I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 156

Chapter 156: For the Ordinary Chosen Ones, Isn’t This an Epic Upgrade?

As the saying goes, life is unpredictable, and the world is full of surprises.

Noodle Country’s chosen one, the Paladin Sidney, stared blankly at his unfamiliar metallic mechanical body, frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

This was the case for most powerful supernatural beings like Sidney.

They had watched countless recordings of the strange tale world and gained plenty of experience from those who had cleared it.

Their minds were filled with all sorts of clever tricks, and they imagined how they would astonish everyone upon entering, making viewers worldwide look at them in a new light.

In the end, of course, they would receive the Pope’s praise, earn the highest honors as a Paladin, and possibly even undergo the Sanctum’s baptism to enhance their holy energy, elevating their strength to the next level—becoming an all-powerful expert like the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master.

Just thinking about it brought a secret thrill.

Because top-tier supernatural beings were exceptionally confident.

They possessed abilities absolutely beyond ordinary people.

Whether it was immense energy within their bodies or physically formidable prowess, they could dominate the strange tale world with any one of their abilities.

Take Gregorio, for example—despite a disastrous start in the previous round, he ultimately powered through using his holy energy.

An ordinary person, without enhancements or a strong ally in the early stages, simply wouldn’t survive later on.

This was the absolute advantage of supernatural beings.

As long as they understood the clearance rules and lifted restrictions, the anomalies and native inhabitants basically couldn’t harm them.

Watching the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master’s outstanding performance in the last round, Sidney bitterly wished he could have replaced Gregorio.

Now, finally representing the Church in this round, he found himself with no advantage at all.

All chosen ones had been transformed into mechanical beings.

Some, like Sidney, were filled with fear and anxiety.

Their supernatural abilities—the very foundation of their survival—were completely gone. Forget anomalies; they probably couldn’t even defeat the native inhabitants now.

Others, however, remained calm and were even excited.

For supernatural beings, the mechanical body stripped them of all their abilities, leaving only unfamiliar metal.

But for ordinary chosen ones, wasn’t this an epic upgrade?

Right upon entering the strange tale world, they possessed incredibly powerful combat capabilities and pain-free senses, significantly boosting their survival rates.

In previous strange tale worlds, even if ordinary chosen ones gained abilities—like Headscarf Nation’s Abdul—they could only choose to hide and survive, avoiding combat with the world’s creatures at all costs.

Now, ordinary chosen ones felt more confident and looked forward to discovering what weapons they might have.

Even if their entire bodies were combat-ready, they still didn’t know how to use them.

But all chosen ones shared one thing: intense curiosity about their unfamiliar bodies.

Just then, a voice sounded behind them.

“Number 1333, it’s time to return.”

The voice was equally mechanical, devoid of emotion.

A mechanical guard appeared behind the chosen ones.

Like them, it was made of dark metal, but its design was exceptionally cool.

A humanoid mechanical warrior, covered in dark heavy metal, with an unparalleled mecha aesthetic that caught the eye of most men.

Especially the deep red goggles on its face, the overall streamlined design, every line on its body smooth and every angle sharp—it was utterly captivating.

This was what a mecha warrior from the future looked like, the dream of those seeking mechanical ascension.

The chosen ones assumed they probably looked similar but had no mirror to check.

However, that wasn’t their main concern. Upon arriving in the strange tale world, the first challenge had already appeared.

They now had mechanical bodies and were sitting on the edge of a mechanical castle high in the sky.

There were no guardrails nearby, and below was an abyss.

A fall would certainly mean certain death.

They hadn’t even seen the rules yet—meaning the introductory sequence hadn’t even begun.

Dying at this stage would be utterly absurd.

Moreover, everyone was still struggling to control their mechanical bodies properly. Loss of control or slipping could easily send them plummeting down.

So the chosen ones began moving their bodies, slowly adapting to the mechanical forms.

This was not the time to rush—haste would only lead to mistakes.

Many clever chosen ones simply lay down on their backs and used their hands to push themselves backward, ensuring they moved away from the edge.

To be extra safe, some even rolled over a few times before getting up.

It might have looked awkward, but survival was the key for ordinary chosen ones.

Still, some made mistakes.

The chosen one from Stick Nation was an ordinary person randomly selected.

When he first appeared here, his mind went blank.

He hadn’t had much of a fear of heights outside, but the tallest structures he’d encountered were only a few hundred meters high, with safety measures in place.

Here, however, the height was thousands of meters. Not just him—many chosen ones felt their legs go weak.

Even their mechanical bodies trembled involuntarily.

The Stick Nation chosen one grew nervous, his center of gravity unconsciously shifting downward. As he tried to move, he pushed too hard with his legs and slipped over the edge.

Below was a bottomless abyss—a fall would mean certain death.

Panicking, the Stick Nation chosen one couldn’t fly and wasn’t quick enough to grab the edge of the mechanical castle.

He simply slid down.

Viewers from Stick Nation couldn’t bear to watch—such an embarrassing death.

But just then, footsteps echoed from the aerial fortress.

A mechanical face appeared before the Stick Nation chosen one.

It grabbed his mechanical arm and pulled him up with powerful force.

“Thank you, thank you.”

The Stick Nation chosen one’s power core raced like a heartbeat.

He was still shaken, having nearly died before the challenge even began.

But his metal face showed no expression.

“Be careful next time. Don’t go to such dangerous places.”

The mechanical guard seemed not to understand what “thank you” meant. He was merely a programmed mechanical being.

His creators likely didn’t see the need for humans to thank mechanical beings, so they hadn’t included such a setting.

But when he saw a companion in trouble, he acted without hesitation—that was his duty.

His priority was to save humans first, mechanical beings second.

In danger, he could not abandon humans. If necessary, he would sacrifice himself or other mechanical beings to ensure human safety. That was the meaning of his existence.

As a semi-intelligent being, however, he could still converse fluently with the chosen ones.

In this stage, Zhang Yangqing’s performance was particularly impressive.

While other chosen ones faced a potentially deadly challenge, to Zhang Yangqing, it was merely a matter of standing up—hardly worth mentioning.

With his top-tier comprehension, he quickly gained a far deeper understanding of the mechanical body than anyone else after just a few movements.

One could say it already felt like his own body.

Hearing a companion call out to him, Zhang Yangqing placed one hand on the ground, shifted his center of gravity, and used just that one arm to push himself up. He executed a flawless backflip, spinning 360 degrees in the air.

He landed perfectly in a mecha warrior pose, the metallic clang of his landing echoing with undeniable domineering.

Zhang Yangqing’s excellent performance thrilled viewers in the Dragon Nation, who couldn’t help but want to applaud.

: Does Celestial Master Zhang have any weaknesses? He seems to excel everywhere he goes.

: The supernatural beings in other streams seem to be questioning their life choices, but Celestial Master Zhang looks like he’s enjoying himself, having a great time.

: Maybe it’s just me, but Celestial Master Zhang’s mechanical form looks different from the others’. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he seems more handsome and domineering.

: Now that you mention it, I ran some data analysis. Most chosen ones have similar designs, but Celestial Master Zhang’s mechanical body looks more destructive, with a finer and sturdier construction.

: I thought so too. His mechanical body seems much more powerful, though it might also be that the others haven’t figured out how to control their strength yet.

These weren’t just imagined differences. Zhang Yangqing’s mechanical body was far superior to the others’.

Having cleared the strange tale world multiple times, Zhang Yangqing had gained a total of 38 points in full attribute bonuses.

In ordinary strange tale worlds, these bonuses didn’t matter much, as Zhang Yangqing’s abilities were already peak-level.

For example, if an anomaly had 100 health, Zhang Yangqing could deal 10,000 damage with a single slap. A few extra attribute points wouldn’t make a visible difference—the outcome was the same.

But now, since chosen ones couldn’t use their own bodies, Zhang Yangqing’s absolute advantage became glaringly obvious.

If the initial full attributes of the mechanical body were 50 points, Zhang Yangqing had nearly doubled its capabilities. His mechanical body was naturally much stronger than the others’.

This was the benefit of entering the strange tale world multiple times.

Even at this initial stage, Zhang Yangqing was already far ahead.

Zhang Yangqing analyzed that this strange tale world wasn’t a “nerf” but rather a “buff.”

Because the strange tale world was designed for ordinary chosen ones to clear.

This round significantly enhanced ordinary chosen ones’ physical strength, meaning the subsequent challenges wouldn’t be so simple.

Otherwise, why would the strange tale world hand out such a generous beginner’s gift?

But for supernatural beings, wasn’t this a nerf?

Other supernatural beings complained bitterly.

Zhang Yangqing, however, didn’t mind. As long as he could clear it, it was all good.

Viewers from the Dragon Nation followed Zhang Yangqing’s gaze.

They saw a massive aerial mechanical city—a fortress in the sky with countless mechanical gears operating, seemingly providing the power to keep it afloat.

The mechanical city wasn’t stationary; it was moving toward a destination.

Whether because the castle was too massive or the sky too vast, with no clouds for reference, it gave off a feeling of slow motion.

Along the way, Zhang Yangqing saw various types of mechanical beings.

Some had four legs and carried items on their backs, likely transporting goods.

Others had multiple hands and could swap their palms for tools like welders, performing maintenance and cleaning duties to keep the sky castle operational.

The light in the sky was bright, but since the chosen ones were now mechanical beings with goggles, the glare didn’t seem to bother them.

According to another mechanical guard, this massive aerial mechanical fortress was called the “SkyWeaver City.”

It symbolized a colossal beast of the sky.

Legend had it that this world was home to an enormous whale that swam through the heavens, swallowing clouds and breathing mist.

Its name was the SkyWeaver Leviathan.

In Dragon Nation terms, it could also be called the Kunpeng.

Zhang Yangqing had a good understanding of the strange tale world. The first NPC often provided valuable information—acting as a beginner’s guide to help chosen ones learn about this world.

He focused on extracting useful details.

Seeing Zhang Yangqing perform so steadily, the Dragon Nation’s expert panel breathed a sigh of relief.

They had worried he might struggle like other supernatural beings.

But then again, this was far from Zhang Yangqing’s first time. Pressure was hardly an issue.

Even if problems arose, he would be the first to recover.

So why were the experts and viewers so concerned? Because many supernatural beings were facing issues.

The first to struggle was the Church’s Paladin Sidney, who was in serious trouble.

He sat at the edge of SkyWeaver City, head in hands, the goggles on his face dim, as if he had lost all hope.

Viewers from Noodle Country wondered if he was feeling cowardly.

Even when someone called out to him, he showed no reaction, as if he had lost his hearing.

This was strange. He was a Paladin of the Church, a symbol of strength and resilience. How could he act like this?

Most viewers from Noodle Country assumed it must be a misunderstanding—perhaps he was meditating or something.

In the Church hall, the Cardinals glanced at each other, confusion in their eyes.

They couldn’t understand why the usually confident Paladin Sidney was behaving this way.

This wasn’t like him at all. He was a role model for countless Paladins in the Church, a pillar of strength who had long guarded the most perilous places.

His spirit and will should have been tempered to perfection.

While others seemed puzzled, the Pope sighed after watching for a while.

From the Pope’s tone, everyone could guess that Sidney had his own weaknesses, which might be magnified in this strange tale world.

This was a story only the Pope knew.

Despite Sidney’s current muscular, towering physique, he had been a weak and frail ordinary person in his childhood.

One winter, heavy snow covered the ground, and a bitter wind blew.

In the dirty, foul-smelling alley of a slum, a young life was on the verge of death.

Buried under a thick layer of snow, his life force was fading.

The Pope, not yet Pope at the time, was preaching in the area.

He discovered Sidney, critically ill.

The Pope brought Sidney back to the Church. While treating his injuries, he noticed how emaciated Sidney was—clearly malnourished.

His body was covered in wounds, as if he had suffered inhuman abuse.

Some wounds, had it not been winter, would have festered and rotted.

When the Pope revived him and tried to ask about his past, Sidney remained silent.

The young Sidney’s eyes were dull, devoid of hope—he had lost all meaning in life.

For him, death might have been a release.

He curled up motionless whenever anyone approached, having developed a non-resistant mentality. He likely knew that resistance only led to worse beatings.

Back then, Sidney was also extremely timid. Not just around the Pope and others—even ants or mosquitoes would frighten him terribly.

To redeem him and restore his confidence, the Pope made great efforts.

He told Sidney: “Building a strong body is the meaning of your life.”

At the time, he said this mostly to persuade him to eat.

Because Sidney had already begun refusing food, waiting to die.

Sidney was a person without faith or goals.

That day, the Pope gave him both faith and a purpose.

Redeemed, Sidney began training day and night, finding solace in his growing muscles, which comforted his fragile heart.

Gradually, he became more outgoing, rose to become a Paladin of the Church, and voluntarily stationed himself in the most dangerous places.

That was how he developed such an formidable iron-like body.

Because he was obsessive—he firmly believed the Pope’s words: “Building a strong body is the meaning of your life.”

He was actually very timid but hid his fear behind his powerful muscles.

Now that his muscular armor was gone, he felt vulnerable again.

It was as if he had returned to that helpless world.

Now, Sidney had become “Timid Sidney.”

Fortunately, he was a Paladin of the Church. Viewers from Noodle Country assumed he was praying and didn’t question it.

Whether he could overcome this and continue depended on the strength of his faith.

After hearing the Pope’s story, Gregorio remarked, “Why are my colleagues all such oddballs? Is there no one as normal as me?”

Everyone looked at him, speechless.

They had never seen someone so shameless.

With his “goes crazy at the sight of blood” personality, how could he call himself normal?

The other supernatural beings weren’t faring much better.

Because supernatural beings had developed their bodies to a certain degree, they were very familiar with their own forms. Suddenly switching bodies left them disoriented and uneasy about this strange tale world.

Ordinary chosen ones, on the other hand, felt empowered.

They just struggled to control their strength while walking, often stumbling.

When overcoming obstacles, they sometimes used too much force, crashing into structures—a comical sight.

While other supernatural beings faced constant issues, Zhang Yangqing had already moved on to the next area.

Viewers felt like he wasn’t entering a strange tale world but rather returning to his backyard.

His familiarity was so natural it seemed as if he were a mechanical guard himself, with no sense of incongruity.

Even his walking posture and control over his body’s strength were on par with other mechanical guards.

Zhang Yangqing arrived at an area labeled “Training Base.”

Many mechanical beings moved in and out of this place.

At the entrance of the training base, Zhang Yangqing saw the rules of this strange tale world.