Chapter 35

Currently, the Black Goat… or rather, the Demon Horn’s revival level is only at five percent, yet its taint value has already reached 0.4.

So when the Demon Horn’s revival progress hits one hundred percent, its taint value might directly jump to 8, surpassing the Red-haired Bureau Director’s “Love Without Memory” by a whole point.

And if all seven anomalous items could be gathered to form the complete “Demon Set,” that would be seven times eight—whopping 56 total taint points! The “Love Without Memory” with merely 7 taint points can effectively erase the memories of tens of thousands of people if used properly. So how powerful would the “Demon Set” with a total taint value of 56 be?

“If I get the chance, I’ll try looking for it.”

Not sure whether it was a promise to the Black Goat or a reminder to himself, after keeping the search for the “Demon Set” in mind, Leon glanced at the time, waved his hand, and ended the conversation.

Then, he took out the shopping bag he got when buying Gauloises cigarettes at the department store, skillfully stuffing the Black Goat inside. He then picked up the floating broom nearby, tentatively grabbing the broomstick with both hands and swinging one leg over.

“Puff”

With an almost imperceptible airflow sound, Leon’s butt didn’t land on the hard broom handle but instead touched a layer of invisible airflow, gently lifting him up. Meanwhile, a hazy air barrier quietly formed about twenty to thirty centimeters around his body.

At this moment, Leon had a vague feeling that this air barrier seemed like an extension of his will, capable of changing shape according to his thoughts. Besides shielding against airflow during flight, it likely had other functions too, such as…

“Puff!”

A short and sharp airflow explosion sounded. Under Leon’s conscious control, the previously smooth air shield trembled slightly, suddenly “exploding” outward. A chaotic storm instantly rampaged through the small office, tossing everything that could be blown around into chaos.

After checking the effect of the airflow burst, Leon couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.

Flight, protective shielding, minor air manipulation…

The badge’s evaluation wasn’t wrong; the Bureau Director really did help him obtain an extremely practical anomalous item. If you add the early warning from the Sheep Head, his survival skills were nearly maxed out.

In future missions, if danger arises, he could instinctively use the airflow to cover faces, immediately mount the broom, and escape under the protection of the air shield. He could even later perch high in the sky and counterattack from above.

It wouldn’t matter if aiming was difficult while moving at high altitudes; as long as he flew high enough, relying on the hit rate accumulation provided by the Materialist Soul, he could take his time shooting, eventually hitting once.

Anyway, given the destructive power of the nail gun, unless the target was of the physical enhancement type, getting hit would usually end them.

Though this variant kite strategy might sound somewhat dirty and even borderline cheating, Leon didn’t have Emma Senior’s indestructible body. Could he possibly pass up the opportunity to safely kite enemies from afar and instead recklessly close in for battle? After some thought, confirming his main tactic for the near future, Leon resisted the urge to go flying right away and tied the shopping bag containing the Sheep Head onto the broomstick.

Next, he found a long strip of cloth to wrap the Witch’s Broom, “carrying” the wrapped broom as he quickly walked out of the Clearing Bureau, heading toward the old district docks according to today’s original schedule.

…

As one of the six largest water power companies in the capital city, supplying water to the urban area was just one of Chaer Water Power Corporation’s businesses. The others included manufacturing air reservoirs using hydropower, cooperating with the Agriculture Department to build irrigation diversion projects, collaborating with the Road Administration Department for flood prevention, drainage, and river dredging constructions, as well as maintaining sewage pipes and sewage rivers, etc., etc.

This company, funded by Chaer Department Store with numerous ennobled old aristocrats holding shares, closely collaborating with several municipal departments of the kingdom, far exceeded the concept of an ordinary company. It even undertook part of the municipal functions, undoubtedly making it a giant enterprise.

As one of the three main rivers running through the capital, besides being the primary water source for the city, the Punk River was also the most important transportation waterway. Its banks were lined with numerous docks, ferry crossings, and warehouses, while steamships with large chimneys crisscrossed the river surface endlessly.

These mechanical behemoths of the industrial era consumed massive amounts of coal and whale oil daily, belching out clouds of acidic white smoke from their chimneys while transporting goods and passengers back and forth until deep into the night…

After paying the exorbitant ticket price of three copper coins, Leon, carrying the broom and the sheep head, ducked into the lowest deck of the three-story passenger ship, standing for over an hour in the cheap cabin filled with sweat and mold smells, illuminated only by a dim steam lamp, before finally boarding Chaer Water Power Corporation’s exclusive ferry.

“You’re truly… we’ve never seen anyone as stingy as you!”

After leaving the crowded ferry, with fewer surrounding pedestrians, the Black Goat, who had been dizzied by the stench, couldn’t help but criticize:

“Damn, it’s suffocating! The guy next to you with smelly feet even took off his shoes! Shit! My nose is still full of sour odor now! Please, seriously, the lower deck is way too damn smelly! Can you at least sit upstairs on the way back?”

“Sitting upstairs is too expensive.”

“Bullshit!”

Seeing Leon so stubbornly set in his ways, the Black Goat angrily retorted:

“Not asking you to sit in the silver coin VIP cabin! Just the middle standard cabin! The standard cabin ticket costs only five copper coins!

Think about it! Just by spending two more copper coins, you’d have a place to sit and good ventilation. Isn’t that better than being pickled like a sardine in the lower deck?”

“…”

After hearing the Black Goat’s questioning, Leon sniffed the sour smell wafting from his own body and hesitated for a moment. But thinking about the coffee stall owner named Chaer and the morning coffee that warmed him from the inside out, he ultimately shook his head.

“Forget it, if it’s smelly, let it be smelly. Two copper coins are enough for me to eat breakfast for two days, and I can even add a slice of fried ham.”

“Fuck, you look like ham! Eat eat eat! Die eating! Ah!!!”

Seeing Leon’s determination to sit in that cursed lower deck again on the way back, the Black Goat had no choice but to blow his nose forcefully to clear the lingering stench, then swore with despair in his eyes:

“Damn it! You wait till I regain my strength!

I’m going to guard this foul river every day! Every passing ship, I’ll flip their lids and slaughter every bastard who takes off their shoes inside!”

(End of Chapter)