Chapter Forty: The Cackling Clown

Fang Tang blinked as he looked at the Great Xia Dragonfinch lodged in the crevice and the massive head at his feet.

“What a strange creature. The Night Sentinel’s weakness was actually here?”

Just moments ago, after the Night Sentinel had experienced level seven pain, its head inexplicably fell off and rolled to Fang Tang’s feet.

Does that make sense?

It’s just absurd!

[Great Xia Dragonfinch—Spirit Bond Ability: Decapitation!
The eyes never lie; if it says decapitation, then it’s decapitation.]

“One in ten chance… this is way too useful!”

Fang Tang’s eyes lit up as he realized anew the power of spirit-bonded items.

The miraculous creator indeed keeps its promises.

Even a blow to the rear can be linked to the head—Lady Luck must love me!

Happily, he drew out the Great Xia Dragonfinch, wiped it clean, and without the slightest disdain, cradled it in his arms like a treasure.

My precious, from now on, you’re my main source of damage!

He put all the explosive arrows into the quiver, took out the Disassembly Hammer, and struck the Night Sentinel’s corpse.

A black-purple bead fell to the ground, along with two glass beads the size of billiard balls, clear and translucent.

“These are… the Night Sentinel’s eyes?”

Fang Tang examined the glass beads closely, confirming they were some part of the Night Sentinel, and wrapped them in newspaper.

In this labyrinth, it wasn’t just the Night Sentinel—he also found a blueprint.

He couldn’t tell what the blueprint depicted, but after adding it to his newspaper collection, Fang Tang was delighted.

Water heater: Iron ingot ×2, Copper ingot ×3, Fire Spirit Stone ×1, Blue Water Stone ×1.

Shower head: Iron ingot ×2.

“Wonderful, now I can enjoy life!”

Fang Tang punched the air in excitement, the impact making the atmosphere tremble.

[You think you’re safe now? Take a look at the labyrinth around you!

Ahead—Agony Treant: Its vines are faster, tougher, and more painful than the man-eating flower’s.

Left—Grinning Clown: Unless you want your eardrums shattered and your mind broken, avoid him for now.

Right—Man-eating Flower and Mist Flower: The man-eating flower is easy to deal with, but the Mist Flower will obscure your vision and paralyze your body; without a poison mask, best steer clear.

Below—Licker: That’s right! The very one you know, but now enhanced by the rules—faster than ever.]

“Damn it!”

The smile froze on Fang Tang’s face, and the joy of victory vanished instantly.

One after another, just because I opened a golden chest, now everything’s closing in on me?

“Which side has the richest resources?”

That was Fang Tang’s primary concern now.

Before, he had no choice but to take on the Night Sentinel.

But now...

With the Great Xia Dragonfinch, what’s there to fear?

[To the left: Bulletproof vest blueprint. Not only does it block bullets, but it also dramatically reduces impact—its value needs no explanation.]

Seeing this, Fang Tang’s eyes sparkled.

That’s the one!

If anything’s most precious in the labyrinth, it’s survival.

And as luck would have it, I have a bulletproof vest. And it doesn’t even hurt when hit—wouldn’t you want one?

For such a lifesaving item, asking for one Elemental Stone isn’t too much, right?

“I’m about to make a killing; I don’t even know how to spend it all…”

Humming a cheerful tune, Fang Tang made his way toward the left-hand labyrinth.

He broke open the passage to Labyrinth 83.

Fang Tang didn’t rush in. Instead, he stuffed scraps of cloth in his ears.

Then, AKM in one hand, Explosive Bow in the other, he strode confidently into the labyrinth.

At first glance, he saw a massive head over a meter in diameter, perched atop a tiny, disproportionate body.

Paint marked the head with a clown’s features, the mouth curled in a wildly exaggerated arc.

Seeing Fang Tang enter, the clown’s eyes lit up and he burst into laughter.

The sound was piercing, echoing endlessly in the empty labyrinth.

In that laughter, Fang Tang felt dizzy, a wave of nihilism surging in his heart, a sudden urge to destroy the world.

“What’s going on? Didn’t I plug my ears?”

He was baffled, when golden subtitles flashed before his eyes.

[The clown was once the most beloved character among children at the amusement park, bringing joy to many. Yet he himself was miserable, for the money he earned as a clown was not enough to sustain his life—he became more and more like a clown in truth.

Until the labyrinth world descended, and the clown, by misfortune, appeared near the Crocodile. His laughter startled the Crocodile. He died!

Distorted by the twisted rules, the clown revived, becoming a labyrinth creature just short of being a ranked being. Mutations: Agonizing Shriek, Loathsome Echo.]

“Unlucky bastard!”

Fang Tang cursed under his breath, raised the AKM, and aimed at the clown’s huge head.

Rat-tat-tat…

Flames spat, bullets roared toward the clown.

The massive head was an easy target.

Bullets struck the clown’s face, sending up showers of sparks.

The head was blasted to pieces, yet the laughter only grew louder, bordering on manic.

Fang Tang’s head spun; he shook it hard, struggling to stay sane.

That laughter seemed to amplify every negative emotion within him.

“No good—I need to find his weakness!”

He’d worked with the ‘Eyes’ a few times before and knew that some labyrinth creatures, for all their apparent strength, had vulnerabilities.

Just like the iron shirt’s weak spot—break it, and victory is yours.

Fang Tang forced his heavy eyelids open, staring intently at the clown.

Though the clown’s head was shattered by the AKM, the red nose remained, vivid as blood, perched on the wreckage.

Fang Tang slapped his own face, snapping himself back to clarity for a moment.

In that instant, he quickly nocked an arrow and drew his bow, aiming at the red nose.

Whoosh!

As long as the arrow was fast enough, its drop could be all but ignored.

In this labyrinth, the Explosive Bow was king.

Unerring, as long as the tip was true.

An electric web exploded across the red nose, and the clown’s laughter abruptly ceased.

The enormous head crashed to the ground, but the sharp, agonized laughter continued to echo throughout the labyrinth.

Gritting his teeth, Fang Tang ran swiftly to the clown’s side.

He drew the Great Xia Dragonfinch and swung it down.

Splat!

Though the decapitation ability didn’t trigger, the Dragonfinch’s keen edge still severed the clown’s neck.

Finally, the laughter haunting the labyrinth faded away.

“Whew!”

Fang Tang collapsed, gasping for breath.

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with disgust.

The clown’s laughter had stirred up all the worst feelings in him.

“If creatures without ranks are already this strong, what about those with?”

The thought sent chills down Fang Tang’s spine.

Any ordinary person would be defenseless against the clown’s laughter.

Strangely enough, the clown’s head was enormous, but his body was small, about the size of a seven- or eight-year-old child.

Maybe… he was a dwarf in life?

Fang Tang didn’t dwell on it, just gazed in silence at the clown’s body.

“Next time, pick a better job. Making a living in the service industry is a fool’s errand.”

With that, he tapped the Disassembly Hammer twice on the clown’s head.

A black-purple bead appeared on the ground, beside it a red nose.

“What’s this?”

Fang Tang picked up the nose, and golden text flashed before his eyes.

[The clown was not a pure labyrinth creature; like that ghost, he was once a ‘player’, but both were twisted out of shape by the rules.

Thus, killing them may yield special items from their bodies.

Fear Nose—Fear Proliferation: When worn, it causes the enemy’s fear to multiply without end.]