The Clown's Red Nose and Its Set

Wu Wang and Gentleman Penguin chatted pleasantly on the deck. The penguin even sat down, produced a fishing rod, and cast a line alongside him.

Man and penguin began to discuss the details of their trade.

"What! The Calamity Cult, that bunch of rabble! How dare they scheme against my Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce?"

Gentleman Penguin was shocked by the so-called 【information about the red-tentacled thief】 that Wu Wang provided.

Wu Wang put on a look of righteous indignation.

"Exactly! I could hardly believe it when I first heard the news. An existence like you can come and go freely throughout the Myriad Realms. The whole universe is your backyard! You have countless treasures, yet they still dared to scheme against you."

According to Wu Wang, the Calamity Cult's purpose in this 【Relic Scramble】 was to obtain a 【Myriad Treasures Business Voucher】 in Aiguyi Town.

Their goal wasn't to trade with Gentleman Penguin, but to tie him down.

They would then use the opportunity to let that damned red-tentacled thief rummage through the penguin's Question Mark Box.

This time, the thief wouldn't be satisfied with a few Epic-grade items. He was aiming for Legendary-grade loot.

Stealing only Epic-grade items previously was a ruse to make Gentleman Penguin lower his guard, to make him think the thief was just a petty pilferer.

They were holding back, preparing to hit him with a big one.

"This information is very helpful," Gentleman Penguin said, swinging his rod and reeling in a fish. "The Calamity Cult has been a bit too active lately. Your Excellency, please ask your Benefactor Lord not to underestimate those Descenders."

He casually tapped the fish with his cane.

Duang!

The wriggling creature instantly transformed into a steaming hot delicacy. The presentation was exquisite, though a heavy dose of chili peppers suggested the penguin had a taste for spicy food.

With a snap of his fingers, the Question Mark Box tied with colorful ribbons popped open.

Out came a pair of chopsticks and a soft, reddish sphere.

To Wu Wang's astonishment, the penguin somehow managed to hold the chopsticks with his flippers. He picked up a piece of fish and savored it.

With his other flipper, he placed the red ball on his long, pointed beak, where it stuck fast.

"This is the 【Clown's Red Nose】," he announced.

"After equipping it, the more outrageous and bizarre your actions, the lower your presence becomes. Eventually, anyone who has seen you will forget everything about you. It's an effect with the highest priority among Epic-grade equipment, just one step shy of 【Legendary】."

"The side effect is that when you look in the mirror, you'll still think you're a clown, even after taking it off."

"Oh, right, it's also part of a 【Series Set】. If you collect the 【Clown's Headpiece】 and the 【Fake Smile Mask】, they combine for a truly Legendary-grade set effect."

"However, I don't have the headpiece, and the 【Fake Smile Mask】 just so happened to be stolen by that red-tentacled thief."

With that said, Gentleman Penguin suddenly started to dance.

A penguin in a suit and tie, complete with a top hat and cane, began to moonwalk and breakdance on the deck.

The sight was so bizarre it was hard on the eyes, enough to make one question their own sanity.

Wu Wang, however, stared without blinking.

He was stunned. The penguin's dancing figure grew increasingly blurry, as if it might slip from his field of vision at any moment.

It was like catching a glimpse of an acquaintance on the street, only for them to vanish into the crowd, leaving you unable to even recall who you thought you saw.

With another snap, the penguin stopped dancing, just as Wu Wang was on the verge of forgetting him entirely.

"Understand now? It's a silent, subtle feeling," he said, taking off the red nose and placing it in front of Wu Wang.

Wu Wang frowned.

"Do I have to become a clown? Is there anything else that can erase memories?"

After all, no one wanted to wash up in the morning, look in the mirror, and see a clown staring back.

"Of course! I am an auctioneer of the Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce! I can sell anything!" Gentleman Penguin puffed out his chest proudly.

Two more items popped out of the question mark box. Their shapes were... strange and unmentionable. One looked like some kind of plug, while the other seemed to be a toy from the same series as 'Purple Mood'.

The penguin, however, remained completely straight-faced.

"These two items have the same effect. Place them on a specific part of the target's body, and they will roll their eyes back and lose all memory of you. The longer you use them, the more content is erased. Be warned, using them for too long can cause the brain to crash. Moderation is advised."

Wu Wang was speechless.

He pondered for a moment, then sighed.

"Let's just stick to the clown thing."

He forced a smile.

"You know, I'm suddenly thinking red is a very festive color."

Holy shit! What the hell are you pulling out of that box! Wu Wang screamed internally. There's no way it was a coincidence that I got the 【Pink Flower Tea】 back then! How is your penguin brain so full of dirty thoughts? What happened to being a gentleman? So that's the kind of 'gentleman' you are!

Seeing Wu Wang's helpless expression, Gentleman Penguin smiled faintly. He pulled a golden strip of paper from under the plate of spicy fish.

On it were the words 【Transaction Contract】.

He knew Wu Wang would choose the clown's red nose. He had selected it himself for this very purpose.

Human desire is like a boulder rolling down a mountain. Once it starts, it can never be stopped.

Right now, Wu Wang only wanted the effect of erasing his presence. But what about later? What if he wanted the 【Legendary】 effect of the 【Clown Series Set】?

To get it, he would have to find the red-tentacled thief, since the missing mask was in the thief's hands. This was tantamount to hiring the Saint Son of Desire as a thug.

Gentleman Penguin never forced anyone to do anything. He was a merchant with principles. This was all Wu Wang's choice. He was only responsible for providing the trade.

"What is this?" Wu Wang asked, looking at the golden paper strip with curiosity. He took it and examined it.

Gentleman Penguin explained, "A proper trade naturally requires a certificate. This is a 【Myriad Treasures Transaction Contract】, personally crafted by me. If any problems arise, you can call upon me for after-sales service."

What? Wu Wang thought. Why the hell didn't you pull this out before? So all the deals I made with you weren't considered proper trades?

"Please sign your name here," the penguin said with a slight lilt in his voice. "It has to be a name recognized by the Calamity-Spirit Game, okay?"

Looking at Gentleman Penguin's smile, Wu Wang understood perfectly. The penguin still didn't trust him.

A name recognized by the Spirit Calamity Game meant the player's ID. If he wrote a fake name, the contract wouldn't accept it.

The penguin could then use that opportunity to expose him as the red-tentacled thief.

A pity for the penguin, however. The Abyss God's methods were potent.

The name 【Yan Shuangying】 was a legitimate identity, fully recognized by the Spirit Calamity Game.

After checking the contract's contents for any wordplay and finding none, Wu Wang finally lifted the pen. Flowing, gilded characters appeared on the golden paper as he wrote.

Gentleman Penguin nodded in satisfaction. It seemed his trade partner hadn't lied. His name really was 【Yan Shuangying】.

What the penguin didn't say was that the paper strip had been enhanced by the administrative abilities of the Spirit Calamity Game. If the name written was a real player ID, but not the signer's own, it would also be detected.

"Speaking of which," Wu Wang said suddenly, "when you made a deal with my disciple, why didn't you use one of these?"

The question made Gentleman Penguin freeze.

When had he ever met Wu Wang's disciple?

Seeing the penguin's confusion, Wu Wang grinned.

"My disciple's name is Pending Death. He said he met you in an instance called 【Chronicle of the Desolate Village】 and even got a useless skill scroll from you. Does that ring a bell?"

!?

An image of the man who had ripped him off flashed through Gentleman Penguin's mind.

Holy shit! That guy is your disciple!?

Wu Wang was already making his own calculations.

He was now beginning to build the reputation of his 【Pending Death】 identity, all to facilitate his subsequent plans.

He hadn't forgotten about the other players upstairs, separate from the Calamity Cult.

He had to earn something from them, too.