Chapter Fifty: The Subterranean World
After leaving the secondary shop, Fang Tang made his way to a safe shelter within the underground world.
Though he had reaped considerable benefits from the depths, his mood was far from jubilant.
In seven days, a multitude of high-level entities would appear within the depths.
“Eye, was the message from the octopus at the end truly accurate?”
[Though I am all-knowing, I am not a fortune-teller. The changes within the depths are unpredictable events. Circumstances such as these only arise when the rules of the underground have shifted. Or perhaps... the twisted rules have begun to influence the interior.]
Fang Tang fell silent.
How could something claim to be all-knowing, yet not know this?
“I now possess some information about the depths. I wonder if you can tell me more,” Fang Tang said, taking out a parchment scroll and gently unrolling it.
The script on the parchment was still the language of the underground, but fortunately, this time Fang Tang had drunk the upgraded language potion, which was permanently effective.
The contents primarily explained the world of the depths.
After reading every word carefully, Fang Tang was left with a sense of frustration.
“Why do I feel as if I’ve been deceived?”
The parchment explained: The original world is shrouded by the twisted rules, which infinitely amplify human negative emotions, transforming people into the Fallen—beings of rank.
At first, those affected by the rules would slowly change, but eventually, the Fallen appeared en masse, plunging humanity into despair, and the twisted rules accelerated their consumption of the world.
Amid this apocalyptic environment, the rules of the underground emerged, and the depths became humanity’s last refuge. Those swallowed by the twisted rules could seek survival within.
The underground world is divided into three layers. The first layer is the Infinite Depths, the very place Fang Tang now found himself. Here, under the influence of the rules, space is infinite, serving as the critical defense against the invasion of the twisted rules.
Within the Infinite Depths lies the second layer: the Cradle World. The Cradle World is still part of the underground, and it is humanity’s final habitat.
As for the third layer, the parchment said nothing. No one has truly ventured there, and its very existence is a matter of speculation.
The parchment gave no explanation as to why people from Earth appeared here—not even a guess.
As for the Sequence Gifts, they are products of the rules...
Yes, once again, creations of the rules.
The Fallen, transformed by the twisted rules, possess mutated abilities—like the grinning clown encountered before.
Before the Cult of Technology discovered the power of the elements, the main force against the Fallen was the Evolvers: beings of rank with Sequence Gifts.
Because the original world’s technology became completely ineffective under the twisted rules, only elemental power could function at fifty percent capacity, while Sequence Gifts worked at one hundred percent.
"Sequence 001: Creator – Abilities unknown
Sequence 002: Destroyer – Abilities unknown
Sequence 003: Immortal Blossom – Abilities unknown
...
...
Sequence 011: Eye of Omniscience – Suspected to possess independent thought
Sequence 012: Absolute Balance – Suspected: balance of attributes
...
...
Sequence 022: Polar Exchange – Suspected: matter transference
Sequence 023: Equality of All – Suspected: support ability
...
...
Sequence 100: Physical Immunity – Extremely strong defense, impervious to any physical harm, only elemental damage is effective.
...
...
Sequence 999: Boneless Softness – Can make the body extremely flexible, enough to curl into an urn, but has poor defense, agility, vitality, and strength."
There were many Sequence Gifts, but the abilities of the first ten remained unknown. From eleven to fifty, all were speculative, and only after fifty did the descriptions grow more detailed.
After perusing them, Fang Tang pointed to Sequence 011, Eye of Omniscience, and said, “Eye, I’ve found you.”
[Don’t be like that. I’m just a little eye. What evil could an eye harbor? I just provide hints, take in the view, and long for a more comfortable place to live, that’s all.]
Fang Tang’s lips twitched, and he sighed helplessly.
An eye with independent thought—truly, the rules of the depths were wondrous.
Yet, come to think of it, the Eye’s Sequence rank was absurdly high.
After all, the first ten Sequence Gifts sounded terrifying, just judging by their names.
Take Sequence 008, Universal Salvation, for example—it sounded formidable, just like Sequence 023, Equality of All. Whether they were offensive or supportive was anyone’s guess.
“Now that I know so much, can you explain further?” Fang Tang asked, hope shining in his eyes.
Given the Eye’s lofty Sequence number and its title as the Eye of Omniscience, surely it must know much.
[It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. For me to answer your questions, you must first uncover relevant clues or make your own deductions—only then can I explain. For now, what you know is still too limited, so what I can tell you is also restricted.
Your guess is correct. I am severely constrained by the rules. Some of the rules in the underground world are downright absurd—almost mindless!]
Fang Tang sighed. “All right then, how am I to find more clues? In these depths, I doubt I’ll come across so many leads.”
[You must find a way to enter the second layer of the underground, even if only briefly. There, you’ll encounter more events, and once you do, I will be able to speak more freely.
As for how to reach the second layer, I’ve told you before—you must gain the recognition of the rules of the underground. Your strength now… is barely sufficient. But what the underground recognizes is personal power, not that which comes from weapons. In other words, you must possess a rank.]
“The parchment didn’t explain much about ranks. Can you elaborate?”
[Under the rules, ranks are strictly divided. In the second layer, this hierarchy is called the Ladder of Gods, with twelve steps—twelve evolutions in all. You currently have a Sequence, but no evolutionary power, so you cannot truly leave the depths.
To gain evolutionary power, the upheaval in the depths seven days from now will be your opportunity.]
“So… I have to face the Fallen?” Fang Tang licked his lips, feeling that this was anything but reliable.
Those were ranked beings, after all. Consider the grinning clown—he had mutated abilities but no rank. If he were to gain a rank, wouldn’t his laughter become even more nightmarish?
Damn!
Fang Tang stroked his mechanical claw, gaining immense comfort from it.
Thank goodness he’d crafted that in advance.
Otherwise, he might not stand a chance against the Fallen.
As he caressed the cold steel of the mechanical claw, Fang Tang’s gaze grew resolute.
“Damn it, let’s do it! Strength is what matters most—only with power can one survive!”
He looked at the surrounding walls, golden subtitles unfurling before his eyes.
[One must be strong oneself to forge iron. Personal strength is what matters most; you cannot rely solely on technology, for many Fallen you may face in the future will possess bizarre abilities—abilities even elemental weapons may not overcome.]
Fang Tang nodded silently, drawing the Summer Dragon Sparrow blade.
“Well then, let’s find a sparring partner!”
[With your current strength, kobolds, crocodiles, and giant pythons will serve as suitable sparring partners.
To your left, there is a kobold. Try not to use the mechanical claw if you can.]