Chapter Fifty-Four: The Qualification to Enter the Cradle World

"I've become an Evolver?" Fang Tang suddenly felt as if he were sitting among the clouds, suspended between dream and reality.

"The Twisted Rule awakens all sorts of negative emotions within you, but your life experiences... you truly have very few negative emotions. Everything you saw was once something you desired. Though you've forgotten those desires, they still exist in your memories. The Twisted Rule merely stirs them awake, then distorts the truth, making you feel anger, despair...

You should thank Yueyue. That little one saved your life. Had you been lost in those emotions, you would have become a Fallen One."

Fang Tang was silent.

He suddenly felt an irresistible urge to drag the Twisted Rule out and give it a sound beating.

Of all the things it could have pulled out, why did it have to be those memories, and then turn them into negative emotions?

Thankfully, he had never truly experienced those things himself.

The empathy they engendered was faint, and at the crucial moment, Yueyue had awakened him.

Instead, he’d gained from disaster—he had become an Evolver?!

No, that wasn’t quite right.

It wasn’t a blessing in disguise, but rather...

"The Twisted Rule catalyzes Evolvers as well. So, the Gate of Evolution—is it the exclusive gateway that lets people enter the domain of the Twisted Rule? Since the Catacomb Rule itself can’t enable evolution, a special gate was created, granting those who step into the Twisted Rule’s world an opportunity to grow stronger."

"Hehehe... I’m laughing like a duck. Congratulations, you’ve discovered the game rule of the Catacomb World. You’re exactly right; that’s what the Gate of Evolution is for."

Receiving confirmation from the Eye, Fang Tang found himself momentarily speechless.

It seemed the Catacomb World wasn’t as peaceful as he'd imagined.

Otherwise, why open the Gate of Evolution at all?

It was the Rule itself that didn’t want peace!

The Rule of this Catacomb World was uncannily anthropomorphic.

"Now that I’ve become an Evolver, shouldn’t I have unlocked some special abilities, like a Sequence or something?"

In Fang Tang's memory, becoming an Evolver meant gaining extraordinary power and a host of new abilities.

Yet he didn’t feel any of that. Only faint improvements to his strength and speed.

"You poor youth, addled by novels! You already possess a Sequence ability—what more do you want? Major growth? Then you need to enter the Twisted Rule, not stay in the Catacombs."

Fang Tang touched his nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

He really had overestimated the power of Evolvers.

After all, all the “near-first-tier” or “stripped-level” Catacomb creatures he’d encountered so far had been quite powerful.

His own improvement seemed meager by comparison.

His strength had increased by only about ten percent—could that even be called improvement? Working out a bit would yield at least that much.

In Catacomb 99, there was a Silver Chest alongside a Fallen One.

Having opened several Silver Chests by now, Fang Tang no longer felt the excitement he once did.

He sensed the Twisted Rule in the Catacomb, but it had little effect on him; only a faint remnant lingered here.

He decided to keep exploring, scanning the surrounding Catacombs.

"Let me congratulate us in advance for achieving the Hundred-Catacomb Cleaver accomplishment! Let’s celebrate! Throw confetti! Play some music!

The wounded heart is like shattered glass...

Ahead, there’s a Golden Chest."

Fang Tang ignored the Eye’s silliness and strode toward Catacomb 100.

This was the second Golden Chest he’d ever seen.

Even someone as seasoned as Fang Tang found it hard to remain calm upon seeing the supplies inside.

Unfortunately, his luck wasn’t great this time.

No Spirit-Bound Items appeared in the Golden Chest.

He felt a bit disappointed, but at least he’d gained ten squabs—enough to replenish yesterday’s energy expenditure.

He also obtained three gold ingots and continued his exploration.

He had to admit, the Eye was reliable at giving directions; it never resorted to riddles.

In Catacomb 101, Fang Tang encountered a Catacomb creature he hadn’t seen before—a Man-Eating Slug.

According to the Eye, the Man-Eating Slug possessed power nearly on par with first-tier creatures.

Fang Tang found this claim questionable.

After all, he himself was now an Evolver, first-tier, stage two.

In terms of physical strength, he could arm-wrestle a Kobold, but against a Night Sentinel, he’d still be thoroughly defeated.

Perhaps Night Sentinels were inherently stronger than humans.

In any case, “near-first-tier” Catacomb creatures shouldn’t be taken as a direct measure of combat power; rather, they reflected the grade of the orb inside them—black-violet, nearly black.

That meant if a first-tier creature existed in the Catacomb, it would have a black orb inside.

Who knew how many credits a black orb might fetch?

Pondering this, Fang Tang drew his Grand Xia Dragonfinch blade and approached the slug.

The slug was massive, over three meters tall. As a mollusk, it was extremely flexible, able to resist bullets.

Normally, anything that could withstand bullets could also resist blades.

However, the Grand Xia Dragonfinch was a Spirit-Bound Item, not an ordinary weapon.

Hadn’t it cut through nearly anything, even the Night Sentinel’s hide?

The slug moved slowly but had a terrifyingly large mouth, capable of opening wide and stretching its body accordingly.

Fang Tang slashed five times at the slug’s body.

The sixth slash—the sixth time must be the charm!

The slug’s body split down the middle, leaving Fang Tang stunned.

Why did a decapitation end up as a bisection?

He didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he used the Decomposition Hammer to extract a black-violet orb.

When the black orb appeared, it further confirmed Fang Tang’s theory.

The orbs created the Catacomb creatures; the depth of color indicated their grade.

However, Catacomb creatures varied greatly; the same colored orb could produce beings of different strength.

Now that he truly understood Catacomb creatures, Fang Tang felt at ease.

He was an Evolver now, a being of rank—armed with the Grand Xia Dragonfinch and the mechanical claw-arm, he was practically invincible.

Still, now that he’d become an Evolver, why hadn’t he left the Catacomb yet?

"Eye, didn’t you say that once I was strong enough, I’d be recognized by the Catacomb? So, where’s the recognition?"

"First-tier, stage two (feeble), haven’t you noticed? The pressure in the Catacomb is lessening for you, but there are still things here that can threaten you. You need to survive this turbulent period to earn your pass and enter the Cradle World."

"So, a first-tier Evolver still isn’t worthy in the eyes of the Rule?"

"Then what grade is required for the pass?"

"Comprehensive strength of third-tier, stage one."

"And what’s my current grade?"

"You’re in luck—the mechanical claw-arm is tier-three tech. But in your hands, it only performs at tier-two. With you, the Grand Xia Dragonfinch, and Yueyue, you barely reach about tier-two, stage five.

If you could manufacture the Absolute Zero Gun, you’d immediately qualify for the pass and gain entry to the Cradle World."

Fang Tang sighed, "A long road ahead!"

He silently wiped the Grand Xia Dragonfinch and looked at the wall before him.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry and increase our strength!"