273: Chapter 274 "The War of Sequences" [Clone City]: Dream Elf Evolution - [The Serpent of Calamity]

To say nothing of the dozen or so Hosts unfortunately captured by the spherical flesh, the other Hosts being attacked by the frenzied giant flesh tentacles, or the rising flesh Bastion surging violently at the edge of Clone City—the culprit behind it all, the Host with the [Person of Calamity] Talent, [Passerby Man], was still behind the Crimson Giant Eye. He stared blankly at the flesh city that had fallen into madness; meanwhile, because his entire body was completely enveloped in the Calamity Black Cloud flowing from the cracked Dream Spirit [Unlucky Egg], he could not be observed by any normal vision.

Unaware of this, [Passerby Man] soon realized that his current location was clearly where the BOSS of this [Dream Mission World] resided. As an ordinary person with no offensive capabilities other than "misfortune," facing such close-range horror caused even [Passerby Man], who had encountered many life-and-death crises due to his own "misfortune," to inevitably stiffen. The blood flow in his veins slowed abruptly; with his body temperature dropping rapidly and an insufficient supply of oxygen, [Passerby Man] fell into a state of dizziness. As the [Clone Tower] shuddered once more from the flesh churning at the edge of [Clone City], [Passerby Man]'s vision went black, and he fainted.

Even while unconscious, [Passerby Man] still tightly clutched the cracked Dream Spirit [Unlucky Egg]. As the sound of "cracking" rang out again, the fractures on the pitch-black eggshell increased once more, and billowing Calamity Black Cloud flowed out, lifting the fainted [Passerby Man] and flying toward the high sky.

Having come to, [Passerby Man] opened his eyes and saw a mass of black cloud carrying him as it continuously climbed higher into the sky. Already accustomed to all sorts of "accidents," he quickly accepted the scene before him.

Feeling something living sliding in his palm, [Passerby Man] looked down. The pitch-black eggshell of the [Unlucky Egg] had completely shattered, and a slender black snake no thicker than an index finger was crawling back and forth in his palm, its tiny mouth continuously devouring the fragments of the pitch-black shell.

[Passerby Man] curiously raised his hand. The little black snake, which had been feasting on the pitch-black eggshell fragments, felt [Passerby Man]'s gaze. It flicked its tongue and rubbed its head against [Passerby Man]'s face. Feeling the cold touch of the snake scales and the already familiar aura, [Passerby Man] was one hundred percent certain that this little black snake was his Dream Spirit, [Unlucky Egg].

[Passerby Man] summoned the [dream system panel] and saw the updated information on it.

[Dream Spirit Evolution]: [Unlucky Egg] → [Serpent of Calamity]

[Dream Spirit Ability Update]: Normally, it will passively absorb and store a portion of the "calamity" from Passerby Man himself and his surroundings; it can also actively absorb and store all of the "calamity" from Passerby Man and his surroundings. When the absorbed "calamity" reaches its storage limit, it will randomly choose between two abilities: [Compress - Enhance Calamity] and [Erupt - Release Calamity]. It can release [Calamity Black Cloud] from its mouth; please explore the specific functions yourself, Host.

"Serpent of Calamity?" [Passerby Man] murmured to himself. Hearing its name, the [Serpent of Calamity] squinted its eyes, poked out its tiny head, and affectionately rubbed against [Passerby Man]'s cheek again. [Passerby Man] also gently rubbed the [Serpent of Calamity]'s head with his index finger and whispered, "Nice to meet you, please take care of me~ I didn't expect that the [Unlucky Egg] could actually hatch; I always thought my Dream Spirit was just an egg~"

[Passerby Man] looked at the "Calamity Black Cloud" beneath his feet, which was gradually thinning, and an ominous premonition surged from the bottom of his heart. He nervously said to the [Serpent of Calamity], "Quick! Release 'Calamity Black Cloud'! Or else we're going to fall!"

The [Serpent of Calamity] clearly understood [Passerby Man]'s words. It opened its mouth and coughed a few times, spitting out several small puffs of "Calamity Black Cloud" that landed beneath [Passerby Man]'s feet, causing the "Calamity Black Cloud" supporting him to solidify once more.

The [Serpent of Calamity] suddenly went limp in [Passerby Man]'s palm, opening its mouth to let out a weak "hissing" sound.

[Passerby Man]'s expression did not improve. Seeing the limp [Serpent of Calamity] in his palm and the "Calamity Black Cloud" still carrying him upward, [Passerby Man] resigned himself to fate, lying down on the black cloud with his limbs spread-eagle.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!" [Passerby Man] comforted himself as he tucked the [Serpent of Calamity] into his chest through his collar. With his muscles completely relaxed, he closed his eyes and rested right there high up in the sky.