Chapter 296

“Dear Little Leon, by the time you read this letter, I should already be gone.”

Leon, who had spent 9 copper wheels on a bumpy journey back to the Clearing Bureau, couldn’t help but darken his face at the opening of the letter from his bureau director—while not problematic, it wasn’t exactly auspicious either.

“The plan targeting Aquarius has already begun. The Honorable Taurus is working with the other two directors to influence the Aquarius Director through the ‘Instruction List,’ forcing her to undergo irradiation from the ‘Deathscape Streetlamp.’

To ensure the plan goes without a hitch and to prevent the Aquarius Director from leaving any fallback plans in the Deathscape, I’m planning to camp out for a month or so on the No Return Road in the Deathscape. Anyone heading to the Death World will have to pass there. Once I see the Aquarius Director step onto the No Return Road, I’ll come back.”

“…”

So, that first sentence wasn’t just poor wording—you’re literally “gone,” right? And although I don’t know where the No Return Road is, judging by its ominous name—”a road leading to the Death World”—it sounds like the kind of place where people go to die. You make it sound like it’s as easy to enter as going on a casual trip… It’s absurd!

As Leon imagined their red-haired bureau director drunkenly defeating some unfortunate employee guarding the No Return Road, then casually drinking beer and tossing empty cans around, he couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Little Leon~ your task with Pione should’ve been the first one completed. But knowing him, after finishing the task, he’ll definitely wander around for a few days before coming back. So, you’re probably the first one to read this.

When Emma returns from the Scale Gold Religion, remember to tell her for me: this time, as usual, all her tasks are suspended while I’m gone, and she’s responsible for overseeing the bureau.

To prevent the General Bureau from issuing temporary requests, plus since the ‘Celestial Sphere Mirror’—which only receives messages from the living—won’t work on the No Return Road, I didn’t bring it along. It’s currently sitting in the office; ask Emma to pick it up.”

“Also, don’t drink all the wine the Honorable Taurus gave you. I’ve figured out a way to bypass the restrictions and enjoy those fine wines, so please save some for me.

Love ya~ (^_-)”

“…”

For some reason, the second-to-last sentence feels like the one you really wanted to say…

Looking at the tiny smiling face drawn on the envelope, which was winking at him seductively, Leon couldn’t help but click his tongue, then pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling slightly troubled.

The mission to attack the flying ship went awry, and middle-aged Joshua managed to ambush them. Although there were no casualties, neither the members of the rebellion nor Senior Pione knew where they’d ended up.

Upon returning, Leon rushed straight to the bureau director’s office, intending to ask the director for help retrieving them and also to inform her about the situation in the Crocodile Kingdom, hoping the bureau might intervene.

But unexpectedly, the director had acted first. If the timing in the letter was correct, she might already be “in the underworld”… Hmm… Why is this mirror flickering?

Staring at the shimmering silver mirror in the liquor cabinet and recalling the ‘Celestial Sphere Mirror’ mentioned in the letter, Leon furrowed his brows, then cautiously opened the cabinet door and tentatively touched it with his finger.

[Name: Celestial Sphere Mirror (Star Palace, Image)]

[Appearance: A mirror that actively changes its material and carvings depending on the communication target. Currently, the frame is silver, with carvings of an iron maiden oozing blood.]

[Ability: Star Palace Positioning, Image Transmission]

[Cost: Paid annually by the Clearing Bureau Headquarters during the time when the stars are dimmest, no individual consumption required]

[File: When the Celestial Compass was shattered by the Supreme Four Pillar Gods, remnants containing traces of star palace power were re-cast into the eighty-eight star palaces by the first Taurus Director. These fragments, though scarce, were extremely pure. Due to the lack of long-distance communication methods at the time, the first Taurus Director crafted hundreds of mirrors capable of inter-world messaging and distributed them to key members of the bureau for timely communication.]

[Evaluation: Among the three mass-produced anomalies—Word-Eating Worms, Celestial Sphere Mirrors, and Mud莎Books—only division directors typically possess all three, humorously referred to as the “Director Trio” within the Clearing Bureau. Congratulations, you now have two out of three.]

[Taint Value: Increases with total communication duration and distance from the target]

So… This mirror is basically equivalent to a cross-dimensional video call phone? And it’s even paid for annually by the bureau? After understanding the function of the Celestial Sphere Mirror, Leon glanced at the shifting iron maiden carvings on the frame, guessing someone was trying to “video call” their director. He hesitated, then lightly stroked the silver frame.

“Hum~”

With a buzzing sound akin to bees’ wings, the bleeding iron maiden carving shifted, fixing itself above the frame, followed by a familiar voice.

“Olivia! Finally, you’re responding!”

Emma Senior appeared in the mirror, her face pale and covered in blood. Her beige fitted dress was torn in several places. There was a wound on her right leg resembling a bite from a trap’s teeth, and similar snake-scale-like whip marks on her exposed shoulder.

Her right hand was twisted unnaturally, her delicate pinky bent backward toward her palm, as if forcefully broken by an overwhelming force.

“There’s an ambush at the Scale Gold Religion!”

In shock, Leon watched as Emma Senior, drenched in cold sweat, rapidly reported: “Aquarius seems to have known I was coming and contacted the Scale Gold Religion in advance. They summoned a Snake Spirit, which bit my leg during the assembly.

Although the snake wasn’t my match and I temporarily drove it off, its rank is higher than mine. Through the wound on my leg, it keeps ‘buying’ pieces of my indestructibility. It’s already taken over three hundred…”

At this point, a strange coin appeared in her palm, glowing with an unusual light. As soon as it did, Emma Senior’s eyes lost their luster, her body freezing involuntarily as she leaned back slightly.

“No! I can’t die yet!”

With a dreamlike mutter, Emma Senior, whose right hand was already disintegrating, managed to steady herself. Thanks to her indestructibility, all her wounds healed instantly, including her broken fingers.

But her condition improved only momentarily. The black tooth marks on her thigh reappeared, fresh blood flowing anew…

“Emma Senior?!”

Realizing what was happening, Leon’s expression tightened as he shouted into the mirror:

“Emma Senior? Say something! Who else can I contact? Is there anything I can do? Should I contact the headquarters through the royal family? Can you hold on?”

“Emma Senior?!”

…

Either Emma Senior was too severely injured to hear Leon, or because he wasn’t the owner of the Celestial Sphere Mirror, he couldn’t truly “connect” the call. Regardless of how much Leon shouted, Emma Senior in the mirror remained unresponsive, standing blankly with her eyes vacant. The image began to warp slightly, as if about to disconnect at any moment.

This won’t do! I need to think of something fast!

Unexpectedly encountering such an urgent situation upon returning to the bureau, Leon clenched his fists in frustration for not foreseeing this.

If Joshua could contact the Scale Gold Religion and arrange for the Snake Spirit to ambush him, he could certainly inform them of Emma Senior’s whereabouts. Now, Emma Senior has been ambushed by the damn snake, and the situation doesn’t look good. Help is needed immediately!

After rushing out of the director’s office with the Celestial Sphere Mirror, Leon sprinted down the corridor on the first floor of the Clearing Bureau, looking for anyone available. However, all office doors were tightly shut, leaving him alone in the Virgo Subdivision, just as the director had said.

Why can’t you hire more people, Director?! Everyone’s schedule is packed, and there’s no one to call for support!

Leon complained inwardly, took a deep breath, placed the mirror aside, and kicked down Emma Senior’s door with two powerful kicks.

I can’t deal with that snake myself, so I need help. Contacting the Clearing Bureau Headquarters through the royal family is likely the fastest way to request assistance.

However, Emma Senior’s condition isn’t stable, and I don’t know how long she can hold on. I need to prepare for the worst. While contacting the headquarters, I should also create a diversion outside the Scale Gold Religion gathering to relieve some pressure on her.

Though I’ve returned to the capital city district and regained my indestructibility through the Sheep Heart, which had been affected by the snake spirit’s blessing, my strongest Holy Spirit Pendant is still sealed, leaving my combat ability embarrassingly low. I need to find a way to boost it.

Fortunately, Emma Senior’s office contains a bunch of abnormal items resembling “torture tools.” Since we both share the trait of indestructibility, maybe among these items, there’s something I can use!” Bang! Bang!”

Two heavy kicks broke the cast-iron lock, and Leon burst into Emma Senior’s office. Confirming there were no dangerous “anti-theft” measures, he reached out to touch the abnormal items inside.

[Name: Executioner Set No. 19 – Hub Punishment Wheel (Flesh, Punishment)]

[Appearance: A large wheel cast with iron caltrops, featuring special grooves to bind criminals, covered in dark brown dried blood, exuding an ever-present bloody stench]

[Ability: Flesh Wear, Sin Punishment]

[Cost: Endure the same pain and injuries as the punished]

[File: Made by Level 1 Cleaner Emma Arman of the Clearing Bureau Virgo Branch, based on her indestructibility. Part of a set of 49 items in the Executioner Set.

When activated alongside anomalies like “Bao Hua’s Sin,” “Collective Responsibility Book,” and “Thirsty Execution Platform,” this item can drag up to 30,000 lifeforms within a 20km radius into the execution ground, binding them to the torture devices for a single round of punishment.

Combined with “Suffering Eight Note Box,” “Balanced Scales,” “Repentance Thorn Crown,” and “Pain Poem,” the suffering endured by the punished will be infinitely amplified and endlessly looped.

If the punished cannot endure the dual torment of flesh and soul and entertain even the slightest desire for relief, they will be forcibly captured by the “Coffin of the Dead,” which pairs with the “Thirsty Execution Platform,” and directly sent to the Death World, never to return.]

[Assessment: Individually, this legal anomaly is quite mediocre, notable only for its extra punishment effects on evil deeds. However, when fully assembled or paired with specific anomalies, it makes even demons in hell tremble with fear.]

[Taint Value: 3.5]

“Whew…”

After reading the introduction to the first abnormal item, Leon couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath, finally understanding why the gentle and kind Emma Senior earned the nickname “Corpse Coffin Executioner.”

Unlike himself, who was still chasing the power of individual anomalies, Emma Senior’s items were combination-based.

Based on the description, it seemed her core strategy revolved around using her indestructibility to drag all targets into an inescapable execution ground, enduring the punishment once herself while everyone else suffered repeatedly with doubled pain.

Additionally, the victims would undergo a “weighing” of their souls, repenting for their sins while enduring physical and spiritual torment. If they couldn’t bear it or confessed their crimes, they’d be instantly transported to the Death World via a connected anomaly.

And the number of targets this setup could capture wasn’t just one or two—it was a staggering thirty thousand! Thirty thousand!

…

Is this the strength of a top-tier elite cleaner?

Glancing at the messy array of various instruments of torture in the room, Leon couldn’t help but shiver slightly, experiencing a hint of fear toward the usually gentle and reliable Emma Senior for the first time.

No wonder Emma Senior rarely brings all her equipment, even getting into trouble at places like the Red Brick Road Hospital. Her anomalies activate indiscriminately against friend and foe, and the scenes they create are far too bloody for regular use.

If she brought all 49 instruments of the Executioner Set and maximized the range of the “Thirsty Execution Platform,” thirty thousand people would be dragged into the execution ground.

These thirty thousand unlucky individuals would each endure endless and brutal questioning from 49 terrifying torture devices, forced under the influence of the anomalies to weep and repent for their sins…

It would truly be a living hell! Compared to such a terrifying scene, her nickname might actually be somewhat conservative.

Shaking his head slightly, Leon surveyed the room full of instruments, took a deep breath, and slapped his shiny cufflink.

Take them all! Every single one!(Chapter End)