Pennywise the Dancing Clown's strength depends on the enemies he faces and the power of fear he possesses.
Wang Ya commanded the five members of the Special Reserve Team to completely eliminate the wandering red balloons, thus dealing with Pennywise's 'eyes'.
Everyone began to cautiously search Grant Park for dangers. When facing a space-time distorter, any possible oversight could lead to a threat to one's life.
Wang Ya rolled up his sleeves. He wasn't holding a gun; instead, his skin subtly secreted a black liquid substance from his hands. This was the Terror Elder's ability, proving that he, too, was under constant mental strain.
It was unknown if Pennywise was in Grant Park, or if he had set up an ambush with another space-time distorter inside the witness's house.
But what was certain was that Pennywise already knew the situation in Grant Park, and no one knew what changes he would make to counter it.
Everything seemed to be heading in a bad direction.
However, Wang Ya's expression remained calm. The other five had almost finished searching Grant Park, but nothing had happened, and no dangers were hidden. It seemed that apart from the red balloons floating in mid-air, there were no other superfluous objects.
"The only unknown place left is the sewers," Wang Ya said with a grave expression. "I have a very bad feeling. I always feel that our trip into the sewers this time will encounter something unusual."
He squatted down. Regarding the manhole cover that had been welded shut with molten iron, he guessed it was Pennywise's doing. He lightly touched the manhole cover with his finger, and a layer of decaying power acted upon it, causing visible necrosis and decay, until it gradually turned into a black, viscous liquid that slowly dripped into the sewer.
The five members of the Special Reserve Team stared blankly at Wang Ya's actions. This was the Wizard's power, terrifying dark magic.
A cold wind, carrying faint whiffs of putrefaction, wafted out from the sewer. This seemed rather out of the ordinary, considering what the smell implied.
It made one involuntarily imagine things, such as rotting corpses…
But often, what one thinks about most tends to come true!
Thump! Thump!
Tactical military boots stepping in the murky water of the sewer made distinct noises. This was unavoidable, because for some unknown reason, the sewage that was originally in the pipes had spread onto the walkways, with a strange secretion floating on the surface, thick and disgusting like grease.
Number Four squatted down and carefully observed the objects floating on the water's surface before concluding, "It's a greasy, oily substance, but not animal fat. It's human…"
At these words, everyone's expression subtly changed, because the water had spread almost throughout the entire sewer, and the grease covering it was a dense layer. If the entire sewer was covered with a layer of grease, then how much human body fat would that be!
Wang Ya's expression turned cold. The greatest possibility was that Pennywise the Dancing Clown had killed a considerable number of humans to cause such widespread grease coverage.
No wonder the other space-time distorter had arrived so suddenly. Pennywise's influence on this world was constantly expanding, intensifying the chaotic changes in space and time.
He probably had killed almost all the people in the vicinity of Grant Park!
Everyone continued forward. To be safe, Wang Ya still wore a mask to prevent inhaling any harmful gases.
The layout of the sewer system was already familiar to everyone, and they knew their destination for this journey.
In the entire Grant Park sewer system, only one spot could potentially serve as a lair, and only that place had enough space.
To store some unexpected things!
For example, the mountain of human-head spider nests before them!
The five members of the Special Reserve Team exchanged glances, lowering their voices to a minimum. Wang Ya's face was subtly nauseated and pale, because the scene before him was truly enough to make someone with trypophobia scream hysterically.
In the only spacious area of the Grant Park sewer, the reservoir was filled with things. But what filled it was not just water, but also piles of corpses forming a mountain, and nests built from these corpses, with human-head spiders moving in and out of them.
It was already certain that these were human-head spiders, made from the severed heads of those corpses.
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts looking at this scene. Large amounts of spider silk connected the corpses, forming spiderwebs that stretched from the bottom of the reservoir to the ceiling. The spider silk seemed to be waterproof, and many humans were still alive, but tightly bound by the dense spider silk and suspended on the giant web. Their ultimate fate was likely to be killed, then to produce new human-head spider companions.
Not only these, but a clean area nearby also had a scene resembling ancient human-head monuments, with heads neatly stacked, eyes closed, appearing to be without any issues.
But Wang Ya was certain that if they made even the slightest sound, these ghastly things would immediately come back to life and attack them.
Wang Ya imagined the scene: countless human-head spiders crawling out from the ceiling, walls, ground, and the sewer reservoir, all swarming towards them.
That scene was truly thrilling just to think about!
Wang Ya made a gesture, signaling the five members of the Special Reserve Team to slowly retreat with him.
They retreated about 20 meters, entering another corner passage. Speaking here, the noise they made was very small and would not be detected by the ghastly things in the reservoir, preventing them from rioting.
"Officer, what do we do now? Our firepower is probably not enough to kill so many…"
Number One said, finding it difficult to speak. He didn't know how to describe those human-head spider monsters; they were simply too twisted and grotesque.
"Spiders are afraid of fire, and they should also be afraid of water. But those human-head spiders are unusual. Judging by the condition of their silk, perhaps human-head spiders are not afraid of water, but water and fire are incompatible. Human-head spiders that are not afraid of water are very likely to be afraid of fire!"
Wang Ya said, deep in thought.
"Gather all our Molotov cocktails and tactical grenades, and give them a big blast. Fire all the grenades from the grenade launchers, and set C4 at the exit, timed to explode. As long as we eliminate all of the Clown's contingencies, we'll be fine!"
No matter how twisted or chaotic a creature is, it cannot violate its most basic characteristics. Even if its characteristics are twisted and changed, it's impossible for them to be altered so thoroughly!
[Wang Ya: I don't believe everyone is Cthulhu. If you can't beat them, it means you don't have enough firepower. Nuclear peace for the world!!]
Lowering the noise he made, Wang Ya had already thought of a relatively proper method that could effectively deal with those human-head spiders.
The five members of the Special Reserve Team all nodded to each other, carefully taking out Molotov cocktails and some explosive grenades from their tactical backpacks. Number Five even had his grenade launcher ready!
Splash!
A faint sound of water slowly echoed, which was normal in the sewer, as water usually flowed automatically to drain the city's waste.
Reservoir!
Those human-head spiders were still clustered there, some sleeping, piled up like human-head monuments, while others were still active, swimming around in the reservoir, or crawling on the ceiling and walls, spinning webs to build nests.
Wang Ya leaned tightly against the wall, observing them with the corner of his eye, and at the same time, his palm trembled slightly in the void in front of him, causing ripples of darkness to spread out. Then, Wang Ya touched the ripples to the adjacent wall.
The Terror Elder's ability was not just to corrupt objects; he could also cover inorganic objects with the black liquid he secreted, creating temporary spatial storage.
However, this space inherently belonged to the ability user himself, merely moving from the space within his body to the adjacent wall.
After all, what Wang Ya was about to do was quite troublesome, and taking it out from his body would be somewhat inconvenient!
Wang Ya covered his palm with black liquid, extended it into the adjacent wall, and pulled out some things. They were toy boats. Don't ask Wang Ya why he had these things inside; ever since he gained this space, he thought of being prepared for any eventuality and had put in countless items, some of which he himself had even forgotten!
In short, every time he went in, he might find some surprises!
He distributed the small boats in his hand one by one to the five people. They could hold Molotov cocktails or some grenades to float with the current, followed by a rather spectacular explosion of fireworks.
Everyone acted immediately, and soon, six or seven toy boats floated away with the current.
These things naturally attracted the attention of the human-head spiders. Several human-head spiders swam over from the water, ready to check what these toy boats actually were!
However, they remained cautious, not approaching rashly, but rather circling around them, moving with the current and the direction of the boats.
Finally, those toy boats floated into the reservoir. The surrounding human-head spiders also slowly approached. Just as the first human-head spider touched a boat, the grenade it carried exploded with a roar, and light and heat surged, causing a chain reaction. The Molotov cocktails and other items on the other boats also shattered under the impact of the explosion, igniting a raging fire. The oily liquid spread into the reservoir, also scorching some human-head spiders underwater.
Wang Ya had also considered this point. These human-head spiders were clearly not afraid of water. When the flames and impact of the explosion dissipated, those human-head spiders might enter the water to survive. Therefore, these Molotov cocktails were 'enhanced,' special tactical weapons designed to deal with different situations.
Most of the human-head spiders were outside, not in the reservoir. After all, Wang Ya might have guessed that although these human-heads were not afraid of water, they might dislike it, which was the inherent nature of spiders.
Sizzle sizzle!
A sound like grilling echoed, and the flammable spider silk further intensified the flames. The human-head spiders frantically climbed on the walls and ceiling, trying to escape the raging fire, but most of them were incinerated by the flames.
Especially those human-head spiders piled up like human-head monuments, sleeping, died the most tragically, having no chance to react before being burned to ashes by the fire.
The temperature in the sewer also rose sharply, and Wang Ya and the five members of the Special Reserve Team were in the passage at the corner, watching the fire. So far, everything was developing as they expected. Indeed, these human-head spiders were afraid of fire!
Although the fire was large, the number of human-head spiders was simply too many. A small number of stragglers escaped towards the passage, covered in scorched wounds, looking extremely miserable…
However, what greeted them were cold bullets. One human-head spider after another was killed.
Wang Ya's eyes were extremely cold. These guys were not worth pitying. The truly pitiable ones were the innocent people who had died. These human-heads were merely dark magical creatures created by Pennywise the Dancing Clown, already dead corpses!
"Let me completely deliver you, rest in peace!"
Wang Ya himself had not undergone special training and could not use firearms. Moreover, his physique meant he could not withstand such powerful recoil. However, in the eyes of others, he was the mysterious Wizard, and his methods were naturally terrifying magic.
A very fast-running human-head spider, surprisingly agile, dodged the raging flames and the bullets fired by the elites of the Special Reserve Team.
These five people, not to mention being sharpshooters who hit every time, even with careful aiming and shooting, still had an 80% chance of hitting, which indicated that this human-head spider was extraordinary.
Perhaps it was one of the most powerful among these human-head spiders…
A sneer appeared on Wang Ya's face, or perhaps, this was Pennywise's backup plan. He actually took a few steps forward, actively moving towards the direction from which that human-head spider was coming, meeting it head-on.
It was time to test his own capacity. Wang Ya was determined to become an experienced, battle-hardened Wizard, capable of independently handling many containment incidents. Only then would he live up to his identity, rather than being a Wizard who only knew how to give orders from behind and talk on paper.
What's more, this was also his trigger mission, the SCP Foundation's first containment. If he couldn't personally participate in this historic moment, how could it be considered complete!
Wang Ya raised his right hand, extended a finger, aimed at the crawling human-head spider, and upon closer inspection, also discovered an anomaly: the wisdom in this human-head spider's eyes was extraordinary, as if it possessed its own independent thinking ability.
Given this, there was only one possibility: this human-head spider carried the consciousness of Pennywise the Dancing Clown; it was his backup left in the sewer.
This is indeed very possible. With Pennywise the Dancing Clown's cunning, he wouldn't fail to leave such a contingency. He also wouldn't completely trust Gotham City's Joker, or that new space-time distorter!
No one understood Pennywise better than Wang Ya. After learning Pennywise's identity, he spent every day pondering Pennywise's various weaknesses and strengths to apply them to this containment plan.
So, let's go!
Wang Ya's face gradually calmed down, and the tension in his heart was completely suppressed. Although he was weak, and his mental fortitude was indeed lacking, perhaps he would react awkwardly in the face of various crises, but he, Wang Ya, was the President of the SCP Foundation!
How could he completely fail in his first containment mission?!
His capacity wasn't that small...
Closer... even closer... Wang Ya could even clearly see the expression on the face of the human-headed spider, so ferocious, so distorted, and even showing a terrifying, human-like smile when looking at Wang Ya!
It could almost be confirmed that this human-headed spider was definitely closely related to Pennywise, it was one of his backup plans!
Three meters...
A bullet was fired and dodged by the human-headed spider!
Two meters...
The human-headed spider leaped, diving straight towards Wang Ya, in a posture like a facehugger, with a form that would terrify even humans. Only one meter remained between them...
Now at the closest distance, as Wang Ya's pupils contracted, he could even smell the rotten odor of this human-headed spider. At the same time, a dark palm reached out towards the human-headed spider.
Just then, the human-headed spider's expression suddenly twisted into a strange smile, and its entire form changed again, suddenly expanding into a giant grasshopper monster, as if Pennywise the Dancing Clown had truly appeared.
Such a change was unexpected by everyone. The five members of the Special Reserve Team anxiously wanted to come to the rescue. Number One had even drawn his tactical dagger, wanting to cut off the head of this grasshopper monster.
But ultimately, it was a step too late. The grasshopper monster was so close to Wang Ya, and its sharp scythe suddenly swung towards Wang Ya's neck. The aura of death had never been so close to Wang Ya!
It even caused Wang Ya's mind to go blank for a moment... Am I going to die...? Is this what death feels like...?
No... I can't die yet... I must live... live on, live forever...
Wang Ya's contracted pupils suddenly dilated. His right hand plunged directly towards the grasshopper monster in front of him. The Terror Elder's ability was exerted to its limit. Corrupting power spread out from the void in front of him, directly contacting the grasshopper monster's flesh and blood.
However, the grasshopper monster's scythe also made contact with Wang Ya's neck.
Both seemed to be in a situation of mutual destruction, but Wang Ya was clearly much more severely injured than the other. Once his neck was severed, he would only die.
But whether by coincidence or not, the grasshopper monster's arms suddenly lost strength, and its two scythes happened to meet, perfectly cradling Wang Ya's neck within them. This phenomenon even exceeded the grasshopper monster's expectations, and an incredulous look appeared in its eyes.
And Wang Ya's hand had already plunged into the grasshopper monster's belly. The Terror Elder's corrupting power immediately began to work. Accompanied by the grasshopper monster's screams, it began to turn into a pool of black liquid in the blink of an eye. Three minutes later, there was no trace of the grasshopper monster, only a sticky black liquid on the ground.
Wang Ya stepped back a few paces, leaning against the wall and panting heavily. Indeed, there was a huge difference between imagination and actual operation. He almost died!
Fortunately, fate was still on his side. The grasshopper monster's hands just happened to get stuck. One could only say it was destiny!
The five members of the Special Reserve Team walked over, looking at Wang Ya's condition with concern. After finding that he was fine, they went to check for other living human-headed spiders. If any remnants were found, they would eliminate them.
After resting for a while and recovering, Wang Ya said with some emotion, "Only by truly participating in the containment plan can one achieve experiential growth. This kind of growth is earth-shattering!"
Then his gaze fell upon the sticky black liquid on the ground again. He pondered for a long time, combining his understanding of Pennywise and the sudden change in form of that human-headed spider just now.
He immediately understood the reason. Perhaps this human-headed spider was a vessel for Pennywise's consciousness, also modified with dark magic, storing his consciousness in multiple places. Even if one consciousness storage location died, the consciousness in other places could perfectly survive.
This cunning clown was truly difficult to deal with, Wang Ya frowned, but this situation was also within his expectations!
The five members of the Special Reserve Team inspected the reservoir for a long time. After all potential problems were resolved, the sewer matters were temporarily concluded. The next phase of the containment plan, which was to go to the witness's house, could now proceed.
Wang Ya's eyes were incredibly deep. There was a very high possibility that the witness's house had already been transformed into a trap by those two space-time distorters, just waiting for their arrival.
...
Gotham City at night was incredibly silent, but tonight's commotion made the residents of Gotham even more terrified.
Wang Ya, with the five members of the Special Reserve Team, walked along...
Wang Ya led the five members of the Special Reserve Team down the desolate streets. Although no one was injured, the intense battle they had just experienced left them mentally fatigued. However, they had already recovered while walking!
The witness's house was not far from Grant Park; in fact, gunshots could still be heard from where they were.
About five minutes later, a cluster of buildings came into view. It was a rather dilapidated residential area, but compared to the buildings in the Slums, it could be considered a luxurious estate.
Within the deathly silent complex, not a sound was heard, and not even the lights were on. Only one house still had a flickering light.
Before arriving, they had already thoroughly understood the situation of the witness's house and its complex, so they naturally knew that the illuminated house was where the witness resided.
What does this mean… an empty fort strategy… or something else…
Wang Ya's expression was thoughtful. They were currently around the green shrubbery outside the complex, using the trees for cover to observe the situation inside.
Time passed minute by minute. Continuing to wait would only waste this hard-won opportunity, as chances to keep surrounding forces in check were rare!
But Wang Ya remained still, patiently observing the situation inside the complex. He seemed to be waiting for something.
After about another ten minutes, a stir suddenly came from behind them—the sound of footsteps. Although muffled, everyone present heard it clearly, and they even knew who it was.
Soon, a white-haired old man, about 50 years old, arrived beside them, breathing heavily. It seemed he had rushed all the way there. It was Landon Fury, whom Wang Ya had entrusted with a task.
"What's the latest…?"
Wang Ya spoke, lowering his voice slightly.
Landon Fury nodded slightly and said, "Wizard, the matter you entrusted to me, I have completed it. There were none of the situations you mentioned. The only possibility is that it's only inside the witness's room!"
Wang Ya said with some surprise, "Does Pennywise the Dancing Clown trust another space-time distorter so much, or has he never trusted the clowns of Gotham City from the beginning?"
Both were possible, but one thing was certain: Pennywise had only made preparations in his own sewer. In other places, as long as they were not in the vicinity of Grant Park, Pennywise seemed to have never set foot there.
This was both unexpected by Wang Ya and seemed to fit Pennywise's personality.
Given this, Wang Ya could proceed with the next containment plan with peace of mind, only needing to be wary of the dangers within this witness complex.
There was a high probability that everyone in this complex had already met with an unfortunate end.
However, despite the unknowns, the containment plan had to continue, and Wang Ya's chances of success were still relatively high.
Then Wang Ya began to prepare. The five members of the Special Reserve Team and Landon Fury all started checking their weapons. After checking and confirming everything was in order, they stepped into the dark and silent complex with resolute hearts.
The complex was eerily quiet; not even the sounds of night insects could be heard. The moon tonight was also pitch black, and the entire complex was shrouded in darkness. The buildings created double images, adding an extra layer of eerie terror.
Only the footsteps of the containment team slowly echoed within the complex…
Something was wrong, very wrong. Although they had all muffled their footsteps, the tapping sound was still incredibly clear, even beginning to echo throughout the complex, as if amplified by a sound transmitter. It was very unusual!
Wang Ya's gaze swept around. The shadowy buildings in the darkness seemed not quite right. He inexplicably felt countless eyes watching them, and as they moved towards the witness's house, the number of these watchful eyes increased.
Wang Ya signaled for Number One to deploy the method prepared for the containment plan!
Soon, a flare was thrown, illuminating the darkness ahead. Other members of the Special Reserve Team also threw their pre-prepared flares in other directions. The strong white light instantly illuminated everything in the surrounding darkness, revealing a bizarre scene to everyone…
Wang Ya's pupils constricted, and Landon Fury gasped. Even after experiencing a lifetime of ups and downs, he had never witnessed such a strange sight!
The five members of the Special Reserve Team, however, had undergone rigorous training and managed to remain calm in such a bizarre situation, their expressions barely changing, though their eyes showed slight shifts.
Innumerable standing figures slowly surrounded them, their hollow gazes fixed on them. These figures had no expression on their faces, like wax figures, imbued with a sculptural quality.
But as they moved, these figures' eyes also followed them, their eyeballs rolling around.
"What is going on?! Wizard?!"
Landon Fury said, somewhat flustered. After all, being stared at by so many eyes would make anyone's skin crawl and feel uneasy.
"What's wrong with these people? Why are they all staring at us and standing still? Are they alive, or are they dead?!"
This was not only Landon Fury's question but also that of the Special Reserve Team members. They held their firearms, their dark muzzles pointed at these bizarre people.
Judging by their clothes, they were all residents of this complex!
Wang Ya was also startled by this situation, unable to stop himself from swallowing the saliva in his throat, but he remained relatively calm!
In places where space-time distorters reside, any absurd, humanly incomprehensible things can happen!
Could this be something Pennywise the Dancing Clown could do? Wang Ya was reluctant to agree. These people were like puppets on strings, their expressions unchanged, standing still, with no signs of self-awareness in their eyes.
As for whether they were still alive, Wang Ya's brow furrowed in doubt. It was almost certain that from the moment they entered the complex, those watchful gazes had come from these strange people. Their eyeballs could also move, and at that time, they were in motion. This place was also some distance from the complex entrance. Could these wooden-like people also move with them?
If they could move, that proved they were alive!
But for some reason, Wang Ya always felt that things were not that simple!
Never mind!
The true situation still needs careful observation; it all depends on these people's reactions!
Number One first used the gun in his hand to shoot at the feet of a standing figure. The bullet hit the ground near the feet, but the person showed no reaction at all.
This is very strange. Any conscious human would be afraid of bullets and would at least retreat a few steps...
Unless he is not alive!
Number One hesitated for a moment but still slowly approached one of the figures with his gun.
The others also vigilantly watched their surroundings, in case of any sudden developments!
As Number One approached, he clearly saw the true condition of the figure: a deathly pale face, terrifyingly white skin, lifeless eyes with no signs of vitality, yet it eerily seemed capable of discerning their direction and turning its pupils towards them.
Just like now, as Number One approached the figure, its eyes stared fixedly at him, full of an eerie strangeness.
"Sir, these people are corpses, with no vital signs!"
Number One shouted loudly.
Wang Ya quickly stepped forward and also observed a figure, noticing some clues.
These people seemed to have been made into puppets; only their eyes followed them, their body movements were very stiff, and there was no natural muscle activity. Instead, they resembled the string puppets in a theater, only able to walk stiffly forward or turn their heads.
The method to prove it was simple: Wang Ya directly kicked the person.
Crash!
He was directly kicked down, and a sound of wood hitting the ground was heard, but the skin felt distinctly human. When he fell, his back hit the ground, and the key was on his back!
Wang Ya directly flipped the person over, and sure enough, his back was hollow, with some mechanical inserts and wooden bearings installed inside, allowing these corpses to walk, creating the illusion that they were still alive.
Pennywise the Dancing Clown clearly couldn't have such means. The only possibility is the new space-time distorter!
So, what is the purpose of this space-time distorter doing this, creating so many human puppets, all made from the bodies of these very people?
Puppeteer... puppet master... manufacturing...
Wang Ya felt like he had almost grasped something, but couldn't quite remember it, yet he had a very familiar feeling!
Perhaps this point will be answered later.
There's no value in staying here; it's most important to quickly head to the witness's house!
The group packed their gear, adjusted their status, and set off again, heading deeper into the dark and silent residential area.
These corpse human puppets were clearly just for surveillance. Since they had already been discovered, it was better to directly reach their destination as quickly as possible and implement their containment plan.
Anna's Cabin!
This was a relatively secluded spot in this old residential area, but there was still a row of parallel buildings. Old paths stretched out, and bright lights illuminated the surrounding scene!
The darkness outside contrasted with the light inside, forming a very distinct boundary. When Wang Ya and his team entered, the feeling was most pronounced.
They seemed to perceive vivid colors and a strange warmth in their ears...
"Warmth..."
Wang Ya's expression gradually grew serious as he looked at Anna's Cabin, still lit but with its curtains drawn.
There were traces of rainwater runoff on the walls and eaves from a previous rain, but the rain had stopped now, though the air was still humid.
A puddle of water remained in front of Anna's Cabin, and footprints with water stains appeared on the steps leading to the door.
Someone had clearly stepped through this puddle and entered the room!
Wang Ya signaled Landon Fury to proceed with the next plan. It was something they had arranged early on, even rehearsing it several times and trying it out repeatedly to ensure no errors would occur when the actual containment plan was launched.
Soon, Landon Fury began dialing the phone. The call connected quickly, and the voice on the other end was still one of the five scouts.
"Boss... what's up..."
"Where are you now!!"
"I'm in..."
However, the other party hung up before finishing. At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and a six-foot-tall white male walked out, looking at them expressionlessly, his mouth twitching slightly before he said, "Oh, we have guests. Come in quickly, let's eat together. Anna has been waiting for you for a long time and said she has something to tell you!"
After saying that, the person walked back into the house, leaving everyone present to look at each other.
What was this situation? He invited them in, and he even mentioned Anna!
Landon Fury looked at Wang Ya. Should they go in?
Wang Ya narrowed his eyes but decided to go in. He wanted to see what these two space-time distorters were up to. So far, their actions hadn't shown any means that could threaten them!
Even the many head-spiders in the sewers, though they looked ferocious and terrifying, could be completely killed by a calm adult with just a fruit knife!
Pennywise isn't that scary; those corpse puppets are the means of the other space-time distorter!
The three-bedroom, one-living-room house had lights on in every room. Food was laid out on a long table, a rather lavish feast, and all the seats around it were filled.
Wang Ya, Landon Fury, the five members of the Special Reserve Team, and the Landon Group's scouts were all there, making a total of ten people, with two other scouts whose whereabouts were unknown. Of course, the family of three witnesses also needed to be included.
"Welcome everyone to our home as our guests! You've arrived just in time for our lavish dinner!"
Anna's father, as the head of the household, stood up and said enthusiastically. Beside him, Anna's mother came over, carrying a plate of roasted chicken.
Anna sat to her father's right, took the roasted chicken her mother brought, and placed it on the table.
All the dishes were now served, just waiting for everyone to start eating!
Wang Ya observed the scene with a cold, expressionless gaze. Although they had accepted the host's invitation and entered to attend the dinner, he had not forgotten what their mission was.
According to information from the scouts, there was a very high possibility that the witness family had already lost their lives. However, what was presented before them was that everyone was alive, the witness family was safe and sound, and they had even prepared a lavish dinner, waiting for them to be seated.
This was quite a coincidence!
It seemed they were truly waiting for them...
Wang Ya's gaze fell on the three Landon Group scouts, and his peripheral vision noticed Landon Fury. He found that the other party's expression seemed a bit strange, but it appeared he was constrained by something and didn't show it.
However, for this containment mission, they had already rehearsed many times before and had trained in special ways of communicating without words to understand each other's intentions.
Soon, Wang Ya understood what the other party meant, and his eyes suddenly grew cold. He began to plan some preparations for what was to come.
The five members of the Special Reserve Team felt a bit nervous at this moment. They didn't know why, but they felt an inexplicable panic in their hearts. The romance and warmth of the candlelight dinner were completely unfelt. Instead, under the illumination of the lights, the shadows in the corners, the flames in the cupboard, and even the ceiling seemed to emit something unusual.
But their commander had not yet given the order, and they firmly remembered what the commander had expressed: they must judge the current situation in the most rational way, remain still for now, and wait for the development of events.
This witness family was actually still alive. Could it be that their commander's guess was wrong, and they had made a mistake?
However, their invitation to dinner still seemed too coincidental. This was a very obvious sign that something was wrong!
Anna's father was a middle-aged white man in his 50s, with thinning hair, even tending towards a receding hairline. As the initiator of this dinner invitation, after all the dishes were finally served, he began to speak his heartfelt words.
"Thank you all very much for coming. And for being able to attend this dinner, having so many people makes the atmosphere so joyful and lively, which makes me very happy. For this family dinner, please eat your fill, all the delicious food is enough..."
Anna's mother also echoed, "Yes! Today is a special day, and for this, I specially prepared a lavish meal. I only hope you all have a good time and enjoy your food!"
Special day...
Wang Ya thoughtfully glanced at Anna, who had been sitting quietly beside Anna's father, behaving uncharacteristically well.
He noticed some very interesting things, for example, this twelve or thirteen-year-old girl had been staring at her father the whole time. She had never once looked at the outside world or at other people, and had not even turned her head.
Even the delicious food on the table, with its rich aroma, did not cause her to change in the slightest!
"Don't be shy, everyone. Why are you just sitting there... start eating..."
Anna's father said enthusiastically.
Something's not right...
Watching the middle-aged white man tear off a roasted chicken leg and start eating, Wang Ya remembered the information he had learned: this Anna family were all Christians, and they were supposed to pray before eating, to give thanks for God's grace!
But now they were eating directly without praying!
Anna's family and the three scouts all began to eat, and they ate with great excitement, as if they were joyful over such delicious food!
However, Wang Ya and his group did not touch their chopsticks...
"What's wrong? Is it not to your liking?"
Anna's father asked curiously.
Wang Ya then smiled and said, "We all love these delicacies, but we have already eaten outside and are not hungry yet. We need to rest a bit before we can eat more, so as not to disappoint your kindness."
"My shoelace is untied, I'll tie it...!"
Wang Ya said, then bent down, seemingly genuinely starting to tie his shoelace. However, he took out a special device, a thermal imager, and swept it across Anna's family on the other side of the table, the covered area also including the three scouts!
The result was not beyond Wang Ya's expectations, but he was somewhat surprised. This was truly very magical. The thermal imager's display showed that these people, except for Anna, had no heat temperature, meaning they were all dead. Yet, they could act like living people, with some basic facial expressions, could eat these things, and there was no problem with them conversing with them.
What kind of principle was this? How was it done?
The group of corpse dolls they encountered when entering the community could not move over a large area at all; at most, they could only move their eyeballs. Compared to the six people sitting there, they seemed extraordinarily normal!
Just then, Wang Ya suddenly felt a gaze of being watched. He met that gaze and was surprised to find it was the little girl, Anna.
She also bent down, looked under the table, and met Wang Ya's gaze. The scene immediately became a bit awkward, but Wang Ya found Anna's eyes very eerie, staring fixedly at him. However, she did not see the instrument in Wang Ya's hand; he had already put the instrument into the Terror Elder's ability space within his body beforehand.
This Anna was the strangest person so far. Only she had heat, seeming to be a living person, but her emotional state was very wrong, and her behavior just now was also the most peculiar!
It was hard for others not to make connections about her!
Father…"
"Yes, what's wrong, Anna!"
Anna and her father began to converse, but after only two sentences, Anna's father stopped speaking and started eating by himself.
At this, Anna's mother also began to respond to Anna…
Wang Ya watched this scene coldly, his hand under the table had already turned pitch black, the Terror Elder's ability was unleashed, and gradually, the black viscous liquid spread out!
The atmosphere in the room also became increasingly oppressive…
The three of them spoke in very low voices, leaning close to each other's ears, not letting Wang Ya and his team hear them.
The five members of the Special Reserve Team instinctively placed their hands on the firearms at their waists.
Landon Fury's expression changed slightly as he reached for the living gun handle between his legs.
"Everyone, did you enjoy your meal today?"
Anna's father said with a smile, and Anna and Anna's mother also stopped talking!
"I am not happy, and I find it very uninteresting!"
Wang Ya said expressionlessly.
Anna's father forced a smile: "Why is that? Is our food not to your taste?"
"Whether it's to my taste is one thing… The problem is you're treating us like fools… Do you really think we're stupid!"
"Although I don't know what you're waiting for… we're waiting for the time to observe the environment!"
Wang Ya's cold voice echoed through the room, and the atmosphere in the room instantly dropped to freezing point.
The main reason they came to this banquet was to observe the environment inside the house, maintaining maximum vigilance. Wang Ya had almost figured out what methods were hidden within the house.
For example, the ceiling!!
Wang Ya grabbed the edge of the dining table, intending to flip it over like a certain senior, but he awkwardly found that he didn't have enough strength. However, it didn't matter; the five members of the Special Reserve Team also grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it over together.
A large amount of food spilled onto the floor, plates shattered, and the entire table tipped over, completely engulfing Anna's family and the three spies.
Then, Number 2 fired a shot at a spot on the ceiling. The bullet pierced through the ceiling's interlayers and also destroyed a certain device, which was the control device for Anna's family who they were eating with.
As electric sparks crackled, Anna's family seemed to lose all vitality and motivation, their entire bodies collapsing to the ground as if losing all support.
All of this had already been anticipated by Wang Ya. He aimed the lighter, smaller handgun in his hand at Anna. Anna's family and the three spies had all fallen to the ground; only Anna, a living person, remained standing, her gaze fixed on her parents, not looking elsewhere, even oblivious when Wang Ya aimed the gun at her.
Those who fell were all puppets, completely lacking the heat emitted by living people. This was the biggest flaw, as were the abnormalities felt by the five members of the Special Reserve Team, which Wang Ya could also sense.
The ceiling was very problematic, and the walls and cabinets were also very problematic. Problems naturally meant hidden dangers!
Bang!
Another shot hit the cabinet. This time it was Number 1 who fired, using a shotgun. The bullet directly blew up the cabinet and also burst a large number of red balloons inside.
However, as the red balloons burst, a large amount of red gas, a tangible substance, spread out. Before determining whether these red gases had any problems, for safety reasons, Wang Ya and his team all put on their gas masks.
They noticed the abnormality inside the cabinet, so they acted this way, but to their surprise, it was filled with dense red balloons.
"Ah, help…"
Anna suddenly screamed, seemingly due to their shooting, which triggered the most primitive human fear. People are afraid of death, and she was no exception.
However, no one present paid her any mind. In front of a space-time distorter, especially one known for such evil and chaos, they had to be on high alert. Who knew how many tricks Pennywise, the Clown, had left in this room, not to mention another space-time distorter hidden in the dark.
Under Wang Ya's instruction, Landon Fury aimed his living gun at a spot on the wall, the place Wang Ya felt was most out of place.
"Don't…"
Unexpectedly, as soon as Landon Fury aimed his living gun there, and just as he made this move, Anna suddenly pounced on Landon Fury, trying to stop his action.
Number 1, quick-witted, kicked her, sending Anna flying to the side, where she fell heavily to the ground, making intimate contact with the floor.
There was not the slightest hesitation or pity. For the five members of the Special Reserve Team, any irrelevant humans who obstructed the containment plan, even women and children, could be killed when absolutely necessary.
This was a relatively cruel sacrifice that had to be made for the SCP Foundation, for the stability of the world.
What Anna was about to cause now was a relatively significant disruption to the containment plan.
Bang!
The living gun's explosive bullet directly shattered the wall. Wang Ya did not know what was inside, why this witness, Anna, would try to stop them so vehemently, and why these people, who were made into puppet corpses, were different from the corpse puppets in the community, able to move and even speak—if Wang Ya's guess was correct, the answer lay in the operating device on the ceiling.
Even if he had great hope, Wang Ya had already heard the mechanical trembling and turning.
Was it with an invisible fine string? Wang Ya had to admit that this was indeed a space-time distorter, and one who could work with Pennywise.
It also explained why, before and after the dinner, these people spoke with pauses and remained seated without moving.
Was the processor insufficient… or were they afraid of the steel wires getting entangled…
"I think I need an explanation!"
Wang Ya came to the shattered wall, where a deep underground cave entrance was exposed. It seemed to be newly dug, as the soil was still moist, but it was already wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, seemingly leading to an unknown place.
He was questioning Anna, his gaze fixed coldly on her. This witness definitely knew something, perhaps holding useful information, or perhaps she had colluded with the space-time distorter…
Regardless of which of the two outcomes, this Anna was crucial!!
Wang Ya hoped this witness would cooperate well… so that the containment plan would not have more errors!
Anna, this young girl, had a complex expression on her face and flickering eyes; she truly knew some inside information.
Indeed, Pennywise the Dancing Clown and another space-time distorter had both entered this residential area, and even made so many arrangements within this very house.
It's unknown how long the arrangements took, but judging by the bottomless, pitch-black cave passage in the wall, it must have been a considerable amount of time.
Since the time was not short, then Anna's family must have already fallen victim. Considering that the residential area has become a complete dead zone, this is likely the case.
As for why Anna was still alive…
Wang Ya, with a solemn expression, said to Anna, "I think you understand the seriousness of the problem. Although I don't know why you're helping them hide it, I think you should tell us the truth, for the sake of your parents, and for the residents who died in this community, and for many more people who died because of the Clown."
"Anna, what are you hiding…"
Anna cried inconsolably, and finally, under Wang Ya's persuasion, she seemed to have completely broken down and revealed the full truth of the matter.
"That night… that stormy night…"
…
After listening to Anna's narration, Wang Ya, who now had a general understanding of the situation, gradually showed a strange expression, but he did not reveal it, especially in front of Anna. He carefully concealed it, and Anna did not notice.
At his signal, the others gradually gathered around the entrance to the cave. Landon Fury peered into the deep opening; it was pitch black inside, with echoes and air currents, suggesting it was very long and winding.
After only 15 seconds, Wang Ya had already thought about how to respond next!
That was to enter the passage and completely conclude this containment plan, containing Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the other space-time distorter.
They were running out of time!
By dawn, various forces would intervene, making it difficult to maintain the current state of restraint. This was the most perfect period for the containment plan to unfold.
Wang Ya had to act fast!
"I want to go in with you too… You terrifying monster, you coerced me and killed my parents, turning them into such a horrific state. I will not let them go; I want to personally take revenge!"
Anna had tears in her eyes, but her face was also firm and she gritted her teeth as she looked at Wang Ya, seemingly filled with the strength to fight due to the hatred for her parents' murder.
Wang Ya only thought for a moment before agreeing to Anna's request, even though the other members of the containment team had flashes of incomprehension and doubt in their minds.
However, they were all very sensible and did not question Wang Ya at this moment!
After spending a minute searching the entire house, there were indeed no other hidden tricks.
It seemed that those two space-time distorters had completely left everything in the place to which this passage led!
It was very likely that they had already set up a trap, waiting for their arrival.
However, Wang Ya was not afraid; it was simply a matter of adapting to whatever came his way!
With a new member added to the team, everyone entered through the hole opened in the wall.
As expected, the passage was very long and narrow, but both sides were very wide, so walking was not a problem for everyone.
Although the environment was very dark and the air was a bit stuffy, it was already considered well-ventilated, and the specially prepared powerful flashlights could illuminate everything.
After walking for about ten minutes, the long and dim passage finally ended, leading to an exit similar to an underground cave.
As the world in their eyes subtly shifted and light gathered, everyone also clearly saw what was inside this underground cave…
The dark and damp environment, along with the jagged stalactites and stalagmites, collectively formed this subterranean grotto, a marvel of nature.
However, this seemed to be only the shallowest layer. Deep within this space, there was another passage, seemingly leading to a different location.
"This place... it's too exaggerated. Is this really under Gotham City? To be able to dig out such a massive underground grotto!"
Landon Fury was somewhat incredulous. This was something even modern industry would find difficult to achieve in a short time. Then, he thought of something and suddenly felt a chill of dread.
After Anna arrived here, she suddenly became silent and withdrawn. Yet, on the way here, she had also been quietly following at the very back of the group.
However, Wang Ya had been constantly watching her out of the corner of his eye.
It was all a bit too coincidental!!
Wang Ya replayed the route they had taken in his mind, as well as all the various events they had experienced since the containment plan began.
Then, he focused his gaze on the main space of the underground grotto. It seemed this was not the end; the true destination awaited them in a deeper passage.
There seemed to be a platform opposite, with three entrances leading to unknown places!
Everyone carefully searched the area. This underground grotto seemed to have nothing out of the ordinary, and the traps and mechanisms they had anticipated were not triggered.
Flares were launched far, illuminating the entire underground grotto as clearly as possible, including the shadows and crevices of the stalactites, which were clearly visible.
Now, three doors stood before them. Behind each door seemed to hide something special, or perhaps they led to the place Wang Ya and his group intended to go.
This was... the power of omnipresent fear...
Viscous black liquid spread from the skin of Wang Ya's hands, seemingly stimulated by some unknown influence.
This was the ability from the Terror Elder, sensing something: fear.
Above each of the three doors, a phrase was written. Together, they read: "Choose, one of three, my guests today. Come play my game. The Dancing Clown just fixed it, to give you the most authentic thrill!"
Indeed, they were waiting for him. And, no matter what, with the methods of the space-time distorter, especially Pennywise, no matter how carefully one hid, clues would still be discovered.
Plus, there was another space-time distorter whose identity was unknown.
But...
Wang Ya took a deep breath. He had to choose one of the three doors to open, or perhaps open all three to investigate.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Wang Ya. No one knew what was behind the doors. The only thing they could do was trust Wang Ya and await his next instruction.
Wang Ya chose the middle door, gently turning the doorknob.
Click!
Just as everyone was fully focused, the door opened at that moment, and the scene behind it came into view.
Eh...
Even Wang Ya was stunned for a moment. There was nothing there, just an empty, dark spatial passage. A cold wind blew out from within. It seemed this was the truly correct passage.
No... that's not right...
There was still one thing present. A peculiar small dog walked out from the dark shadows. It was a Teddy, very small and cute. At least Anna was attracted by the dog's cuteness, and as if by some strange impulse, she wanted to go and pet it.
Anna squatted down, about to place her hand on the dog, but at that moment, the seemingly well-behaved dog, which had been staring at them with wide eyes, suddenly began to change eerily.
It instantly grew visibly larger, its body began to mutate, its head split open into four petals, revealing sharp fangs and claws, dripping with foul-smelling liquid, and it lunged at Anna, about to bite her.
The incident happened too suddenly for anyone to react. Fortunately, Anna seemed to be terrified, and she plopped down on the ground, narrowly dodging the bite.
Roar!
The once cute little dog transformed into a terrifying monster in the blink of an eye, charging at them with its gaping maw. However, it was met by a barrage of almost perfectly aimed, dark muzzles.
The next moment, fierce gunfire directly tore the monster into pieces. Blood splattered, and its corpse fell completely to the ground, without a trace of life.
Wang Ya sighed and said, "This is a scientific society now. Why do you insist on baring your fangs and claws without thinking?"
However, Anna seemed to be terrified and was still sitting on the ground, unable to get up!
"Are you alright!"
Wang Ya proactively helped her up, but he didn't expect her to directly hug him and then tremble all over, refusing to let go, seemingly scared to the extreme.
"It's alright now, it's over, get up. The problem has been resolved!"
Wang Ya seemed to genuinely comfort Anna, patting her shoulder, and only then did she slowly recover.
One of the three rooms was already open, leaving only the closed rooms on the left and right.
The open room in the middle had a pitch-black passage, leading to an unknown place. However, it should lead to another area because the air was circulating, and a continuous cold wind was blowing from there.
They still needed to open the other two room doors to see what was behind them before they could make an informed decision about their next move.
Everyone gathered their gear and aimed their guns at the leftmost room door. This time, it wasn't Wang Ya opening the door, but Landon Fury.
If there was anything terrifying or dangerous behind the door, they would completely cover it with firepower until everything was annihilated and the environment became safe.
The door on the left was opened. What was behind it surprised everyone; it was just an ordinary gift box, with a beautiful bow tied securely on the outside.
This must be Pennywise's doing. For it to be left here, there must be nothing good inside.
Landon Fury was about to step forward and open the box, but Wang Ya stopped him.
"There's a sound, though it's very faint..."
Hearing Wang Ya say this, the others also listened carefully and soon picked up a slight movement.
Indeed, there was a faint ticking sound coming from the gift box, similar to a timer.
"It's a bomb, hurry!"
Number Two recognized it. They were all well-trained and very familiar with such things.
"Oh, sh*t, damn it!"
Landon Fury cursed, quickly slammed the door shut, and dove backward.
Beep beep beep...
The sound grew increasingly clear. The next moment, the room exploded with a roar. The powerful blast tore the door to shreds. Light and heat baked everyone, but they had all found cover and, having discovered it in time, were not harmed by the explosion.
"How many tricks has Pennywise left here? Do all three doors have such traps!"
Landon Fury said, annoyed. He was now covered in dust and grime, his face dirty, looking like a big black rat.
"Perhaps we've all fallen into a trap. Three paths, each leading to the end. We shouldn't open every door; we just need to choose one path and go straight through!"
Wang Ya walked directly into the middle door, which was the passage behind the door where the zombie dog had been.
Since Pennywise had said it was just a game, a carefully prepared game, then no matter what, they would pass. Which door they chose no longer mattered.
No one understood Pennywise better than Wang Ya. Based on Wang Ya's understanding of Pennywise, this should be the case!
...
"Is this the final location!"
Landon Fury said, surprised.
They had now passed through the passage and arrived at a suddenly open area, a strange region with uneven entrances and exits.
Each exit led to a distant and unknown place!
"This is really troublesome!"
Wang Ya frowned. Pennywise probably made it like this on purpose, and his objective was likely not simple; it might be to split their team apart.
From the perspective of the detector, there was no excess heat, and every entrance and exit had airflow.
"Let's go this way first!"
Wang Ya chose a path, and everyone followed Wang Ya's instructions into it.
One minute later!
Bang bang bang!
Dense gunfire covered the area, spent casings scattered everywhere, and deafening sounds echoed clearly throughout the entire underground space.
"What is this thing... Damn it, how did it suddenly appear!"
Landon Fury switched his bio-gun to burst mode, and explosive bullets directly slammed into the monster's body.
It was a muddy swamp monster. The end of this passage was a swamp, and the monster had crawled out of it and attacked them.
Bullets had no effect on its muddy body; even the kinetic energy was absorbed, making it impossible to push it back. Fortunately, the explosive mode was still effective.
The bio-gun's explosive bullets detonated and vented inside the swamp monster, instantly blowing it to smithereens, bringing everything to an end.
But everyone was inevitably covered in dust.
Next, they changed direction and entered another path.
This time, they still didn't find the real exit. They encountered a monster covered in flames. Bullets could only impede its advance and couldn't cause any real damage to it.
As for the bio-gun's explosive bullets, although they had great destructive power, they were clearly not enough for this flame monster. They only extinguished the flames on its body, revealing a charred corpse.
But in a moment, it recovered its burning state and charged towards them.
Water restrains fire, but there was no water here at all!
Everyone could only fight and retreat, but they felt no fear; instead, they were filled with the will to fight.
Any potential fear would only provide strength to Pennywise, who was lurking in the shadows.
Finally, Wang Ya stepped forward, directly facing the flame monster. His hands transformed into a viscous, dark liquid, and he grabbed the flame monster's throat, slamming it against the wall.
The power from Terror Elder countered the flames on its body, and the corrupting power completely corroded the flames, while its own corpse turned into a puddle of black pus under this power.
"Hoo...!"
Wang Ya panted heavily. This was not an easy task. Using Terror Elder's power for a full three minutes was what it took to completely deal with this flame monster.
But at least this troublesome monster was finally dealt with!!
Next, everyone continued to explore, encountering many dead ends along the way. Without exception, there were no other exits. Instead, they encountered numerous monsters and dangerous areas.
Mutated humans, mutated animals, rooms entirely made of mercury, areas completely covered in bloodsucking vines...
It was a step-by-step death trap, but they fought their way through, eliminating all dangers.
The Special Reserve Team's protective clothing was almost beyond repair, and Wang Ya and Landon Fury were in a similar state, with most of their supplies used up.
Perhaps it was Anna's good luck, as she didn't encounter too much danger. Her clothes only had minor tears, with no other damage.
Most of the tunnel entrances had been explored; now only one remained!
Everyone's gaze turned towards it, the deep, dark opening leading to a distant and unknown place.
Is this the last opening? Perhaps the Clown, with his final trick, is waiting for us inside!"
Wang Ya was physically and mentally exhausted after numerous battles. There was something illogical about this: so much suffering, so many exits, yet they could never leave, only to be met with various monsters and dangerous places.
This should be the Clown's unique ability, a labyrinth of illusions born from the power of fear. The monsters appearing within were all manifestations of what humans feared and dreaded most in their hearts.
Wang Ya thought of the human-headed spiders in the sewers, so many heads, likely belonging to all the people who died in this entire residential area. They were being multi-purposed: the fear conjured in people's hearts appeared in this illusionary labyrinth, while their heads were turned into human-headed spiders and their bodies into puppets.
After entering the residential area, the number of residents who chased and blocked them clearly didn't add up.
In that case, everything made sense. All things must obey the law of conservation of energy. Even the most miraculous dark magic requires raw materials and a medium of power.
Of course, some exaggerated reality warpers are an exception!
Thump, thump!
Footsteps echoed distinctly on the somewhat rough stone slabs. The last narrow passage wasn't very long; after walking for about a minute, the world in everyone's eyes suddenly brightened.
Hiss, hiss!
Flames fiercely burned in all directions, illuminating all the darkness in this space. It was a very large platform, with stalactites still hanging from above, jagged and uneven, with deep grooves. A peculiar pattern intertwined along the entire platform and walls, seemingly a special formation from legend.
"You actually made it here… You actually made it here…"
A low, sharp voice echoed throughout the space, repeating continuously, making it impossible to guess where the owner of the voice was speaking from, and thus impossible to locate the Clown.
"I thought those methods would stop you, but you still came. You shouldn't have come here…"
Listening to the echoing voice, everyone present grew tense, looking around to find the Clown's location. But Wang Ya's expression remained unchanged. He took out a thermal imager and put it on his eyes.
"Playing tricks, you have magic, I have science. In the northwest direction, behind the stalactite!"
Wang Ya found the Clown's location and blurted it out. The others immediately understood, picked up their weapons, and started shooting in the direction of that stalactite.
Bang, bang, bang!
A fierce barrage of gunfire, fireworks flashing in the dim space. Bullets struck the stalactite, quickly turning it into a sieve of fragments, but behind it was empty.
Wang Ya stepped over a floor of spent casings, continuing to observe with the thermal imager, then suddenly said: "He's very fast, he's changed direction, and he's flipping over on the rock wall above. Everyone be careful!"
Just as everyone was on high alert, Anna, perhaps because she saw the monster that killed her parents, became extremely agitated. She snatched the pistol from Landon Fury's waist and started firing wildly at the ceiling.
"Monster, die! I want to avenge my parents…"
"Die, just die… Die…"
Anna vented hysterically, as if each shot represented the release of her emotions. Indeed, who would allow their parents to be killed by such a monster? And now, seeing the monster, still be able to remain calm?
But Landon Fury's face instantly turned ugly. This was truly too embarrassing; during a containment operation, and under the gaze of the Wizard, he was disarmed by a defenseless young girl, even if it was when he wasn't paying attention.
Landon Fury walked straight over, his face like ice, and slapped Anna across the face, seemingly wanting to wake her up.
Logically, this behavior had severely hindered the continuation of the containment operation, and Landon Fury had every right to take forceful action against Anna.
Moreover, he was indeed doing so now. The pistol in Anna's hand was taken back, but Anna, for some reason, went crazy and started struggling with Landon Fury.
Wang Ya looked in one direction, his expression suddenly changing, and blurted out: "The Clown is coming! Everyone be careful! Wait, his target is…"
Landon Fury, stop your actions immediately, Pennywise is pouncing on you!"
Wang Ya warned solemnly, his face also looking rather grim. Through the heat detector's view, a three-meter-tall multi-legged monster, presumably a grasshopper spider that Pennywise had transformed into, was rapidly pouncing towards Landon Fury from the stone wall above their heads.
The timing was impeccable, and its speed was extreme. Even the five battle-hardened elites of the Special Reserve Team, attempting to shoot Pennywise down with their pistols, found he swiftly dodged every bullet. Even if hit, the bullets were repelled by his thick armor, at most only slightly slowing him down.
Seriously, for Landon Fury to make such a blunder at such a critical moment.
Wang Ya raised the pistol in his hand. It was a pistol with little recoil, which he could handle. He could continuously fire, predicting and striking Pennywise's path.
The five members of the Special Reserve Team each threw a special device into a corner, and in the blink of an eye, a projected holographic screen appeared across the entire platform space.
This was a specially modified and developed heat range detector, composed of five special devices. As long as the battery power was sufficient, it could remain on indefinitely. Within its range, all heat-emitting organisms would be clearly displayed, and the device would actively track them.
However, for now, the battery power contained within the five devices could only last for three minutes.
But three minutes, Wang Ya felt, was completely sufficient.
"Here he comes, here he comes, right above us!"
"But be careful…"
"Landon Fury, execute mandatory action immediately!"
Wang Ya's low voice slowly echoed.
Landon Fury was, after all, much stronger than Anna, even if he was somewhat weakened due to his physical condition and his age, as he was fast approaching old age.
He directly struck the back of Anna's neck with the butt of the live-capture gun, causing her to instantly faint and ending their struggle.
"You fear, why is there no fear? This shouldn't be, this shouldn't be…"
Pennywise, transformed into a hideous grasshopper spider monster, charged towards Landon Fury with sharp bone spurs. The Pennywise face at the very top let out a sharp, unwilling shriek.
"Everyone has fear, why do you not have fear? There isn't even a trace of dread in your hearts…"
Pennywise was unwilling, extremely unwilling. Fear was his source of power. Everything he had set up before was to make the arriving people generate fear, to absorb a continuous stream of fear power. With this ebb and flow, he could then thoroughly deal with the intruders.
But these people's minds seemed like machines; they had no fear at all, only fearlessness and a readiness to face him.
He wasn't that powerful; everything he did was based on the power of fear. If fear didn't exist, he would be incredibly weak.
And Wang Ya knew this very clearly, which was why he was confident that this containment plan had a 90% chance of success.
Bullets impacted Pennywise's body. His hard armor blocked most of the bullets, but a few still pierced his soft tissue, causing relatively severe damage.
Landon Fury, like dragging a dead dog, pulled Anna out of her original position, also dodging Pennywise's attack and the thunderous fall of his massive body.
Crack, crack, crack!
Sharp legs walked on the hard ground, making cracking sounds. Pennywise had powerful regenerative abilities; he had recovered. The Pennywise face at the very top suddenly emitted yellow light from his eyes, covering Wang Ya and his team.
"Everyone be careful, quickly spread out, this is a mind-controlling light…"
Wang Ya reminded them. No one understood Pennywise the Dancing Clown better than him; he knew all the methods Pennywise used.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of this iconic scene, which was why he immediately told everyone gathered together to disperse and avoid this mind-affecting yellow light.
…
[This is calculated at one mao per thousand characters. Each time I write about 1,400-1,500 characters, the extra 500 characters are free, a bonus. Thank you for your support…]
Pennywise the Dancing Clown, his origins are a mystery, and he seems capable of transforming into various monsters, all extensions based on the power of fear.
This monster from the void space, its true form might be divided into three types: one is the appearance of a circus clown, one is the spider-grasshopper monster with a clown face like the one before them, and the other is the death ray.
Everyone, alerted by Wang Ya, dodged the spreading yellow light.
That's right, this yellow light was equivalent to a death ray, and it was part of the ability of his true form; if hit by the yellow light, one would be hypnotized by the Clown, lose their self, and have their mind controlled.
Wang Ya absolutely did not want his subordinates to be controlled by the Clown and then turn their weapons on each other.
However, the use of the death ray was also closely related to the power of fear; if the power of fear continuously weakened, or if the conditions were not sufficient to use the death ray, then the death ray would also be ineffective.
But if it reached that point, the Clown's own strength would also be at its weakest ever.
Achieving this requires a prerequisite!
The yellow light was dazzling and blinding, radiating across the entire underground platform, and everyone hid behind cover, frowning as they watched the yellow light rage.
Wang Ya knew that this wouldn't work; the Dancing Clown could clearly move, and the yellow light's range would shift with his movement.
If the situation was not right, accidents could easily occur!
"Hit his head! Although he's releasing the death ray, it also means that the position from which he's constantly releasing it is very vulnerable!"
Listening to Wang Ya's words, Landon Fury, understanding, picked up the living gun, set it to burst mode, and fired a burst of bullets directly into the Clown's massive chest.
But he didn't hit the head; the distance was still a bit far, and he also had to guard against the yellow light's invasion, so he didn't aim precisely.
"Number Two, you shoot!"
Landon Fury threw the living gun to Number Two; he was the sharpshooter of the five-person Special Reserve Team, and his marksmanship was the best among them.
However, that previous shot had also severely injured the Clown; the yellow light, which was close by, shot straight up into the sky, and his massive body fell backward, but quickly recovered.
What was hit was only his hard armor, causing not much damage; it was just the impact of the explosion that made him lose his footing.
"Humans, come out quickly! Become the source of my fear! You need to fear!"
The Dancing Clown moved his massive body towards the area where everyone was hiding.
"No, no, that's not right. We don't need fear, and you don't need it either. Without the power of fear, you are incredibly weak!"
Wang Ya walked out from another side, looking at him with a smile.
"Indeed, you yourself are also very weak. There is no fear here, only courage!"
Number One walked out and said calmly.
"You are a complete and utter weakling. Only you yourself will truly be afraid, and we have no fear, because you are not scary at all."
Number Two also walked out and said.
Hiss, hiss!
The yellow light suddenly became erratic, seeming about to disappear. The Clown, hearing these people's words, as if struck by some huge stimulus, his massive body also began to shrink and diminish, and he started to retreat step by step.
"No, impossible... Power... Fear is the greatest truth in the human world... You should fear, you should be terrified..."
Pennywise the Clown said unwillingly, but under the brainwashing of so many words, he even believed himself that he was not powerful, not invincible.
The dark power gradually weakened, and the power of fear also receded; the Clown's body further shrank and became weaker.
The others struck while the iron was hot, all saying words that made the Clown lose confidence.
"Clown, you are very weak, you are not strong..."
"We were never afraid... We are super brave, we are very bold..."
"Why should we be afraid of you... If you dare, come and fight me one-on-one, I'll show you who's boss..."
This series of words completely ended the source of the Clown's power, cutting off the transmission of fear's power.
Wang Ya saw the Clown, who had transformed from a three-meter-tall body to a dwarf only a few tens of centimeters tall, but this was a bit strange; he hadn't expected that relying on verbal attacks could actually limit the Clown's power.
What was this, saving the world with talk? It really was...
It's over! This containment mission is finally, completely over!
Under the verbal assault of the crowd, the Clown lost all his power, becoming as small as a three-year-old child.
He retreated step by step as everyone approached!
"No… you can't do this… I'm still very strong…"
"Don't come over… don't come over…"
The Clown was still making his final resistance, attempting to intimidate Wang Ya and the others with words, but this was clearly futile. Wang Ya directly plunged his hand into the Clown's chest and pulled out his trembling heart.
The power of the Fear Elder emanated, and the power of corruption directly rotted the heart.
The Clown instantly turned into a pile of ashes before everyone's eyes. He was dead, completely dead!
Landon Fury let out a sigh of relief. This journey had truly been dangerous; he had to keep his mind tense at all times, which was a bit too much for an old man past his prime.
The five Special Reserve Team members had also used up most of their various equipment, but thankfully, getting rid of the Clown was the best outcome.
With the Clown's death, it seemed to signify the end of this containment mission.
But things are often not that simple!
Wang Ya glanced at Anna's location, intentionally or unintentionally, and noticed that she was currently facing away from everyone. Seeing the Clown, the culprit who had killed her entire family, she showed no reaction whatsoever. This was somewhat suspicious!
Crack!
A strange shuffling sound suddenly echoed in this underground platform again, and there were also peculiar joint-clashing noises during the movement.
This made everyone's recently relaxed minds become alert once more.
"A doll is blocking the exit, what's going on!"
Everyone discovered that the entrance they had used to come in was now blocked by a Clown Doll made entirely of wood, painted with vibrant colors, with a giant smiling face and eerie wooden eyes staring fixedly at them.
"Do you want to play with the Clown?"
A sharp, smiling voice resonated in everyone's ears.
It was the Clown, he didn't seem to be dead yet!
However, in Wang Ya's understanding, after his heart was crushed, he should have been completely dead.
So what was going on now!
Anna said in horror, "It's him, this Clown monster, this Clown monster killed my parents! Save me, someone save me, I don't want to die…!"
Seeing the Clown Doll seemed to trigger some kind of stress reaction in Anna. The traumatic scenes she had experienced in her mind were recalled once again under this new stimulus.
The shadows in her heart were completely triggered!
She actually slumped to the ground and started to retreat, not daring to face the Clown Doll.
A fierce glint flashed in Landon Fury's eyes. He directly picked up the living gun in his hand and fired an explosive bullet.
Bang!
With the bullet's impact, an explosion instantly ignited, and a large amount of rubble and smoke rose up. The power was considerable.
Did that Clown Doll die?
The answer was clearly no. The Clown Doll was alive and had not died. It didn't seem to have suffered much damage, even under such an attack and explosion.
"You're willing to play with the Clown, the Clown is so happy, let's play together!"
Click, click, click!
That sound from before rang out again. A special groove seemed to be behind the Clown Doll. As it clenched its left and right fists, a scroll in the groove behind it instantly floated out and appeared in front of it.
And the scroll displayed a sealed character!
Wang Ya's eyes subtly changed. Looking at this somewhat familiar scene, he seemed to have thought of something!
Dark Magic??
Or… the Hundred Machine Performance!
Come play with the Clown!"
Hehehe...
The Clown Doll's eerie laughter echoed across the underground platform, as it retrieved a scroll from the groove behind it, instantly casting a strange, oppressive atmosphere.
Everyone stood ready, facing the Clown Doll, staring intently at the sealed scroll, their hearts filled with unease, as if something terrifying lay within that scroll.
Wang Ya's expression grew increasingly strange; he felt more and more like this sensation was a bit like...
This must be a delusion!!
But no matter what, he absolutely could not let this Clown Doll open that scroll. Wang Ya was particularly sensitive to the perception of danger.
"Interrupt his action! We must stop him from opening the scroll!"
Wang Ya was the first to raise his pistol, firing a shot directly. Perhaps due to luck, it happened to hit the Clown Doll's finger joint, causing the scroll to slip from the Clown Doll's hand and roll onto the ground.
More gunfire swept over the Clown Doll, preventing it from retrieving the scroll. However, something surprising happened: the Clown Doll showed no intention of picking up the scroll.
He saw its ten fingers trembling. Wang Ya's eyes narrowed as he looked closely, realizing that ten very thin wires were connected to the scroll, allowing the Clown Doll to remotely control the scroll's opening.
At this, he could no longer hold back and exclaimed, "What the hell is going on? Is this a clown version of the Puppet Manipulation Jutsu? You're kidding me, right!!"
"Officer, what exactly is going on? Didn't we kill the Clown already? What's with this Clown Doll?"
No. 1 asked in confusion; this was what everyone wanted to know.
Wang Ya's heart was also full of bewilderment. If they asked him, who was he supposed to ask?
This Clown Doll was even playing with wire manipulation. He wondered who it learned from. Was it some Digimon's Clownmon? Or some Naruto's Eternal Art Boy!
This completely unbearable art style made Wang Ya need to steady his heart and calm himself down!
Even with a large amount of suppressing fire, the Clown Doll remained unscathed. It always managed to dodge the rain of bullets at the last moment, weaving through the gaps in the bullet frequency with a one-in-ten-thousand chance amidst countless impacts.
Click!
Was a switch's groove broken? No, the Clown Doll directly manipulated the wires on its ten fingers, pulling the scroll open.
A power of fear enveloped the scroll. A faint yellow light flashed, accompanied by a rising mist, and the contents of the sealed scroll were finally revealed.
Three more Clown Dolls appeared. One was made entirely of steel, another was crafted from special stone, and the last was made like a plush toy doll. All were dressed in clothes and painted with thick makeup, most notably their grim upward-curving smiles and eerie, pupil-less gazes.
"Do you want to play with the Clown?"
Their eerie voices, speaking in unison, echoed throughout the platform, making people shiver.
If an ordinary person saw this bizarre scene, they would probably have collapsed to the ground in terror, crying loudly.
But everyone present was a battle-hardened, rigorously trained combatant—except for Anna, of course—so they were not affected by this slight fear.
Buzz buzz!
The wires on the wooden Clown Doll's ten fingers instantly connected to the other three Clown Dolls. Although their materials differed, the wooden one was clearly the main brain, capable of controlling the actions of the three Clown Dolls.
Wang Ya's eyes widened, his mind screaming in protest, "You're not doing the Hundred Puppets Technique; this is the Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets!"
The scene before them was too mysterious, but after their initial shock, everyone quickly reacted, aiming their firearms at the three charging Dolls and firing.
Wang Ya's expression subtly changed as he warned, "These three Dolls, made of different materials, might possess different abilities. Everyone, be careful."
First was the Clown Doll made entirely of steel. Under the manipulation of the wooden Clown, it actually unfolded four small holes on its back, from which high-temperature fuel gas was sprayed, allowing it to fly.
"Come and play with the Clown! Super Flying Clown is here!"
The mechanical Clown flew out like Superman, its right fist extended and spinning rapidly, forming a sharp metal spike. If hit, the consequences would undoubtedly be dire.
Bang bang bang!
Bullets struck the mechanical Clown's body but couldn't penetrate it. Its material was incredibly hard, only scattering spent casings on the ground.
Number Two drew the entrenching tool from his waist and, aiming directly at the mechanical Clown, struck it with a powerful blow, sending it flying down.
Crack crack!
The wooden Clown Doll moved its feet, walking step by step towards Wang Ya and the others.
Silken threads extended from its fingertips, and under its manipulation, the remaining two Clown Dolls also launched their attacks.
The rock Clown could actually dismember its body, transforming into individual stones that rained down on everyone.
The cloth Clown, on the other hand, held a large cannon in its right hand. Boom! A violent explosion echoed throughout the entire underground platform.
Wang Ya, covered in dust and grime, crawled out from a pile of rubble. These bizarre fellows were truly troublesome.
The weapons they carried simply couldn't inflict any significant damage. The steel Clown was indestructible, the rock Clown also had extremely high defense, and while the cloth Clown's body was very soft, bullets could wound it, but they couldn't cause much damage, always passing through its plush.
Wang Ya noticed a weakness: the core of the three Clowns seemed to be under the manipulation of the wooden Clown Doll, specifically those extended steel wires.
"Their weakness lies with that wooden Clown! Attack it, solve it, and we can complete this containment mission!"
Wang Ya's voice echoed in everyone's ears and was also heard by the wooden Clown Doll, which fixed its eerie eyes on Wang Ya and consciously retreated a few steps.
Landon Fury aimed his living gun at the wooden Clown, then decisively opened fire, unleashing explosive bullets in a continuous barrage.
However, the wooden Clown deftly dodged them, even making a mocking grimace.
"I'll deal with these three manipulated Clowns; you go and take care of the wooden Clown!"
Wang Ya spread his palm, unleashing the Terror Elder's ability. Combined with his other ability, the additional effects it brought were not simply 1+1; they were even more exaggerated.
Pfft!
Viscous, murky black liquid secreted from Wang Ya's palm and dripped onto the ground.
Everyone else's expressions instantly changed, their eyes filled with surprise. They knew that the Witch Doctor was about to use his magic, the mysterious and terrifying dark magic of legend.
Since that was the case, they couldn't hold back either. If ranged weapons couldn't hit the wooden Clown, then they would use melee weapons to deal with this hateful Clown!
Anna's expression was somewhat strange, but she was hidden behind everyone, and no one noticed her. Her gaze turned towards the wooden Clown, and their eyes met, as if there was some secret between them.