Chapter 082: Card System
Main quest updated!
Objective: Slay the Nightmare Clown before the scenario concludes
Reward: 3,000 game points, one Hell Magic Card
Su Cheng's gaze was fixed on the black-and-white figure emerging from the playing cards. The Nightmare Clown wore grotesque makeup, his lips painted black in a blade-like slash that curled into a wicked grin, exuding an aura that sent chills down the spine.
"The situation seems dire. What exactly is this Nightmare Clown? Human or evil spirit?"
It appeared that Daisuke Miyazaki was nothing more than a toy in the Nightmare Clown’s hands. But what was the clown’s ultimate purpose—was it simply the thrill of murder?
Regardless, Su Cheng now stood directly opposed to the Nightmare Clown; only one of them would leave alive.
He drew a deep breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs and sharpen his senses.
In the next instant, his figure flickered through the night like a wraith, appearing before the Nightmare Clown in a heartbeat.
His obsidian blade tore through the darkness, flashing toward the clown’s neck with lightning speed.
Just as the blade was about to strike, a sinister smile flickered across the clown’s face. A coldly gleaming throwing knife hurtled out from the shadows, aiming for Su Cheng’s vital points.
Before the clown’s knife could find its mark, Su Cheng felt a sharp pain between his brows.
Danger!
A surge of powerful spiritual energy burst from beneath Su Cheng’s feet, propelling him out of the knife’s path.
But a split second later, a faint “pfft” sounded from behind.
The knife plunged into Su Cheng’s back.
Had he not twisted away at the last moment, the blade would have pierced his heart.
His pupils dilated in shock.
The clown’s knife had clearly come from the front—how had it appeared in his back?
Agonizing pain radiated from the wound, fresh blood seeping down his spine.
“Since you’ve destroyed my toy, you’ll repay me with your blood,” the Nightmare Clown hissed, madness blazing in his eyes as he lobbed another knife at Su Cheng.
Again!
Su Cheng’s eyes narrowed. At the very moment the clown threw his knife, he sprang forward.
The blade’s edge grazed his cheek as he darted past, his own eyes flashing with steely resolve as he swung his sword at the clown.
A keen arc of steel sliced through the night, carving a crimson line down the Nightmare Clown’s face.
The cut ran straight from crown to chin, splitting the clown cleanly in two.
“What a pity—you almost killed me.”
A chilling, uncanny laugh echoed through the night as the clown’s body reformed, the split sealing up, the bloodline fading.
Su Cheng’s heart sank at the sight.
His attack had the Ghost Slash attribute; even if the clown were an undead creature, he shouldn’t have survived such a mortal blow unscathed.
Where, then, lay the problem?
A glint of cold steel flashed behind him—the knife buried itself deep in his shoulder, blood spurting forth.
“What’s going on? I dodged his knife—why am I still getting hit?”
Drip, drip.
Scarlet blood trickled down his arm. Su Cheng’s hand trembled slightly as he puzzled over the mystery.
His gaze locked onto the Nightmare Clown as a bold conjecture formed in his mind.
Midway through the battle, Su Cheng abruptly ceased his assault.
He flicked the blood from his hand, calmly retrieved a high-potency healing potion from his inventory, and drank it down, his wound slowly beginning to knit.
“Nightmare Knife’s curse effect activated: player’s healing speed reduced by 50%.”
Su Cheng frowned. The Nightmare Knife’s curse was troublesome—he’d have to finish this quickly.
“Given up so soon, human?” the Nightmare Clown sneered, a hideous smile twisting his lips. With a single step, he seemed to traverse space itself, appearing right before Su Cheng.
The next moment, the knife in his hand plunged into Su Cheng’s chest.
Strangely, Su Cheng stood unmoving, as if paralyzed with fear, making no effort to dodge as the blade pierced his heart.
Yet his expression didn’t change. Deep in his eyes, a glint of cold light flashed.
Suddenly, he drew his blade and slashed backward.
Clang!
Metal clashed behind him. Su Cheng’s blade deflected a knife that had been thrust from the shadows, striking the ghastly figure lurking there.
The black specter twisted violently, seeping dark red blood in a scene that made the skin crawl.
“So, the Nightmare Clown before me is merely a projected image,” Su Cheng smirked, watching as the clown’s form flickered and faded like an illusion.
Behind him, the black shadow morphed into the Nightmare Clown’s true visage, staring at Su Cheng in shock and fury—as though he couldn’t believe a human had seen through his deception.
Through the Eye of Sin, Su Cheng saw the clown shrouded in murderous aura, tormented by countless vengeful spirits—who knew how many had died by his hand?
“Die!”
A frigid shout shattered the silence of the night.
A terrifying phantom of a ghostly god loomed over the scene.
Infernal power surged through Su Cheng, transforming him into a harbinger of death; his aura grew ever more oppressive.
A crimson gleam lit his eyes.
Steel flashed as his blade rent the darkness, cleaving toward the Nightmare Clown.
In that instant, terror flooded the clown’s eyes. Under such overwhelming force, his face cracked like shattered porcelain, dark red blood seeping from the fissures.
The obsidian blade plunged into the clown, and a storm of violence tore him to shreds.
“Is it over?”
Su Cheng was surprised by how easily the Nightmare Clown fell in his Ghost God state—a single strike had ended it.
The clown excelled at conjuring illusions and deceiving the eye; his true combat ability was weak. Once the trick was exposed, defeating him was no great challenge.
“No, the quest isn’t complete—the Nightmare Clown still lives!”
At that moment, a shadow flitted past behind him like a rat.
As the clown’s shadow tried to flee, a black hand shot out, clutching it in an iron grip.
“So this is the Nightmare Clown’s true form?”
Su Cheng studied the shrunken clown in his grasp, lips curling into a devilish smile.
“Don’t kill me! I’ll serve you, grant your every wish!” To his astonishment, the once-arrogant clown now groveled, begging for his life without a shred of dignity.
But the clown’s words were nothing but lies—Su Cheng wouldn’t believe a single syllable.
Suddenly, the clown’s eyes grew deep and entrancing, a seductive whisper slipping into Su Cheng’s ear, clouding his mind.
But in a heartbeat, Su Cheng snapped out of it, his expression darkening.
Had it not been for the anti-hallucination charm he’d taken from Kato, the Nightmare Clown’s hypnosis might have succeeded.
“To try hypnotizing me now—foolish to the end.”
Crack!
Su Cheng sneered, crushing the miniature clown without hesitation.
“You have killed the Nightmare Clown. Reward: 3,000 game points, one Hell Magic Card.”
The game’s voice echoed.
A black card appeared in Su Cheng’s hand.
Magic Card: Nightmare Clown
Type: Hell Card
Rarity: Rare
Attributes: Slightly increases attack speed and accuracy with thrown weapons; boosts proficiency in dark weapon skills by 30%.
Skill 1: Mirror Image—creates a duplicate that lasts 10 seconds but cannot attack.
Skill 2: Nightmare Knife—throws a cursed knife at the target, with hit rate and damage scaling with player proficiency. The knife’s curse reduces all healing effects.
Description: He is the comedian of the Shadow Circus in the City of Secrets, a manipulator of hearts with a greedy, murderous nature. If you meet this clown, beware what lurks behind you.
“Scenario complete—calculating rewards…”
Setting: Night of Horrors
Game Mode: Puzzle
Difficulty: 3 Stars (Hard)
Participants: 1
Main Quests: 1. Solve the case (Completed); 2. Kill the Nightmare Clown (Completed)
Game Points Earned: 6,800
Item Obtained: Magic Card—Nightmare Clown
Overall Rating: A
What puzzled Su Cheng was that he’d only received an A rating, not the highest S—had he missed a hidden quest?
The rewards this time were not particularly generous; the greatest prize was the Magic Card.
The Nightmare Clown’s Magic Card was a special item—Magic Cards granted attribute and skill bonuses, existed outside normal equipment, and had their own independent system.
In other words, the stronger the cards a player collected, the more bonuses and skills they gained—with no upper limit.
But collecting such cards was difficult; only certain powerful monsters dropped high-level cards, and the drop rate was low.
As his rewards were tallied, Su Cheng’s surroundings began to blur.
Just as he was about to leave the scenario, the kimono-clad innkeeper’s wife emerged from the house, watching his fading figure.
But Su Cheng didn’t see—
The innkeeper’s wife
Wore the face of a fox.