Chapter Thirty: The Subterranean Realm of Unusual Environments

“I will definitely return it to you!” Liu Xu bowed deeply to Fang Tang, her hands clenched tightly around the object, and walked toward the wall nearest to her.

Fang Tang’s expression was unreadable. When he saw the woman raise the hoe, he spoke.

“Go to the front.”

In that direction stood a wooden crate.

The spot Liu Xu had chosen earlier, however, was occupied by two man-eating plants.

Fang Tang’s tone was detached, with a hint of command that brooked no argument.

Liu Xu hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded and obeyed Fang Tang’s instruction.

Before entering the doorway in the wall, Liu Xu turned back and said gratefully, “Thank you!”

Fang Tang’s gaze remained on Liu Xu. He didn’t harbor any particular thoughts about her; he was simply watching to see if she would turn on him.

His reputation was widespread—almost everyone knew he possessed an abundance of resources, rich beyond measure.

But whether he was a fat sheep or a wolf in sheep’s clothing, no one could say for sure.

Judging by Liu Xu’s reaction upon hearing his name, he could tell she had heard of him.

When he tossed the object to her, Fang Tang had already placed his hand at his waist, where the grip of his explosive bow rested.

Had the muzzle in Liu Xu’s hand strayed even slightly, Fang Tang would have let an arrow fly.

He could show kindness to the weak and gentle, giving them a chance to survive.

After all, as fellow humans in this strange, underground world, even if there was no need to band together, neither was there cause for mutual slaughter.

Help should be rendered only when one is able.

But that did not mean Fang Tang was a kindhearted man.

On the contrary, he understood the story of the farmer and the snake better than anyone.

Constant vigilance was the only way to survive in the catacombs.

[Miss Wavy Hair is gone now, what a pity. She really had a figure. Facing someone like that, you didn’t have a single thought? I have to call you a sage.]

The Eye popped up at an inopportune moment, and Fang Tang’s face turned cold.

“I haven’t even settled the score with you for what happened before, and now you show yourself again?”

Just after entering Catacomb 68, the Eye had been so downcast at the lack of women that it failed to give timely warnings, almost landing Fang Tang in danger.

If he hadn’t reacted quickly enough, he might truly have been bludgeoned to death by that kobold’s spiked club.

The memory sent a surge of anger straight to his head.

[I was wrong, I already apologized... You can’t be so harsh with your adorable Eye, you know. It’s just that it was my first time seeing a woman with such a figure—you can’t blame me...]

“If an apology was enough, what need would there be for the police?”

Fang Tang’s expression remained impassive. “You’re my Eye. If I die, you’ll vanish too, right?”

After interacting for several days, he had discovered the Eye was hiding many things—not about the catacombs, but about itself.

When he’d first awakened, the Eye’s tone had been audacious.

At first, Fang Tang had indeed been bluffed.

But after several tests, he found that this was not the case.

The Eye could not exist independently of him; if he died, the Eye would disappear too and would not attach to anyone else.

He realized then that the Eye had fabricated its authority to elevate its status.

After understanding all this, Fang Tang did not expose it, letting it continue its antics.

After all, the Eye was useful.

He had always been patient with those who served a purpose.

But what happened today had crossed Fang Tang’s bottom line.

No matter how lecherous you are, you can’t allow such a blunder because of a woman.

That was dereliction of duty!

If you can’t even handle your main job, what use are you?

The Eye fell silent, and Fang Tang continued, “If you want to survive, do your job well. Be my 007 worker’s Eye and stop concerning yourself with nonsense. You’re my Eye, after all.”

He emphasized the word “my,” staking his claim.

Letting the Eye call the shots? What nonsense.

Today, Fang Tang would have to assert himself.

After rebuking the Eye, Fang Tang walked over to a nearby bronze chest.

After replenishing his stores, he pulled out the disassembly hammer and obtained three ingots of copper.

He then crafted a new weapon, prepared three more clips of ammunition, strapped the weapon to his waist, and headed toward Catacomb 69.

When Liu Xu had left earlier, the Eye had marked what was in the surrounding catacombs.

Fang Tang had given Liu Xu a safe catacomb.

Of the remaining two on the same level, one contained man-eating plants, the other, elemental stones.

Ordinary supplies meant little to Fang Tang.

Elemental stones, however, were always welcome; one could never have too many.

After harvesting a Gale Stone, Fang Tang glanced at the walls on either side.

[Are you afraid of the cold?]

The Eye’s sudden question did not surprise Fang Tang; in fact, he felt a touch of anticipation.

Whenever the Eye spoke like this, it meant the next catacomb would contain something special.

“Where is it? What’s inside? What’s the environment?”

[You have to admit, your luck is good. In this vast world of catacombs, there exist some special domains—products of the same rules, but within them lurk both horrors and extremely precious resources.

The catacomb ahead has an icy environment, inhabited by two snow creatures known as Snowfiends. These beings can only survive in extreme cold and have an innate fear of high temperatures.

However, Snowfiends are formidable—they possess unique powers and can manipulate ice and snow. For you, this will be the most severe trial you’ve faced.]

“How rare are the resources inside?” Fang Tang did not rush to break through the wall.

Know your enemy and yourself, and you will never be defeated. Understanding the situation and planning the fight was the safest approach.

[It’s another blueprint that shouldn’t exist in the catacombs, far more precious than the mechanical claw arm. The claw arm is nearly invincible in these tunnels, but in the hands of a true master, it’s little more than a novelty.

But the blueprint inside is different; even in the hands of a powerful figure, it would still be considered a rare weapon.]

“Oh?” Fang Tang’s eyes brightened, then quickly dimmed.

A weapon blueprint even more formidable than the mechanical claw arm—wouldn’t that mean it demanded even greater resources?

Another money pit!

Fang Tang smacked his lips in dismay, but he had no intention of giving up the blueprint inside.

After all, such a weapon was exceedingly rare.

“Snowfiends fear heat. The electric net from the explosive bow and the flame gun can both harm them. That means I need not worry about lacking effective means to deal with them.”

Fang Tang’s expression grew thoughtful as he asked in a low voice, “What abilities do Snowfiends possess?”

If he knew the Snowfiends’ powers, he could devise better countermeasures.

[Snowfiend—special catacomb creature, with two abilities: snow trap and snowball. Snowfiends originally had levels, but because of their special nature, the rules stripped them of their ranks, making them unique catacomb creatures with special abilities.]

Reading this, Fang Tang caught an important detail.

Their rank had been removed.

That meant Snowfiends were not native to the catacombs.

But the catacombs needed a special environment to house precious blueprints, so Snowfiends had been placed inside.

However, the rules of the catacombs forbade creatures with levels.

Thus, their ranks were stripped away.

Rank was merely a reflection of strength.

But why had their abilities not been taken as well?

Was it that the rules could not remove abilities, or had the powers of the Snowfiends been deliberately preserved?