Chapter Fifty-Three: Third Stage of Fighting Power?

The tentacles in the fallen one's head seemed to stretch out infinitely, rushing toward Fang Tang at an alarming speed.

Whoosh!

Fang Tang's heart tightened, his figure darting back and forth in midair to evade.

"Are second-tier fallen ones really this strong?"

He sensed the difficulty, calculating his options over and over in his mind.

The only weapon fast enough to contend with the fallen one's speed was the Explosive Bow.

But this fallen one was unlike other creatures from the depths; while they reacted sluggishly, the fallen one could sense danger.

A stalemate!

Fang Tang took a deep breath, forcing himself into calm.

"Eye, do you have any suggestions?"

[This is a second-tier fallen one. Even a Night Sentinel would not be its match in the darkness. Do you think you can take it on with your current strength? You could borrow Yueyue's abilities, but at its current level, it can barely keep up with the fallen one's speed, and only for a minute.]

Fang Tang's heart sank. He had no other choice but to fight to the death.

"Yueyue!"

He shouted.

The little creature perched on his shoulder let out a howl, and Fang Tang once again felt that peculiar mastery over speed.

He spun around and charged at the fallen one, his form weaving through the assault of tentacles.

Thud!

He landed, knees bent, body springing forward like an arrow, leaving behind a string of afterimages as he came face-to-face with the fallen one.

But the fallen one moved even faster than Yueyue; before Fang Tang could swing the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, it had vanished from its place.

Fifty seconds!

Fang Tang counted silently, as the mechanical claw-arm on his back shifted into a propulsion device.

Boom!

Four engines erupted in flames, electric sparks crackling within.

His speed, bolstered by Yueyue, climbed even higher, finally matching that of the fallen one.

His wrist twisted, and the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow traced a streak of icy light toward the adversary.

The fallen one met him head-on, raising its hand to intercept, its sharp and sturdy nails clashing with the blade.

The sound of metal striking jade echoed again and again, as Fang Tang's expression grew ever more composed.

Thirty-five seconds!

With a squelch, the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow carved a wound into the fallen one's body.

Fang Tang had finally wounded his foe.

Yet, he himself bore two fresh claw marks, appearing more battered than the fallen one.

Fortunately, the fallen one was merely a product of twisted rules—it possessed no contaminating abilities.

Fang Tang pressed the attack, chasing relentlessly, the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow occasionally flaring with a beautiful glint of frost.

Eighteen seconds!

His wounds multiplied, but the fallen one now sported four new cuts.

Just one more strike—the sixth cut would trigger his special ability!

Fang Tang pushed the mechanical claw-arm to its limit, brilliant flames bursting from his back, making him resemble a warrior burning through his resources.

His speed soared, and the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow fell with blinding swiftness.

The sixth strike—success!

Squelch!

The blade plunged into the fallen one's hip, and in that instant, a hideous head shot skyward.

The fallen one's headless corpse crashed heavily into the wall, gouging a deep pit from the force of its fall.

"Phew!"

Fang Tang halted, exhaling a long breath.

Yueyue, utterly exhausted, couldn't hold itself up on his shoulder, sliding down; fortunately, Fang Tang was quick and caught the little one.

"Thank heavens for your help. Otherwise, it would've been game over."

He patted Yueyue's head and cradled it in his arms.

"Oooh~"

Yueyue whimpered softly, falling into a deep sleep in Fang Tang's embrace.

He smiled knowingly, carrying Yueyue over to the fallen one's corpse.

Upon closer inspection, Fang Tang clicked his tongue in wonder: "To have crashed into the wall at such speed and still be intact—are all second-tier fallen ones this resilient?"

He reached for the Disassembly Hammer to see what the fallen one might yield, but the Eye leapt out.

[I advise you not to do that. The fallen one is not a creature of the depths, so it hasn't had its rank stripped by the rules of the abyss. There are no pearls in its body. If you disassemble it, you might gain nothing—or you might die!]

Fang Tang's eyelid twitched. "Isn't that like entering a treasure mountain and leaving empty-handed? Feels like a loss!"

[Fool! What do you think an Evolver is? What do you think the Door of Evolution is for? Why do fallen ones appear in this abyss? Don't rush to leave. Take your time and feel—there's a surprise waiting for you.]

The Riddler—Eye—online!

"The fallen ones arise because of twisted rules."

"Evolvers are connected to the Door of Evolution."

"And the Door of Evolution... is linked to the twisted rules? If so, what is the connection?"

"What does the Eye want me to sense?"

Fang Tang fashioned a seat from his mechanical claw-arm, settled down with Yueyue in his lap, and pondered Eye's cryptic words.

Time slipped by, and his heart grew increasingly unsettled.

Strange images surfaced from deep memory, gradually becoming clearer.

The boss's curses, a girlfriend's ridicule, a brother's betrayal, parental disdain... flashing through his mind again and again, his emotions swelling.

Anger twisted his features, hatred blazed in his eyes, veins bulged on his forehead, his face contorted in rage.

Weariness clouded his gaze; he no longer wished to dwell on such sorrowful memories, but he couldn't help it. He even felt tempted to sink into them forever—no one loved him, so why bother with self-love?

Let yourself fall.

Come into my embrace, I'll help you forget all your troubles!

The call in his heart grew ever clearer, and confusion clouded his eyes.

"Oooh?"

Sensing something amiss, Yueyue awoke from sleep, gazing at her master in puzzlement, then bit his finger.

The pain snapped Fang Tang out of his emotional fog.

All the negative feelings washed away like a tide.

He breathed hard, his face betraying lingering fear.

"What just happened?"

He combed through the images that had flashed through his mind, and fell silent.

He was a freelancer—no boss.

Single since birth—no girlfriend.

A small social circle—no brothers.

Orphaned young—no parents.

So how could he feel such anger?

It made no sense.

Suddenly, Fang Tang froze.

He sensed a peculiar power slowly sprouting within him.

It was like a seed, planted in his heart, gradually germinating and growing.

"Eye, what's happening to me?"

[Host: Fang Tang
Abilities: The supremely noble, omniscient and omnipotent Eye; Sequence 666—Sixth Time's the Charm.
Evolution Level: Tier One, Phase Two (weakling)
Weapons: Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, Explosive Bow, Changfeng Hunting Knife.
Blueprints: Changfeng Hunting Knife, Disassembly Hammer, Water Collector, Ladder, ****, Flame Muzzle, Fabric, Clothes, Pants, Level Two Residence, Level Three Residence, Level Four Residence, Mechanical Claw Arm, Frost Gun, Mithril Heart, Extreme Cold Heart, Plant Cultivation Box, Electromagnetic Gun, Shock-Absorbing Insoles, Grill, Shovel, Rice Cooker, Bulletproof Vest, Shoes, Water Heater, Wooden Barrel, Toilet Paper.
Supplies: Elemental Stones x4, assorted food, iron/copper/silver, fiber/cotton/glass, wood, seeds.
ps: How about it? Did I pull off the system act well enough?]