Chapter 87: Found

Ye Qing said, "Just now, I faintly heard a peculiar melody. I’m not sure if it was just my imagination, but the moment I heard that sound again, I felt an inexplicable joy."

Fang Tang replied, "Understood. If you hear that sound again, let me know immediately."

"Alright... By the way, can we swap out one of the mechanical arms after three aerial assignments?" Ye Qing asked.

"Absolutely not!" Fang Tang shot back.

"Heartless man!" Ye Qing grumbled.

After hanging up, Fang Tang massaged his brow. The mass disappearance of people was likely caused by that strange music. Within the twisted rules, any significant emotional fluctuation would draw the influence of those rules, turning a person into one of the Fallen.

He had experienced this twice himself—the kind of negative emotion that clings to you like a festering wound, impossible to shake off, only burrowing deeper with time. It seemed those people were doomed.

Fang Tang sighed softly, a look of melancholy in his eyes. Earning money would be much harder from now on.

After thoroughly scavenging Cave 175, Fang Tang pressed onward.

Cave 176.

Passing through the black mist, Fang Tang came upon an octopus. Of course, it wasn’t the one from the dungeon shop.

[The creature I despise most is the octopus—slippery, damp, impossible to grasp, and the texture is simply dreadful. Worst of all, its laughter is grating—always making that ‘hohoho’ sound. It’s infuriating.

Do you know what’s unique about octopuses? When faced with danger, they shrink into what they believe is a safe space.

This Fallen before you did the same. After the twisted rules descended, he encountered a powerful Fallen, and out of fear, he hid in a box. Unfortunately, the box was sealed shut, and he could never open it again... and so, he became an octopus.

Fourth-tier Fallen, rare mutated abilities: Paralytic Tentacles, Slippery Escape.]

The octopus’s abilities were a true nuisance for Fang Tang. Its attacks weren’t particularly strong, but the slippery escape was a headache—every strike he landed simply bounced off.

"Is this some kind of indirect defense boost?" he wondered.

It was as if the creature had maxed its evasion stat—no attack could land.

But Fang Tang wasn’t limited to physical attacks; he could play the role of a spellcaster too.

Blue water surged along his arm, transforming the Frost Gun into a hand cannon, and a flurry of snowflakes descended.

The octopus hadn’t expected this. As the snowflakes settled on its body, it began to stiffen, the mucous coating on its skin shrinking away.

Before long, the octopus was entombed in ice like a snowman, a layer of frost pinning it in place. With a flick of both wrists, Fang Tang sent out two reversed blades, each tracing an orange-red arc before sinking into the creature’s flesh.

Black smoke billowed from the octopus’s mouth and nose. Under the searing effect of the magma-forged blades, it didn’t last long before turning into a charred octopus.

"It actually smells pretty good..." Fang Tang sniffed, then felt a wave of nausea. After all, the octopus had once been human, and now, burning it left a bitter aftertaste.

He collected the floating elemental stone and moved on.

Cave 177.

As soon as he crossed the black mist, Fang Tang heard a strange melody. It was faint, easily mistaken for an illusion if one wasn’t paying close attention.

As the music washed over him, a slow smile crept across his face. He seemed to see himself back on Earth, living a peaceful and comfortable life.

The Fallen within the cave, as if drawn by the scent of a feast, sprang to life. Green vines reached out for Fang Tang, slowly winding around him.

His heart clenched, the smile vanished, and he gasped for breath.

"Damn it, it’s him!"

Fang Tang’s eyes glinted coldly as his hand instinctively gripped the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow at his waist.

As Ye Qing had described, hearing this music brought about an involuntary sense of joy and pleasant memories. But behind the joy, one’s soul would slowly be drawn out, stripped from the body.

"This must be the work of a Fallen!"

Fang Tang blinked. "Is there a way to locate him?"

[Step by step. Given your current strength, I can only see what’s in the next cave. The music is even louder ahead, so the closer you get, the nearer you are to the source.]

Fang Tang nodded, then dispatched the plant-like Fallen entwined around him with a flick of his reversed blade, gathered up the loot into his phone, and moved forward.

Cave 178.

Passing through the black mist, he found the music was indeed much clearer now.

Its power was terrifying—even the third-tier Fallen in the cave couldn’t resist, their grotesque faces twisted in rapturous smiles.

"Better hope I don’t find you!" Fang Tang bared his teeth. This music had cost him a fortune, and as the saying goes, robbing a man of his livelihood is as bad as killing his parents.

This was a grudge he could never forgive!

He gripped his pickaxe tightly; only two uses remained. If he didn’t find the culprit on the last try, he would lose his chance at vengeance forever.

Cave 179.

Here, the music was denser, more intoxicating—like hearing a violin’s song in an opera house. Fang Tang could pick out the seductive cadence woven into the melody.

It was utterly bizarre.

[He’s just ahead. The black mist suppresses mutated abilities, yet this Fallen can project his music across three or four caves—a testament to his formidable power.

He will be the strongest opponent you’ve faced, rivaling the madman on the fifth floor of the psychiatric hospital.

Before you enter, I advise you to get your emotions under control, or you’ll fall prey to his abilities.]

Fang Tang drew a deep breath, letting the fire in his eyes gradually subside until his gaze was as calm as still water.

Sequence 251: Unruffled Tranquility.

With his spirit settled, Fang Tang picked up the pickaxe.

Ten swings—the way opened.

He stepped through the black mist and entered Cave 180.

There, at last, he saw the Fallen who had severed his path to fortune.

Dressed in an elegant, old-fashioned tailcoat, hair meticulously combed, head cocked to one side with a violin tucked between chin and shoulder.

The Fallen played his eerie melody in a trance, a flock of translucent ghosts swirling behind him.

The phantoms wore devout expressions, all kneeling in prayer.

[Hohoho... What a powerful Fallen. But I detest charlatans, especially those whose sins overflow.

He was an obscure musician, lacking talent but burning with envy for fame and fortune, never truly devoted to music. After being cast out by the music world, he turned to fraud as a—well, a "priest." He swindled the townsfolk into pooling money for his concerts.

Outwardly he was the picture of respectability, but behind the scenes he was a scoundrel, exploiting his violin lessons to take advantage of every young girl in town. In the end, the furious townspeople beat him half to death and strung him up on a cross to die.

When the rules descended... well, you know. He became the embodiment of his desire: music laced with seduction, and an outward form transformed from grotesque to alluring.

Sixth-tier Fallen. Mutated abilities: Enchanting Melody. Perfect mutation: Soul Extraction, Free Roaming.]

While Fang Tang studied the Fallen, the man ceased his playing and looked at Fang Tang with a smile.

"My child, have you come to pray to the priest?"