Chapter 542

After hearing Leon’s words, the three cleaners couldn’t help but all get confused at once.

Why should we prepare to face Bureau Director Edward? Could it be…

“Do you think Bureau Director Edward has been taken over?!”

Female Cleaner Mona was the first to speak, her face full of shock as she asked further:

“Why do you think that? Did someone just now give you a hint?”

“It didn’t give me any hint, but the possibility is quite high.”

Leon said with a frown:

“Bureau Director Edward has already transcended the difference between man and god. Even if his body is destroyed, he won’t die immediately. And when I went to the Deathscape to retrieve you guys, I really didn’t see his soul either, so he should have been captured like Nicole.

And in the situation where both his direct army and the Gemini Division cleaners are gone, that Artefact No. 0 still firmly believes Prince Andre has a higher chance of winning. Moreover, from start to finish, it never mentioned anything about Bureau Director Edward, seemingly deliberately avoiding something.

So I can only suspect that the controlled Bureau Director Edward is the reason for Prince Andre’s seventy percent chance of victory.”

“…”

Indeed… If it’s like this, it makes sense.

After exchanging glances for a while, a wave of despair involuntarily arose in the hearts of the three Scorpio Division cleaners.

No one understands Bureau Director Edward’s strength better than they do.

Even after absorbing most of the soul power from the three of them, the level Leon displayed, though also very astonishing, still falls far short compared to Bureau Director Edward.

Not to mention other things, just the existence of the “difference between man and god” is already an insurmountable barrier.

Don’t look down on the fact that there’s only a one-point difference between 59 Leon Value and 60 Leon Value, but it’s like water at 1℃ is still water, whereas water at 0℃ has already started to freeze. This missing one point of Taint Value marks the beginning of a qualitative change.

Once a cleaner’s power reaches the standard and successfully crosses the boundary between man and god, their “density” or “presence” will undergo a tremendous transformation, becoming increasingly difficult to “shake”.

Just like how a gentle breeze can ripple the surface of a lake, but even a ten-level gale can only break ice into pieces and cannot make ripples on its surface, after a cleaner “freezes”, abnormal items with insufficient rank will find it hard to “move” him.

Although Leon’s strength is astonishing, facing the already “frozen” Bureau Director Edward, even his powerful abnormal items, if they still work, will definitely be significantly less effective.

If Prince Andre can truly control Bureau Director Edward and unleash his full potential, forget about a thirty percent chance of winning; there might not even be a 0.001% chance of success! …

“Seniors, don’t lose heart. We’re not necessarily going to lose.”

Having personally experienced the difference between man and god, Leon naturally understands the gap behind this one point of Taint Value. But after sensing the despair rising in the souls of the three cleaners, he still encouraged them by saying:

“If they could completely control Bureau Director Edward and make him display his full strength, then Artefact No. 0 wouldn’t have come over to greet us earlier, so this control method must be imperfect.

Is the control possibly not perfect? After hearing Leon’s analysis, the three cleaners felt slightly reassured. The female cleaner with the best psychological quality pondered for a while before clenching her fists and speaking up voluntarily:

“That’s right! When we were attacked earlier, half of Bureau Director Edward’s body was destroyed. At his level, repairing such damage would not be easy. His strength will definitely be somewhat reduced!”

“And there must be issues with the soul too.”

Recalling the cleaners whose bodies Leon had chopped up, Franky tugged at his beard and said thoughtfully: “When Leon was fighting those Gemini Division cleaners earlier, I took the opportunity to observe their souls and noticed that their souls seemed a bit rigid. Every time they reacted, there was a slight delay.

If they use the same method to control Bureau Director Edward as they did with these Gemini Division cleaners, then the same situation may occur during the fight.”

“Hearing what Franky said, I also feel something isn’t right.”

After listening to Franky’s words, Reuben also leaned forward and began analyzing:

“Besides the soul, their combat style is also a bit awkward. It feels like those Gemini Division cleaners move ‘rigidly’. Their development of personal anomalous items is also strange.

For example, if I were to use those anomalous items to attack Leon and found them ineffective, I wouldn’t waste my strength later on. I’d conserve my energy and try attacking the ground beneath his feet to force him to change positions.

But those Gemini Division cleaners seem completely unconcerned about consumption and don’t consider adapting at all. They always go all out without holding back, fighting without any strategy. This could be a weakness we can exploit.”

Physical damage, delayed soul reactions, and rigid combat styles? After noting down all the possible weaknesses in the controlled Scorpio Bureau Director that the three had analyzed, Leon, who was advancing deeper into the royal palace, couldn’t help but slightly curl his lips.

Although the seniors were genuinely shaken when they realized the situation was dire and they might have to face off against the controlled Scorpio Bureau Director, they quickly calmed down upon hearing there was still a chance. They immediately began brainstorming ways to analyze the situation and search for possible turning points.

There’s nothing else to say—these three seniors, as elites of the Scorpio Division, excel both in mental fortitude and professional skills.

Considering they know the Scorpio Bureau Director well, as long as they maintain their composure and provide more intelligence about him, there’s no reason why Leon can’t hold his own against him! With the determination to take a bold gamble, Leon moved through the transparent glass corridors of Crocodile Kingdom Royal Palace, swiftly bypassed the clock-shaped roundabout corridor, and arrived at the entrance of the hall Phelia called the “Preservation Hall.”

Just as Leon was about to push the door open, a stiff voice suddenly came from inside the main hall.

“Everyone, I’ve gathered you here today to discuss a matter concerning the future of our kingdom.”

Pushing the door open out of curiosity, Leon’s pupils couldn’t help but constrict sharply upon seeing the source of the voice.

In the center of the “Preservation Hall,” on the throne, the middle-aged man speaking had a horizontal cut across his forehead, the upper half of his skull above his eyebrows flipped backward, revealing an empty space where his brain should have been.

Yet the middle-aged man, whose features looked somewhat familiar and resembled Andre greatly, appeared completely unaware of his exposed brain as he continued to speak expressionlessly:

“According to the Artefact’s assessment, my daughter Phelia’s brain possesses ten times the talent. Therefore, it suggests I remove her brain to create a new core… What do you think?”

(End of Chapter)