Chapter 481: Chapter 303: Rock Whale, Part 2
On the rooftop, the Joker clutched his chest and stomach. Although he had dodged the Rock Whale’s fatal crushing attack, the shockwave still injured him. His internal organs burned with intense pain, and he felt like he was about to vomit blood.
"Well, well, this is the first time I’ve been injured since coming to North Carolina. I suppose one really can’t underestimate the people of this world. To think someone in this little backwater of North Carolina could actually hurt me."
The Joker’s lips curled into an exaggerated smile, and his tone was deliberately slick. "I quite like the big scene you’ve made, so~ I’ve decided to give you a little gift~!"
He pointed his Magic Wand through the air, and a beautifully wrapped gift box materialized before the Tier Three Special Agent. A faint TICK TOCK TOCK, like a countdown, could be heard from inside. The agent immediately summoned a rock barrier in front of himself.
Three seconds later, with a POP, the gift box opened. However, the expected explosion never came. There was only a shower of confetti and streamers, and a spring-loaded, chibi-style Joker doll that bounced up and down while letting out a mocking laugh: "Coward! Coward! Coward!"
For some reason, hearing that derisive laughter made a fire of rage flare up in the Tier Three Special Agent’s heart. It rushed straight to his head, clouding his judgment and making him want to abandon the protection of his rock barrier, charge forward, and engage the Joker in hand-to-hand combat—to beat him to a pulp in the most primitive and satisfying way possible.
But he quickly suppressed the rage, using a Stone Wave to move away. He then manipulated the heavy rock barrier to topple over and smash the doll’s box. A huge BOOM followed as rock fragments flew everywhere. A scorched black hole had been blasted through the rock barrier.
"Aww, it didn’t trick you..." The Joker hung his head, dejected, but a second later, he was full of energy again. As erratic as a mental patient, he suddenly shouted in excitement, "I just thought of a new game! Let’s play pretend animals!"
He tapped his Magic Wand, using the "Great Transformation of Living People" to instantly teleport behind the Tier Three Special Agent. He pointed his Magic Wand and with a POOF of white smoke, the Tier Three Special Agent turned into a rabbit.
"You’re the rabbit, so I’ll be the wolf! I’m gonna eat you all up!" The Joker was just about to tap himself with the Magic Wand when he saw the rabbit that was once the Tier Three Special Agent dissolve into a pile of dirt. He froze on the spot.
’That’s not him! It’s just a dummy made of dirt!’
The instant he realized this, countless Tusk-shaped rocks shot up from under the Joker’s feet, stabbing viciously toward him.
However, the rock spikes that seemed to pierce through the entire space failed to hit the Joker. At the critical moment, the Joker had turned into a paper-thin man, as if he had no bones or internal organs. His entire body flattened from three dimensions into two, allowing him to stretch and Twist himself, squeezing through the tiny gaps between the rock spikes to escape.
He was carrying a Storage Artifact. He had instantly stored his Magic Wand right before escaping and instantly retrieved it after breaking free, intending to use Instant Movement to get away.
But just then, a clamor of booing erupted from within the swirling dust.
"What is this garbage performance! Get off the stage!"
"If you’re out of tricks, go juggle some chainsaws! How dare you call this a performance? I could just go up there and do backflips and it would be better than this!"
"Refund! Refund! Refund!"
"Get off the stage! Get off the stage! Get off the stage! What a boring trick! A boring performance!"
The entire area thundered with boos. Just from the sound alone, one could imagine how distressed and embarrassed a Magician on stage would feel.
This was the Magic Wand’s weakness. When surrounded by boos, it would temporarily lose its power. When the Joker tapped it on the ground, he couldn’t activate the Instant Teleportation Skill no matter what. The Forbidden Object had completely stopped responding.
"Who is it?!" The Joker looked toward the source of the booing, and was immediately struck by a bone-deep chill that made every hair on his body stand on end.
The chill didn’t come from the rocks, but from a fist, right in his face!
Propelled by a series of sonic booms, Zhou Chen’s straight punch landed squarely on the Joker. A deafening roar erupted and a hurricane of force spread out. The Joker was sent flying backward like a cannonball. A massive, hard rock wall shot up from the ground directly in his path, and he slammed violently into it, breaking bones, tearing tendons, and vomiting mouthfuls of blood.
The earth and rock surged like a liquid, engulfing and wrapping around the Joker before solidifying, trapping him as if in a Prison. He struggled violently but couldn’t exert any strength at all.
The Joker tried to turn into a paper-thin man again, but he was immediately wracked with excruciating pain. Sharp spikes extended from the rock layer imprisoning him, piercing through his torso and limbs, pinning him completely and giving him no chance to escape in his paper form.
Zhou Chen walked over, holding a phone that was blasting at maximum volume. He stopped in front of the rock wall and looked at the approaching Tier Three Special Agent from the Counter-Terrorism Department.
"Do you have any Spiritual Element Artifacts?"
"Only one."
The Tier Three Special Agent pulled a dagger hilt from his belt pouch. A strange Alchemy Matrix was engraved on it. "After activating the Matrix, stabbing the Spirit Dagger into the brain will destroy the target’s mind. It’s an Artifact we use to silence people or for suicide... Destroying one’s own mind prevents intelligence from being leaked."
’If it can be used for suicide by a Tier Three, it should be able to trigger the Spiritual Armor the Joker is carrying...’ Zhou Chen nodded, signaling the Tier Three Special Agent to proceed.
As Essence was injected, the Alchemy Matrix activated. An illusory Spiritual Light Blade appeared on the bladeless hilt. Without a moment’s hesitation, the Tier Three Special Agent plunged the blade into the Joker’s head.
The Spiritual Armor the Joker was carrying activated automatically, forming an iron-colored Shield to block the Spiritual Light Blade’s attack. His mind became a battlefield for the two clashing Spiritual Powers, and the pain made the Joker’s face Twist in agony.
Zhou Chen watched the notification on his System Panel. As the power of the Spiritual Armor continuously weakened, the number of wish points required to brainwash the Joker was rapidly plummeting.
However, the Spiritual Armor the Joker possessed was of a very high grade. The Spiritual Light Blade was completely consumed without breaking through it. Brainwashing the Joker would still cost 3,900 wish points.
"Give it to me." Zhou Chen held out his hand for the dagger hilt, which had been reduced to an ordinary object. The next second, a brand-new Alchemy Matrix reappeared on it—he hadn’t performed Alchemy, but had simply wished for the Matrix to be restored.
The Joker’s expression stiffened.
"Continue," Zhou Chen said, handing the hilt back to the Tier Three Special Agent, who obediently did as he was told.
After two more rounds of this, the Spiritual Armor was finally shattered, and the Joker’s mind was tortured to the point of confusion and delirium.
’I wish to brainwash the Joker.’
[Wish Points -500]
The cost had dropped from the original 6,000 to just 500. Zhou Chen was very satisfied.
’Those 500 wish points were a testament to the Joker’s strength. Even after being tortured into this state, the cost to brainwash him was still the same as a Tier Three. Just how strong is this guy’s willpower under normal circumstances?’
On the stone wall, the imprisoned Joker’s head hung limply. But it soon lifted again, and he smiled at Zhou Chen. "Master, can you let me out?"
"Let him out."
With a thought from the Tier Three Special Agent, the rock wall crumbled and disintegrated, turning into a pile of dust and sand that scattered in the wind.
"Master, do you need me to deal with Andre?" the Joker asked proactively, while simultaneously taking out a Healing Potion from his Storage Artifact and drinking it to treat his injuries.
"No. You... what was your name again? Never mind. You go help the Plague Doctor deal with Andre." Zhou Chen gestured for the Tier Three Special Agent to go.
The Joker was, after all, only a Tier Two. If he were careless and got himself killed by Andre, Zhou Chen would have no one to blame but himself. He didn’t want to lose such a valuable subordinate. This was a member of Fallen Paradise, whose value and potential far outstripped that of the Tier Three Special Agent. Besides, a Tier Three should fight a Tier Three.
"Can you give me the Magic Wand?" Zhou Chen asked, looking at the Magic Wand in the Joker’s hand. This was a Forbidden Object he had wanted for a long time.
"Of course. I am Master’s slave, so everything I own is Master’s. However, the wretched Fallen Paradise has placed a restriction on it. The moment I sever the Soul Link, the Magic Wand will automatically return to Fallen Paradise." The Joker was filled with righteous indignation as he spoke of Fallen Paradise, as if he despised them with every fiber of his being, completely ignoring the fact that he was also a member.
Comments