Chapter 86: Anomaly in the Cavern
The moment Fang Tang laid eyes on the giant centipede, he immediately thought of a certain Elder Centipede who had once been obliterated in a single punch by a bald-headed villain. Unfortunately, Fang Tang was not that bald-headed antagonist. But then, this centipede was no Elder Centipede either; at best, it could be called the Grandson of Centipedes.
The giant centipede's perfect mutation ability was a perfect counter to Fang Tang's usual methods. Neither the Dragon Sparrow of Great Xia nor the Reverse Blade could break through its defenses. It was just too damn tough!
After the two Reverse Blades struck against the centipede’s shell, throwing up a shower of sparks, they quickly returned to the armored sleeves on Fang Tang’s arms. Pressing his lips together, Fang Tang met the ancient face upon the giant centipede’s head.
Man and centipede locked eyes. Fang Tang’s figure wavered, becoming a shadow that vanished from the spot. The centipede’s shell was hard, but its massive size made it unwieldy in the cramped underground chamber, giving Fang Tang ample room to maneuver.
Still, the centipede was no pushover. As a Fifth-Tier Fallen, and with the rare mutation "Swift as the Wind," it might not be able to match Fang Tang’s speed, but it could still put up a fight for a time.
Wherever Fang Tang passed, a trail of molten footprints was left behind, the magma slowly corroding the centipede’s armor. The giant centipede twisted and slithered through the cavern like a snake, desperately evading Fang Tang’s attacks.
But it was all in vain—Fang Tang’s speed was overwhelming, as befitted someone ranked so highly among the Sequences.
Before long, the centipede’s back was covered with orange-red footprints. The magma gathered and lingered, continuing to sear the centipede’s shell. Fang Tang slid nimbly among the dense footprints, moving even faster.
With lava armor, there is always the Heart of Magma; controlling magma was second nature, so walking freely atop it was no issue.
Pain twisted the ancient features on the centipede’s face, but there was nothing it could do to Fang Tang.
Once the centipede’s back was entirely consumed by magma, Fang Tang made his move. The two Reverse Blades absorbed the molten rock, swelling in size. He drove them hard into a patch of shell already weakened by the intense heat.
A sickening squelch rang out as the blades sank in as if through flesh.
The enormous Reverse Blades instantly slipped from Fang Tang’s hands, burying themselves in the centipede’s body. Black smoke gushed from the creature’s nostrils and mouth, agony wracking its frame.
Its size made it resilient, but at last, after a long struggle, the giant centipede collapsed, thick smoke pouring from its joints.
“Damn, even after all that, its shell is still this tough.”
Fang Tang leapt down from the creature’s body, rapping the charred shell and producing a series of metallic clangs.
Thank goodness for the lava armor. Otherwise, facing this centipede, he would have been forced to pry at its joints with the Dragon Sparrow.
He collected the golden chest from the cavern, then fixed his gaze on the wall.
[Forward, forward, forward! Charge ahead! If you’re a man, keep going! With your current sixth-tier armor, the strongest thing you’ll face now is a Fifth-Tier Fallen. Don’t be scared—just go!]
Fang Tang: “…”
Like he needed to be told that?
He punched a hole through the wall ahead and stepped through.
---
Cavern 162.
A Fourth-Tier Fallen, specializing in speed.
In terms of speed, Fang Tang had nothing to fear. Upon reaching Third Tier, he’d gained two more skill points—one went to Endurance, the other to Agility.
With high Agility, his use of Extreme Shadow was effortless.
As a result, this Fourth-Tier Fallen fell easily to his hands.
Advancing from cavern to cavern, Fang Tang relied on the convenience of his lava armor and the swiftness of Extreme Shadow—an unstoppable force.
In just over two hours, he cleared twelve caverns in a row, each victory coming with ease.
---
Cavern 175.
Fang Tang sat on the ground, a massive bear sprawled beside him. The bear had been scorched black, reeking of burnt flesh.
For several hours, Fang Tang had been keeping an eye on messages in the public channel.
Before the mass arrival of the Fallen, Fang Tang, recognized as a top player, had suggested that everyone send a message after clearing each cavern, to ensure their safety.
At first, things went smoothly; even if someone missed a message or two, it was hardly noticeable.
But after dealing with the giant bear, Fang Tang glanced at his phone and noticed that half the usual voices in the public channel had suddenly gone silent.
Of course, it could be that their loudspeakers had run out, or they hadn’t entered a new cavern yet, but even accounting for that, the number of missing people was alarming.
Fang Tang felt a pang of unease.
These people were his best prospects for wealth—he couldn’t afford for them to simply vanish.
Not just in his own region, but in the surrounding ones as well. Something was off. Very off.
Frowning deeply, Fang Tang couldn’t figure out what had happened.
Buzz!
His phone vibrated; a message from Willow Fluff came through.
“Mr. Fang, I’ve become an Evolver.”
Oh?
Fang Tang’s spirits instantly lifted, and he hurriedly typed, “What Sequence ability did you awaken?”
Willow Fluff replied, “Dreamlike Illusion!”
Fang Tang: “…Holy crap?”
He was genuinely surprised—Willow Fluff had awakened a formidable Sequence.
Sequence 59: Dreamlike Illusion.
The details weren’t entirely clear, but the general gist was that it could kill people in their dreams.
…Hmm.
A certain infamous figure came to mind.
Willow Fluff: “What’s wrong? Is my Sequence ability not good?”
Not bad? It was too good!
Fang Tang tapped out his reply: “Don’t tell anyone about your Sequence ability—otherwise, you’ll become a target. Do you have a pass yet?”
Willow Fluff: “What’s a pass?”
Fang Tang: “A pass looks like this—picture.jpg. You get one once your overall strength reaches Third Tier. What’s your evolution level?”
Willow Fluff: “How did you send a picture? I checked my stats—what does ‘First Tier, Level Five’ mean?”
Fang Tang: “That’s a long story. When you get your pass, we’ll meet in the Cradle World.”
Willow Fluff: “Okay… Mr. Fang, the caverns are so dangerous now, I don’t dare keep exploring. I also have this debuff called ‘Agitation’ on me. Is there any way to get rid of it?”
Fang Tang: “Pass through the black mist and it will clear. But your strength… If you use your Sequence ability wisely, you might be able to handle some of the Fallen.”
Willow Fluff: “I think I know how to use Dreamlike Illusion, but my Perception is too low—I can’t maintain it for long.”
Fang Tang: “In that case, there’s nothing to be done. If you have enough materials, ask Xie Ling to craft you a set of sixth-tier armor. That will greatly improve your chances of survival.”
Willow Fluff: “I know about Lingling’s armor, but I don’t have enough materials.”
Fang Tang: “Then just stay put. Only sixteen hours left until the twisted rules are lifted—hang in there, and you’ll make it!”
Fang Tang: “Have you noticed anything strange in the caverns lately?”
Willow Fluff: “Aren’t the caverns always strange? Did something happen?”
Fang Tang: “Nothing. Take care.”
Fang Tang rubbed his nose and shook his head, chuckling softly.
After all this time, Willow Fluff had become quite sharp.
Thinking for a moment, he sent a message to Ye Qing.
“Still alive?”
Ye Qing replied, “Well, well, Boss Fang, what makes you think of little old me?”
Fang Tang: “Heh… What’s your evolution level?”
Ye Qing: “Second Tier, Level One. I took your advice and put all my skill points into Perception.”
Fang Tang: “Still haven’t got your pass?”
Ye Qing: “Nope! You said overall strength needed to reach Third Tier. I’ve got all these weapons, so why haven’t I qualified yet?”
Fang Tang: “Low-tier tech doesn’t count. Only third-tier tech adds points. If you want a pass, you can pay me to make you mechanical arms, a frost gun, or sixth-tier armor.”
Ye Qing: “Fang the Skinner, you’re trying to do business with me now?”
Fang Tang: “Smirking.jpg”
Fang Tang: “Once we’re in the Cradle World, I’ll let you call me Fang the Skinner to my face.”
Ye Qing: “Boss, I yield… Two rounds of aerial compensation, will that do?”
Fang Tang: “Did you notice anything strange in the caverns just now?”
Ye Qing: “I felt something, but I’m not quite sure…”