Chapter Seventy-Five: The Green Hat

Second floor of the psychiatric hospital.

Fang Tang stood in the corridor, looking utterly helpless.

He carried a bag filled with an odd assortment of items—cigarettes, alcohol, tea, candies—enough to stock a small supermarket.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Were these things really enough to pay for his life?

Fang Tang: I feel so offended. Thank you so much for nothing!

There were twenty rooms on the second floor. All of them were open except for Room 13.

From each doorway, a different breed of dog poked out its head, watching Fang Tang with curiosity.

They weren’t interested in whether he would win—they just wanted to see how long he could last.

The door to Room 13 swung open. The same table awaited inside, but the dog had changed.

“Well, isn’t this a Tibetan Mastiff?”

Upon seeing the enormous, shaggy dog, Fang Tang couldn’t help but laugh.

Anger flashed in the Tibetan Mastiff’s eyes. It snorted coldly. “Don’t think that just because you’ve beaten those losers, you’ll get past me. No one has ever defeated me.”

“Heh, so the gambling dog considers itself the King of Gamblers now?”

Fang Tang smiled, and golden subtitles unfurled before his eyes.

Once, he was a mafia boss, dabbling in every vice—gambling, drugs, and crime. He even apprenticed under a gambling king and mastered skills that let him rule the tables. But he crossed the wrong person, lost everything, and was committed to a psychiatric hospital—a sane man among the insane.

Until the arrival of the Twisted Rules, under which he united the hospital’s gambling dogs and, with their aid, became the second floor’s boss.

Fifth-Rank Corrupted One. Rare mutated ability: Sleight of Hand, Dice Control. Perfect mutation: King of Gamblers’ Aura.

Impressive! Even his mutated abilities revolve around gambling. What kind of obsession is this?

Fang Tang clicked his tongue, glancing at the Tibetan Mastiff. “So, what are we playing? We’ve done dice and Pai Gow; I’m hoping for something novel this time. Or should we first discuss the stakes?”

The Tibetan Mastiff bared its teeth, showing a mouthful of fangs. “My wager is a spirit-bound item. Yours is your life.”

“Why my life again? Can’t I bet these?” Fang Tang lifted the bag in his hand, his tone serious.

The Tibetan Mastiff replied, “Heh, just for your disrespect, the stakes have changed.”

Fang Tang: “…?”

If I could take you in a fight, I’d have slapped you already.

Since there was no turning back, Fang Tang simply nodded. “Enough nonsense. Let’s get started.”

The menace in the Tibetan Mastiff’s gaze intensified. It spat out a foul breath and produced two dice cups, sliding one over to Fang Tang.

“We’ll play high or low.”

Fang Tang narrowed his eyes, examining the dog’s mutated ability, then shook his head slowly.

“No. I’ve been following your rules all along. Now it’s my turn to set the game.”

The Tibetan Mastiff’s presence wavered slightly. “What do you want to play?”

“Do you have military chess? Let’s play that,” Fang Tang responded.

The Tibetan Mastiff gave him a long, thoughtful look, then nodded and bent down to retrieve a box of military chess.

Once the game was set, however, the atmosphere changed drastically. Fang Tang felt as if he were sitting across from a legendary gambler.

Every movement of the Tibetan Mastiff reeked of potential trickery.

Perfect mutation: King of Gamblers’ Aura!

Fang Tang stroked his chin in wonder. The twisted rules really knew no bounds. If a mere gambling dog could become like this, bringing such an ability back to the Cradle World would be unstoppable.

Unfortunately, humans couldn’t use mutated abilities.

With the board ready, Fang Tang made his move.

The Tibetan Mastiff had the King of Gamblers’ Aura, but Fang Tang held Sequence 011—the All-Knowing Eye.

The outcome was decided in an instant.

No matter how strong you are, my sequence talent outranks yours. A little brother will always be a little brother.

Bolstered by the King of Gamblers’ Aura, every move the Tibetan Mastiff made was full of hidden meaning.

But Fang Tang was no slouch either—a fan of military chess himself, and now aided by the All-Knowing Eye. The first game ended swiftly.

Fang Tang won!

With his victory, the Tibetan Mastiff had to acknowledge that this human was worthy of its respect.

The second game began.

The Tibetan Mastiff played cautiously, each move mulled over countless times, making the pace drag agonizingly slow.

Fang Tang, however, remained unhurried, his expression relaxed and a smile at the corner of his lips.

Having those eyes was just too convenient!

While the Tibetan Mastiff played with painstaking care, terrified of making a mistake, Fang Tang lounged about, even feeling the urge to nap.

Victory was certain; anything less would be an insult to his high-level sequence.

As expected, fifteen minutes later, Fang Tang won again, unsurprised.

Facing the Tibetan Mastiff’s bewildered expression, Fang Tang beamed. “Best of three, I’ve won two. My prize?”

Fury flashed in the Tibetan Mastiff’s eyes. Its breath came heavy, but it suppressed its anger and refrained from attacking.

It rummaged beneath itself and produced a green brain cap, tossing it onto the table.

Fang Tang stared at the green cap in silence.

A Tibetan Mastiff had just given him a green hat?

He was sorely tempted to curse—who was the joke supposed to be on?

Although it looked ridiculous, it had a rather excellent effect and would be quite helpful on the fifth floor.

Green Hat—Spirit-bound Ability: Negatives Become Positives. Two similar negative conditions, when combined, become a positive effect.

Reading the description, Fang Tang felt a bit better.

At least it wasn’t a useless ability.

With a disgruntled glance at the Tibetan Mastiff, Fang Tang turned and left without another word.

Under the admiring gazes of a dozen dogs, Fang Tang ascended to the third floor.

The third floor is a slaughterhouse. You’d best be prepared; a feast of carnage awaits you.

With just one step left to the third floor, Fang Tang paused.

A feast of carnage…

Truthfully, Fang Tang began to have second thoughts.

Every Corrupted One on the second floor was at least fourth rank, not to mention what awaited above.

And he was only at Rank 2, Stage 4… Wait?

Fang Tang focused, sensing that his evolution level had reached Rank 2, Stage 9.

Only one step from Rank 3.

Barely a couple of hours had passed, and his evolution had advanced so quickly!

No wonder this world, shrouded by the Twisted Rules, was so extraordinary.

Still, it didn’t make much difference!

Against fourth-rank Corrupted Ones, he was still a weakling.

As he was lost in thought, a group of people appeared in the third-floor corridor.

Some wore white lab coats, some wore patient uniforms, and some were soldiers carrying guns.

Were these the Corrupted Ones he would face?

All were fourth-rank, and he could even spot a few fifth-rank.

Each of them fixed Fang Tang with a vicious, bloodshot stare.

He steeled himself, gripping the Daxia Dragon Sparrow sword tighter, a flash of resolve in his eyes.

The Daxia Dragon Sparrow’s ability was decapitation, and he also had his “Sixth Time’s the Charm.”

As long as his speed was sufficient and he avoided the Corrupted Ones’ attacks, he could clear this floor.

“Yueyue!”

Fang Tang patted his back. The little one had been there all along, ready to lend him speed at any time.

Now, with Yueyue’s current form, he could maintain it for five minutes. As long as he finished off these Corrupted Ones in that time, he should be fine.

Licking his lips, Fang Tang stepped onto the final stair.

The Corrupted Ones howled and charged at him.

The Daxia Dragon Sparrow rang out with a crisp, metallic note as it left its sheath.

Yueyue let out a high-pitched cry, and Fang Tang vanished from where he stood.

Battle was about to erupt!