There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

The light in the castle hall gradually dimmed, and countless coils of wire, emitting a cool glow, swirled, tangled, and struggled around. Suddenly, sparks flew dramatically overhead, and Gray's hair stood on end.

The electrical spark eventually found its way onto the iron bed in the distance, where an indescribable, bizarre object, trembling beneath the white sheet, slowly sat up…

Subsequently, we witnessed the blue-clad boy, missing limbs, appearing in the attic room, wailing in agony as the moonlight fell at midnight; and Mrs. Mary Berkeley often wandered the corridors weeping, searching for her unfaithful husband.

As we passed a pink room filled with girly items, it was completely empty. But as we stepped through the door, an old wall collapsed, revealing a dark cave. To our horror, inside lay a small skeleton dressed in white.

After leaving the sinful guest room, we arrived at what appeared to be a restaurant. A black demon, about the size of a goat, with a human face, dark, bulging eyes, and reeking of rotting flesh, emerged from the wall and began chasing after us who had stumbled upon it.

It wasn't until we hurriedly pushed open the hidden door to the restaurant fireplace and mistakenly entered a wide underground plaza that the real interior of the castle was revealed to us.

No one could have imagined that deep beneath the castle lay a secluded dungeon, a place isolated from the world. It was dark and damp, with dried bloodstains everywhere.

The inscriptions on the stone walls indicate that at some point in history, this labyrinthine underground passage with 120 rooms was called Crown Square. These basements were used as plague isolation wards, where the sick were thrown in. Later, they became the secret place for the castle owner's evil rituals, and for the past few centuries, they have been the place where the castle owner imprisoned and tortured prisoners.

This eventually led to the formation of this underground cemetery, where plague patients and victims were imprisoned and tortured, with layers upon layers of white bones.

The plaza beneath the "Castle of Horrors" is actually a giant indoor stage. After experiencing the lifelike scares inside the castle, visitors are brought to this stage to enjoy the final screaming stage play of the vampire's awakening.

I stood at the top of the steps, watching as a spotlight suddenly shone on the center of the arena, as if welcoming the clown's entrance. Countless lights cast the shadows of bats, which disintegrated and scattered across the arena, eventually converging on the coffin in the center, solidifying into a strange pattern of deep black tinged with blood red.

In the center of the graveyard built of bones and blood, a dilapidated coffin slowly opens, and a pale, slender hand suddenly reaches out from within, descending upon the world from the dust, soil, and cobwebs...

Suddenly, the eerie background music playing in the cemetery started to stutter and crackle, and was instantly replaced by comical, grating laughter, mixed with the sound effects of countless people clapping, cheering, and whistling.

What emerged from the coffin was a bizarre smiling face painted with blood-red lips against a stark white background.

Chapter 490 Why so serious?

In the center of the stage, the clown performed some low-class and vulgar ball-throwing and pigeon-hiding acts in front of the scattered limbs, rotting corpses, and occasionally made strange faces at those around him, seemingly enjoying the attention he received.

Ironically, no one in the entire Crown Plaza was enjoying these pointless charades. Gray and I watched the clown's one-man show with cold indifference, while the corpses scattered on the ground were already cold and certainly not the type to sit up and applaud him—I could tell that, unlike the props of bones and blood, these rotting corpses on the ground were real people, and without exception, they were all dressed in the uniforms of amusement park security personnel.

The corpses were piled up in layers, reaching the height of a two-story building. A rough estimate suggests that at least three hundred people lay dead here.

The clown pinched a puppy-shaped balloon with his bare hands, then comically let it slip away, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter at the balloons flying all over the place.

His laughter was shrill and unpleasant, his vocal cords sounding as if they had been sanded, yet the sound was extremely loud with a subtle resonance. The echoing sound waves seemed to create the illusion that every corner of the venue was filled with invisible audience members laughing wildly, laughing until they convulsed, laughing until they cried, laughing until they were hysterical...

“Very interesting, sir.”

I clapped my hands and sincerely said to the clown in the center of the arena, "Seeing your performance made this trip worthwhile."

The clown was laughing so hard he was almost out of breath, but after I spoke, it was as if I pressed the pause button, making me wonder if he really hadn't caught his breath and had laughed himself to death.

But he didn't say anything. He just looked at me sternly, as if blaming me for trespassing into his territory.

The clown started frantically tearing at his comical clothes, pointing angrily at me and shouting, "Get out! Get out! There are no clowns here! And no clown shows! The freaks and deformities you want are in the hole next door! Get out!"

I nodded slightly, a look of apprehension on my face. "Can we really not ask you to bring us joy again?"

The clown staggered a few steps, then dramatically collapsed to the ground, dropping a bunch of inexplicable props. "Screw it! This world is funny enough already, why are people still chasing after me! I'll just have to carve smiley faces on them all!"

He violently pulled open the corner of his mouth with two fingers, revealing an exaggerated and terrifying scar on his lip.

"Do you know where these scars on my face came from?! You bastards! Are you so keen on torturing a person suffering from depression?!"

I spread my hands, and with the familiar tone of someone speaking to an old friend, I cheerfully encouraged him: "Hey, buddy, cheer up! I heard the great clown Pagliacci is here, go see his show! He'll definitely cheer you up!"

Upon hearing what I said, the clown in the center of the stage was suddenly startled, covered his face, and burst into uncontrollable maniacal laughter, his voice trembling with sobs as he roared in a hoarse voice, "But Doctor... I am Pagliacci!"

In an instant, the devices on both sides of the stage erupted wildly, thick black smoke instantly covered the entire venue, and the exploding fireworks went out of control, sweeping in all directions, violently seemingly trying to destroy the space!

Thick smoke filled the underground stage. I struggled to push aside the obstacles in front of me, trying to rush onto the stage, shouting, "Mr. Clown! Ever since we entered the amusement park, someone has been coming to harass us repeatedly. This can't be a coincidence!"

But Crown Square was unusually quiet amidst the chaos, as if all the noise had nothing to do with me, and the deafening sounds only served to mask the desolate emptiness.

Suddenly, I heard the clown's voice ring out from outside, "Hahahaha... Hahahaha... Do you know why people kill with knives? Because guns are too fast! Do you know why you're not dead yet? Because you gave up too quickly! Hahahaha..."

The moment the frantic voice rang out, I took off running outside. I didn't explain, and I was so fast that Gray didn't even have time to react.

I stumbled and ran out of the castle, and once again came to the ground shrouded in darkness.

But when I observed this world, all the noise of the world ceased.

Passengers on the Pteranodon roller coaster, hands raised high, lost consciousness on the second of the seven large loops—the powerful thrusters had suffocated them. Passengers on the drop tower unbuckled their seatbelts high in the air, passengers on the pirate ship screamed and jumped from mid-air, the mechanical behemoths of the Jurassic Jungle trampled the entire ship's passengers to death, and the carousel's horn pierced through the heads of those who had chosen to die…

In this world, a vacuum of sound appeared in every place I saw. The line of people queuing to die on the main road was coming to an end. The staff clapped like mechanical puppets, welcoming the non-existent guests in front of them, before turning into charred corpses that stood woodenly by the roadside.

A black storm powerful enough to destroy the world leaked from the open-air theater, transforming into a soaring black dragon that roared and roamed everywhere. I could clearly see that in the theater, a gaping hole, perhaps leading to hell, had been opened, and a giant monster with claws on its limbs was shouting to the sky.

It stood on the ruins of an ancient stone pillar, a long, blood-red tentacle occupying the space of its face. Its body and limbs were all twisted, evil tentacles, constantly emitting disgusting and terrifying roars, as it took one step at a time to step out of the abyss...

But in the chaos, countless clowns suddenly emerged from every corner of the street.

They were of all shapes and sizes, riding unicycles, playing with balloons, performing magic tricks, throwing frisbees, balancing apples on their heads, and blowing whistles. Despite being unarmed, they charged towards the monsters in the open-air theater in all sorts of comical and ridiculous ways.

On their faces, maniacal laughter and terrified curses played out one after another. Tears stained their cheap makeup amidst the laughter. These comical clowns were nothing compared to the giant.

As the air currents swept through, they could only roll around on the ground trying to get close to its calves, but just one glance up was enough to send the clowns into a complete frenzy, slumping to the ground and emitting meaningless, silly laughter.

From the moment I arrived, these clowns have been trying to convey messages to us at different times and in different places. However, their bizarre and terrifying appearances and absurd behavior have made it impossible for me to find the truth.

So I quietly hid the clues and pretended to know nothing while carrying out my activities, and finally glimpsed the truth about this terrifying amusement park!

The "Pennyland" amusement park has been using cult-like sacrificial rituals to make money, then disguising them as accidental incidents to cover up the truth, and then repeatedly reopening through generous public relations to continue its false pleasure.

However, the clown's wife and daughter, who came to visit her husband at the amusement park, were chosen as sacrifices and died in a man-made accident. Devastated, he suddenly realized the truth and began to reveal it, but he lost his job, ruined his reputation, and was forced to print tabloids underground, trying to tell the public what he knew.

I pulled a toy severed hand from my pocket—inside was a newspaper clipping that read, “The amusement park was originally a cult camp; a fire broke out during the carnival and killed hundreds.” The blank spaces contained the story in messy handwriting.

After getting to know them, I gradually came to understand that these clowns weren't unaware of the truth; it's just that their words were distorted into insane sounds in this space. Their actions weren't malicious, but in the eyes of these tourists who were about to be sacrificed, these clowns were the embodiment of terror.

Tragically, the rumors about the Grim Reaper clown in the tabloids were fabricated by him, solely to scare away tourists and prevent further tragedies.

But in my eyes, these terrifying clowns in the amusement park are more like embodiments of his conscious self. They bring both laughter and terror, both comical tricks and a force of rebellion. One could say that the various clowns I've seen are both projections of his past, wicked self who aided and abetted evil, and painful imprints he uses to remember all his sins…

However, judging from the current situation, the sacrifice back then did not completely fail. It was just that it accidentally sank into this spatial rift and absorbed the sacrifices of the creatures on the wasteland. Finally, it is about to summon a terrifying existence!

I shielded Gray behind me, enduring the throbbing pain in my head, and raised my right hand, twirling the brass ring in my hand!

A blinding light burst forth from my palm, dispelling part of the dark storm and protecting the surrounding area. But more darkness burst forth from the cracks in the amphitheater, continuing its onslaught into the world.

The colossal monster that had been roaring towards the sky suddenly extended a tentacle, and a floating, ethereal figure emerged from its gaping maw. The short-haired, translucent woman glanced at me blankly, but what she did struck me was like a bolt of lightning…

Kate Winslope!

University students in a parallel world!

The guy in front of me is the "God of a Thousand Faces"!

If a familiar enemy can find me in the real world, then they can track me down at any time!

But I fought off the gloom and negativity with all my might, and suddenly broke into an exaggerated smile. "God of a Thousand Faces, your not-so-devout followers managed to summon you with just a few hundred lives. Such an entrance seems a bit cheap..."

Gray gave me a slight shove, worried that I had gone mad from despair, but I stared intently at a house in the distance.

"It's such a huge irony that your fanatical followers maintain a semblance of order! Is this really you?! I've long noticed that the clown appears where there are no amusement park staff! And the clown's appearance signifies opportunity!"

The tall, modern building, with its pristine white walls and glass windows, stood out starkly against the retro surroundings. It was none other than the area's once most famous "Midnight Hospital."

On the hospital rooftop, a gaunt, hunched figure slowly rose, halting in the howling wind. The clown I'd just seen in the castle's basement was removing his colorful clown wig, revealing a head of messy, dark green curly hair. His colorful clothes, torn in the earlier scuffle, were ripped off, revealing a purple shirt and green vest underneath.

He brandished a small knife over his head twice, then stood unsteadily on the rooftop, nervously looking around as if he were talking to an invisible person.

"You ask who I am? No, that's not an important question."

He muttered to himself as he walked across the narrow bridge on the rooftop, "I'm just a dog chasing after cars. I have no idea what I'm doing, but maybe if I catch up, I'll have something to do?"

Suddenly, his eyes glazed over as he stared blankly at the giant monster in the distance. He was then scrambled to his feet by the strong wind and fell, cutting his hand with a knife. But he seemed oblivious, a strange smile creeping across his face.

"Stop, stop, stop... What you told me is actually all in my head, look, it's right here..." He held a knife to his temple, "Day and night, every single day, there are voices whispering in there, telling me that everyone is a fool... Oh right, including you!"

He suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, “I’m so disappointed in you… really… hahaha… I just wanted to create a little commotion, but you weren’t happy about it… I know that disrupting the existing order makes everything chaotic and interesting…”

The roaring giant began to writhe, extending a huge tentacle toward the rooftop, but the clown on the rooftop slammed to the ground, then stood up in a disheveled state. "Hahahaha, a little resistance... I love that!"

The roaring giant began to stomp on the pillars of the open-air temple, struggling to climb out of the abyss, but the clown's expression was unusually gleeful.

He spat out blood and continued, "Some say bats are experts in the dark because they know how to exploit the fear of darkness. Since I know the wonders of chaos, then I am the representative of chaos! Do you know the benefits of chaos? It brings fairness!"

The giant roared like the earth was about to collapse, its tentacles pounding wildly against the buildings, trying to attack the audacious ants.

I chuckled coldly, "Grey, tell me, if someone prays and sacrifices under its very nose day and night, can it summon a real monster?"

Gray, who was behind me, was stunned by what I said. Perhaps he was thinking of the scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the castle's underground, and suddenly exclaimed, "What! There's a sacrifice in the castle?!"

These words traveled far away on the wind, reaching not only my ears but also the clown's.

At that moment, the clown and I said the exact same thing—the difference being that he laughed almost breathlessly, while I said in a slightly critical tone, "Why so serious?"

These words seemed to be a signal, and suddenly flames shot into the sky in the hospital—a huge explosion occurred after the Joker pressed the button!

The eight supporting pillars of the lower level of the hospital haunted house broke at the same time, causing the tall building to lose its balance instantly and collapse to one side like an avalanche, covering the location of the open-air theater.

The collapsing rubble and flames did not harm the Roaring Giant, but the collapse of the buildings affected the temples and pillars in the area. Tens of thousands of tons of buildings collapsed into the cracks in the earth, and the chain reaction caused all the matter to slide rapidly into the abyss, as if falling into the mouth of an insatiable monster, disappearing into this bottomless pit.

The giant swayed, unable to stand, its entangled tentacles losing their footing from the giant pillars, gradually sinking into the chaotic void. Even with its numerous limbs climbing together, it couldn't keep up with the speed at which space was being swallowed up, and it gradually sank into it...

Faced with the earth-shattering scene, there was no need for further words. Gray and I risked our lives to run towards the amusement park gate, engaging in a life-or-death struggle with the collapsing world!

"Boss, what happened?! Who is that madman?"

Gray seemed to have regained control of his power and burst out with astonishing speed to catch up with me, exclaiming in my ear.

My eyes were fixed on the amusement park gate in the distance, and I could hear the monstrous roar that was enough to destroy my sanity, and even within it, I could hear an unmistakable, hysterical laugh...

"That's the god of clowns!"

Chapter 491 The East India Company?

The starlight was dim by Langya Lake in the dead of night. The grass on the ground, wet with dew, lay flat and drooping, as if they had all fallen into a deep sleep. The waning moon was nearing its end, and the vast night was finally drawing to a close.

The two men, who had swum out of the shallow water by the lake, stood up in a disheveled state, looking blankly at the desolate night scene around them. Then they looked at their muddy clothes and felt a gust of cold wind blow onto their soaked clothes. They couldn't help but shiver and walked towards the ground without saying a word.

"Hiss... It's so cold!" Gray gasped.

At least Gray was wearing a windproof and waterproof animal skin robe, while I was wearing a set of cold, close-fitting armor. When I walked, the armor was cold, and the water vapor was cold too. It was just as cold as the day the little match girl froze to death.

I drove ahead, feeling utterly disappointed. "What bad luck! Not only did I fail to find my way back, but I also ran into that 'Thousand-Faced God' again. Is that old bastard Hook deliberately messing with me, treating my prison experience as military service experience...? No matter how many times I see him, I can't handle this monster!"

Gray asked doubtfully, "Boss Marcus, you've seen this monster before?"

I pouted and said, "Not only have I met him, but I've also offended him... and he even warned me to be careful after school, saying he'd beat me up every time I saw him."