As Prince Andre donned his mask and began seeking support from the Execution King Assembly, the target of his actions, the Scorpion Bureau Director, smiled warmly and nodded at Leon. He then extended his right hand toward the female journalist who was frowning.
“In the next few days, I’m counting on Miss Nicole to follow me and continue our investigation with the Scorpio Division.”
“…”
Upon hearing the words of the Scorpion Bureau Director, the female journalist, who had been holding in her anger, pouted. Though she stepped away from Leon and positioned herself beside the Scorpion Bureau Director, she completely ignored his outstretched hand.
The Scorpion Bureau Director, unperturbed by being snubbed, casually withdrew his hand with a carefree smile. Then, with an amiable expression, he turned to Leon and said:
“Leon, Algernon is one of our elite members in the Scorpio Division. In terms of strength, though he may be slightly inferior to Emma, your Virgo Subdivision’s executioner, among all Level 1 Cleaners in the bureau, he ranks quite high.
I believe that with his strength, he should be able to ensure the safety of you and Princess Phelia. Moreover, if you have any plans, feel free to consult him; his abilities should also be helpful to you.”
Help me? More likely, he’ll just be keeping tabs on me, huh?
Leon smiled, already aware of the Scorpion Bureau Director’s thinly veiled intentions. Acting as if he hadn’t noticed anything, he proactively extended his hand towards the tall man standing before them, whose expression seemed somewhat uneasy.
“I’ll leave it to you, Senior Algernon.”
“No, no trouble at all.”
Embarrassed, the tall man laughed lightly. Under the persistent hints from the Scorpion Bureau Director, despite his obvious reluctance, he reluctantly shook Leon’s outstretched hand.
[Name: Skin Threads (Degeneration, Threads, Seizure)]
[Appearance: A complete set of normal male human skin formed by countless decomposable threads. The male stands around 190 cm tall and weighs about 230 pounds, apparently having a habit of regular exercise, with smooth and powerful muscle lines.]
[Ability: Demon Disguise, Thread Skin, Skin Seizure]
[Cost: One must strip their original skin and fully replace it with ‘Skin Threads’ to use it freely.]
[Record: One of the works of the Great Demon “Dissector” Angorofis. Together with ‘Flesh Threads’, ‘Bone Threads’, ‘Nerve Threads’, ‘Organ Threads’, and nine other similar anomalous items, they form a set, which Angorofis kept in his bedroom and often admired.
During a joint operation between the Scorpio Division and Water Bottle Division, the Great Demon Angorofis was captured and killed. This set of anomalous items, after partial neutralization treatment, was stored in the Scorpio Division warehouse.
Years later, Level 2 Cleaner Algernon Bently of the Scorpio Division, during an investigative mission, was captured and sacrificed by a prehistoric race, suffering extensive damage to his muscles, skin, and bones that could not be restored. He then claimed this set of anomalous items and has used them ever since…]
[Assessment: Although lacking in destructive power, this anomalous item is rather practical. If combined with another anomalous item that enhances physical strength to temporarily increase thread strength, it might produce surprising results.]
[Taint Value: 5]
…
Turn the whole body into threads, huh? So that’s what kind of ‘Thread Man’ this is.
Hmm… and it even carries a degeneration tag? Looks like my Demonic Badge will come in handy again.
After reviewing the detailed information of [Skin Threads], Leon’s eyes flickered with comprehension. He didn’t say anything further, but the tall man whose hand he shook felt a slight stiffness throughout his body, as if all the threads composing his body were about to leave him.
Is this the quality of the former ‘Demon Scholar’ and now the Clearing Bureau’s ‘Food God’?
Sensing the eerie premonition that all his flesh and blood were momentarily frozen and might be dominated by the other party at any moment, the ‘Thread Man’ Algernon couldn’t help but shiver violently. He then lowered his gaze, standing obediently beside Leon.
“…”
Wait… Algernon? What are you doing?
Looking at Algernon, who had his hands folded in front of his abdomen and unconsciously hunched over, despite being nearly two meters tall, exuding an air of a long-suffering housewife, the corners of the Scorpion Bureau Director’s mouth twitched involuntarily. A strange sense of misplaced trust suddenly arose within him.
Although Algernon’s strength ranks among the top in Level 1 Cleaners, only slightly behind elites like Emma the Executioner and Dice Emperor Tom, his courage is truly lacking. Entrusting him with “monitoring” Leon doesn’t seem like a good choice.
But… the others wouldn’t do any better, would they?
Glancing at the others nearby, the Scorpion Bureau Director sighed inwardly, regretting not bringing more people along.
For this investigation mission, he had only mobilized four cleaners: ‘Thread Man’ Algernon, ‘Flower Fairy’ Reuben, ‘Angler’ Franky, and ‘Clear Path Ahead’ Mona.
Among them, Mona’s abilities are supportive. Only through her abilities can he move freely within this city of metal and concrete without damaging walls, so it’s impossible to assign her to monitor Leon.
Reuben and Franky are strong enough, but they are needed for the upcoming investigation, leaving only Algernon. Now, he could only hope that Algernon would show some bravery once and step up to stop Leon when he tries something reckless.
No mistakes in content, available at 69 Book Bar!
Hmm… Maybe I’m overthinking things. Leon has already been excluded from this mission, so there shouldn’t be much chance for him to cause any commotion… right?
Looking at Leon, who was smiling at him, the Scorpion Bureau Director, who had been smiling continuously until just now, suddenly felt uneasy inside. He started doubting whether he had made the right decision.
“I’ll take my leave then.”
Unaware of the Scorpion Bureau Director’s hesitation, after giving the female journalist a look indicating she shouldn’t act out and prioritize completing the task, Leon nodded farewell to the Scorpion Bureau Director:
“I need to return to the embassy to retrieve the people left there, so I won’t stay longer. Wishing your investigation goes smoothly.”
“Hmm… thank you, hoping everything goes well for you too.”
With a vague feeling that something wasn’t quite right but unable to pinpoint what, the Scorpion Bureau Director could only nod at Leon and watch as he and Algernon left.
When Leon and Algernon were far enough away, the still frowning female journalist asked,
“Lord Edward, how do you plan to proceed with the investigation?”
Next…
“Let’s head to the Gemini Division first!”
Looking at the two Gemini Division cleaners tied up like mummies in the [Prohibited Net], the Scorpion Bureau Director pushed aside his doubts for the time being and spoke with determination:
“Since they’ve already abducted a member of the royal family, our presence can no longer be hidden.
At this point, the best course of action is to eliminate their ability to resist. Regardless of what happens with the Crocodile Royal Family, controlling those Gemini Division cleaners first will always be the right move!”
(End of Chapter)
