the tip of her nose tinged red.

“Stage One, Level Five. I feel like I’ve hit a bottleneck. Do you think we’re going to die here?”

Fang Tang fell silent.

Debuffs were truly fatal to those who hadn’t stabilized their emotional sequences.

“If not, then let’s leave. The longer we stay in these distorted rules, the more likely we are to become the Fallen.”

“I don’t want to leave. Life feels so bleak—I’d rather turn into one of the Fallen. Maybe then I’d finally find release.”

Ye Qing lay there, tears streaming down her face.

With a silent sigh, Fang Tang walked over and gently lifted her into his arms.

“This is the first time a man’s carried me like a princess. Too bad your timing is terrible and my experience will be awful. You might as well put me down and let me rot here alone…”

Ye Qing gazed at Fang Tang, her expression full of grievance, hands braced against his strong chest, as if trying to push him away.

But Fang Tang gave her no chance. Controlling his mechanical claw arms, he scaled the wall to the ceiling, carved a hole with his pickaxe, and carried Ye Qing into Cavern 118.

The moment they entered a normal cavern, the debuffs vanished instantly.

Fang Tang’s color returned, his eyes regaining their sparkle.

Ye Qing, cradled in Fang Tang’s arms, quickly lost her sorrow. Two rosy spots bloomed on her cheeks.

“Can you put me down now?” she asked softly.

Fang Tang looked at her teasingly. “Didn’t you just say you wanted me to hold you a little longer?”

“I did not. Don’t make things up. That was just the effect of the stupid debuff, not what I actually wanted.”

Ye Qing denied it three times, her face earnest, the blush fading rapidly.

Fang Tang remained unmoved, watching her with a meaningful gaze.

“I saved you. Shouldn’t you offer some gratitude?”

Ye Qing grew flustered, unable to meet his eyes. “How… how do you want me to thank you?”

“What do you think?”

Fang Tang took out his dwelling. Once it was opened, the two of them stepped into the three-bedroom home.

…

Darkness settled in the cavern.

Only in Cavern 118 did a three-bedroom house still glow with warm light.

“It’s only been two days and you’ve changed so much.” Ye Qing stepped out of the bathroom, hair damp, curiosity in her gaze as she looked at the mechanical arms on Fang Tang’s back. The thought that those arms could unlock new possibilities made her cheeks flush faintly.

“I put it together after you left. It’s helped me quite a bit—a very practical weapon,” Fang Tang replied, carrying two plates of steak from the kitchen. Noticing Ye Qing’s expression, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.

“Indeed!” Ye Qing toweled her hair as she sat at the table. “You’ve found combat uses outside of battle. Is this what they call interdisciplinary innovation?”

Fang Tang said nothing.

“I have an even more special weapon. Want to try it? It could turn you into a perfect work of art—chilled, like a sculpture.”

For a moment Ye Qing recalled that ice statue below them. She shivered, rolling her eyes at him and falling silent.

“Let’s eat.”

Seeing that he’d subdued her, Fang Tang couldn’t help but smile to himself.

They ate in silence.

Perhaps it was Fang Tang’s attitude that made Ye Qing realize her own place. Her movements became cautious, not daring to make a sound.

After dinner, Ye Qing grew nervous. Remembering last time, she worried Fang Tang might throw her out again.

“Can I stay here tonight? Don’t worry, I won’t bother you.”

Fang Tang nodded, pointing to the second bedroom. “You can sleep there.”

“Thank you!” Ye Qing sighed in relief and obediently began tidying up her room.

Fang Tang paid her no mind. He went to his room and dove straight under the covers.

He had to admit, the bed in a level five dwelling was truly comfortable.

Fang Tang lay back, savoring the peace. Yueyue, bored, sprawled on the bed, occasionally lifting her head to glance at Fang Tang.

“Hmm?”

Yueyue’s ears twitched, then she suddenly leapt up, baring her teeth at the door.

“Awooo—”

A high-pitched, youthful howl rang out from Yueyue’s throat.

“What is it, Yueyue?” Fang Tang frowned, climbed out of bed, and turned on the light by the door.

In an instant, the dark cavern was illuminated. He saw several figures standing before the wall, shielding their eyes from the light, their faces obscured.

“More people?” Fang Tang narrowed his eyes, planting the Great Summer Golden Sparrow on the ground, arms crossed atop its gilded hilt, regarding the group with calm detachment.

“Hey, look! People! Brother, where’d you get this house? Looks pretty nice!” A burly man with a thick beard strode forward, trailed by a motley group of men and women—nine in total—heading toward Fang Tang.

Fang Tang didn’t answer. The mechanical claw arms behind him extended a talon, spraying out a blade of water that sliced a deep trench into the ground.

“One more step and you die.”

The bearded man eyed the trench, his expression shifting. Clearly wary of the mechanical arms, he refrained from advancing, instead offering a smile.

“Brother, running into each other in the caverns is fate. Why not team up? If we explore together, we stand a much better chance of surviving.”

Fang Tang bowed his head, as if pondering. The bearded man, seeing this, smiled in anticipation.

But time ticked by and Fang Tang said nothing.

The bearded man began to grow anxious.

“Well, brother, what do you think?”

Fang Tang still remained silent, absently rubbing the agile ring on his finger.

The bearded man noticed the ring and glanced at the man beside him.

The man met his gaze briefly, gave an almost imperceptible nod, then stepped across the trench.

The moment his foot touched the ground, Fang Tang’s mechanical claw arm shot out, darting toward him at lightning speed.

Startled, the man’s body suddenly went light, drifting aside like a falling leaf caught in the wind.

But at the full extension of the mechanical arm, the claw sprang open, and a dense net of electricity burst from the engine, enveloping the entire group.

“I won’t repeat myself. If you want to live, leave. Now.”

Fang Tang’s expression was cold, head tilted back slightly, looking down at them with imperious disdain.

The exquisite Great Summer Golden Sparrow stood before him, radiating a noble and dangerous aura.

The bearded man stared at the crackling net, his face twisted as if he’d swallowed a ton of flies.

He’d suspected Fang Tang was tough, but not this tough.

Seeing his companions trembling in fear behind him, a flicker of disgust crossed his eyes.

Drawing a deep breath, he said, “Brother, we’re leaving. We won’t bother you again.”

Fang Tang waved a hand and the electric net parted. The group fled as if granted amnesty.

At the wall, the bearded man turned back to Fang Tang.

“My name’s Li Gang. May I ask yours?”

“Fang Tang.”