Chapter 1804: Chapter 1801: Opening Act
Pennywise died completely back in [Derry Town].
The clown currently appearing on stage can only be sensed by Han Dong… It’s a ‘residual thought’ derived from consciousness.
Or rather, it’s the inevitable product of consciousness that comes with fusion of the ‘Mad Laugh Attribute’.
It’s somewhat akin to a secondary personality, but not quite to the level of a ‘personality’, and normally doesn’t affect Han Dong in any way.
Only during extensive use of Mad Laugh, perceiving on the level of Mad Laugh, or encountering a special scene like the current one, can these residual thoughts deep in consciousness potentially coalesce into a whole.
Forming the image of Pennywise to converse with Han Dong.
In essence, it’s merely a self-dialogue within Han Dong’s consciousness…
“Governor Willis, you go to the second layer to find the safest spot to sit, I have a different idea.”
Governor Willis had already noticed Han Dong staring at the front row seats for a long time, his state seemed a bit off, roughly guessing something.
“Exactly, having made it here, I intend to seriously watch the performance…”
“Alright, see you in three days.”
Governor Willis wouldn’t rashly choose the front row like Han Dong. He understood that the young man in front of him had different intentions and had the capability to realize them, while he preferred to be more conservative.
Currently, other spectators were also entering the venue,
Those who arrived at the main venue so early were not simple characters; they had gathered some intelligence in secret and knew that heading to the second layer to select a seat was the wisest choice.
When they were picking seats on the second layer, they noticed a young man who had arrived at the main venue earlier than them walking alone towards the frontmost part of the first layer.
Without any hesitation, he sat in a seat in the first row.
“Is this guy seeking death?” A burly spectator with a dinosaur-like spine muttered.
The spectator beside him, wearing an owl mask, had a different view, “He must be quite skilled to have arrived here earlier than us… Doesn’t seem like he’s seeking death, more like a challenge to the circus.
Should be interesting to watch!”
The circus, the deepest layer.
The origin area of eternal darkness, where all darkness emanates from this passage.
Not many people can withstand the darkness here under ‘Truth Closure’… however, a flicker of firelight illuminated the entrance of the passage, appearing faint yet able to dispel the darkness.
The visitor was the [butler] with a candelabrum head.
Seemingly not his first visit here, he adjusted the candle’s burn efficiency to maximum, steadily walking to the deepest part.
He pushed open the iron door at the end with his hand… buzz! Darkness dissipated.
Inside was unexpectedly a common residence without any dark elements, akin to a modern apartment.
Sizzle! The sound of running water came from the bathroom, along with faint humming.
The butler respectfully approached the bathroom door, a neatly folded towel hanging from his arm unknowingly.
A two-meter-tall long-haired man with lush hair slowly emerged from the bathroom… Overall, he looked just like a common human without much special traits.
After wrapping himself in the towel handed over by the butler, he softly asked:
“Is everything alright at the main venue?”
“Everything is fine… However, this time we have a very special spectator.
He’s not a native of this world, but comes from the Black Tower. An individual capable of gathering information about us in the Black Tower either has a significant background or a deep connection with the dark web.”
“That doesn’t seem particularly special, does it?”
The butler calmly continued, “Indeed, the main thing is, I caught a whiff of ‘clown’ scent from him.”
“No… I mean the previous generation clown.”
The man’s expression became stern for a moment, “Continue.”
“The ringmaster need not worry, after these few days of contact, it’s fairly certain… He’s neither Pennywise nor an Aberrant affected by the clown virus.
I speculate that Pennywise was killed by this person, who then somehow fused the [clown] trait.”
“Interesting! Any information found on this person?”
“His data has been classified as highly confidential by the Black Tower, unable to be accessed.”
Like a stone thrown into a tranquil lake, ripples spread across the entire lake.
For this person, life’s quiet mundanity seemed to become interesting.
More spectators arrived at the venue, but still, no one chose a seat in the front row.
Han Dong appeared to be enjoying himself, adjusted the recliner to a 45-degree tilt, with a large tub of popcorn on one side and a liter of carbonated soda on the other, exhibiting no sense of crisis.
With only ten minutes remaining.
Since most seats were already chosen, the spectators arriving at this time had only the front row left to choose,
Walking past Han Dong’s compartment, their expressions showed varying degrees of tension.
“Is it finally starting?”
An indescribable oppressive force silenced the audience, covered with stillness.
From the stage spread layers of black air currents, those seated in the first row could distinctly feel the black air enveloping their calves, akin to soaking in an ice cellar that even numbs the lower body.
A vertical beam of white light shone on the center of the stage.
A long-haired man draped in a black feather coat, leaning on a black gemstone staff appeared in the light.
Shirt, waistcoat, dress pants, and gleaming shoes,
hung with a lavish chain made from special material in front of him,
Bowing in four directions upon his entrance.
“Welcome to the Dark Circus, I am the founder and ringmaster, you may call me [V].
Next I will explain the venue’s rules, which are intimately related to the ensuing performance and the lives of those present, so please listen carefully.
1. Absolutely no noise, if you disrupt the performance, you will be executed.
2. Continuous viewing throughout the three-day show without diverting eyes from the [stage]. Our lighting technician will monitor each of you continually, and if gaze drifts for over five seconds, the light will shine upon you.
Extreme punishment will then be imposed via lottery.
Consider it an external performance, if anyone wishes to voluntarily participate, we encourage it.”
Saying that, another beam of light cast down, hitting a roulette containing various extreme punishments.
Some of these punishments looked spine-chilling.
“3. Any spectator called out, chosen, or meeting certain criteria needing to appear on stage must cooperate. Any struggle, escape, or attempt to shirk will result in direct execution.
Please adhere closely to these three demands,
and don’t be overly anxious. These stringent rules are merely for ensuring the smooth progress of the performance… Rest assured, the circus will provide you a show that transcends the limits of sensory perception.”