Chapter 79

Only 1.1? Leon couldn’t help but regretfully shake his head after checking the still pitifully low taint value, even after acquiring a new anomalous item. He abandoned the fantasy of his taint value skyrocketing by 48 points, allowing him to instantly dominate the battlefield.

Previously, when he obtained the Witch’s Broom, his taint value had directly increased from 0.4 to 0.9, probably because both the Sheep Head and the Witch’s Broom had very low taint values that didn’t reach his tolerance limit.

This time, although the Holy Spirit Pendant has an upper limit of 48 points, Leon had only been in contact with anomalous items for less than a month. His “tainting” level was still shallow, and it seemed that 1.1 was his current limit.

…

“Director, I’ve arrived.”

After politely informing the Red-haired Bureau Director, Leon activated the Holy Spirit Pendant, converting a small portion of his stamina into currency and directly “feeding” it to the golden toad on his chest.

“Gurrr…”

With a deep croak audible only to Leon, the previously gaping mouth of the golden toad quietly produced a small copper wheel.

And after swallowing the copper wheel, a faint white glow suddenly appeared, precisely hitting the floating red hair, then…

Nothing happened…

…

Just that?

Looking at the red hair that remained gently floating above the desk, not even showing a single bend after being hit by the slash, Leon couldn’t help but feel slightly disheartened despite having mentally prepared himself.

Even though his physical abilities improved somewhat as his taint value gradually rose, they were still within the range of ordinary people—probably reaching its peak after running seven or eight kilometers.

So, the previous slash, though unimpressive, had already consumed one-eighth of his stamina. Considering he needed to reserve some energy, such attacks could likely only be performed four to five times.

The attack made at such a great cost couldn’t even cut a single strand of the Red-haired Bureau Director’s hair… this is…

Better practice sniping!

“It’s fine, the power was impressive enough.”

Noticing the disappointment in Leon’s eyes, the Red-haired Bureau Director retracted her hair and comforted him with a smile: “The force of that slash could probably pierce through a thin steel plate. Moreover, the move was very discreet, without any obvious preparation actions, and the attack positioning was also extremely precise… By the way, what’s the farthest distance you can release such an attack?”

“This… I’m not quite sure…”

“Then let’s try another method.”

Pointing toward the window, the Red-haired Bureau Director spoke:

“Extend your will outwards, and from the farthest position you can reach, pluck a leaf and bring it back.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

Following the Red-haired Bureau Director’s request, Leon paid a bit more stamina to the toad on his chest.

A while later, a somewhat yellowish leaf floated in through the window along an invisible breeze and landed on the desk.

“The maximum distance is roughly around 100 meters, so the maximum effective killing distance should exceed 50 meters.”

After glancing at the leaf on the table, the Red-haired Bureau Director nodded contentedly and summarized: “The destructive power is slightly lacking, just slightly higher than police firearms and lower than large-caliber nail guns; the accuracy is extremely high, capable of precisely severing a leaf stem from 100 meters away; within 50 meters, no preparation is required to cause direct damage… Very strong!”

“As long as you’re in slightly complex terrain, with this anomalous item alone, you can suppress and easily annihilate an entire squad of fully armed experienced soldiers.

If we factor in the soul vision of the goat, merely pinning you down in a street would require mobilizing five elite squads of ten people each, and they’d have to prepare for over half of them to be casualties.

And that’s assuming they know your capabilities beforehand. In a regular encounter battle, unless you’re located and surrounded, you might drag down an entire battalion by yourself.”

“…”

Hearing it this way, the effect isn’t bad? Pair it with the mobility boost provided by the parkour badge, and I could practically roam freely in urban areas. But…

“If that’s all, wouldn’t using the Demon Horn achieve the same result?”

After pondering the examples given by the Red-haired Bureau Director, Leon frowned and said: “The Black Goat can directly incite combat desire, which should also lead to similar outcomes. And if teammates attack due to its influence, their offensive might even collapse if used well.”

“That’s true, it can achieve that, but only in a one-versus-many situation.”

After looking into Leon’s eyes, the Red-haired Bureau Director continued:

“Most missions you can undertake now are small-scale incidents with individual targets. In these cases, the goat is far less useful than this pendant.

In short, you can rest assured for now. According to my standards, once the Witch’s Broom returns to normal, you’ll qualify as a competent third-level incident handler.”

She flicked her fingers, retracted her hair, and then earnestly advised Leon who still seemed uninterested: “Leon, although you haven’t said it, I can tell that the encounter with the Holy Spirit of the Scale Gold Religion left you feeling deeply threatened. But you must understand, some things cannot be rushed.

For someone who has only been exposed to anomalous items for less than a month, possessing this level of strength is already quite remarkable. The rest can come gradually.”

“Thank you for your advice, I’ve noted it…”

Nodding indifferently, Leon tucked the Holy Spirit Pendant under his collar and left the office with the Red-haired Bureau Director’s approval slip, heading towards the Records Bureau.

Is taking it slow really okay?

After reflecting on the Red-haired Bureau Director’s advice, Leon shook his head unconvinced.

Taking it slow would be ideal, but for someone like me who joined the Clearing Bureau, no one knows whether an accident or tomorrow will come first.

I’m not like Senior Emma, who has indestructibility as a fallback. Only by becoming stronger as soon as possible can I ensure my own safety to the greatest extent, and avoid Anna and the others losing their dependable big brother again after losing their parents.

Moreover, while taint value cannot be rushed and can only convert slowly over time, I still have the badge system.

Shooting, parkour, drinking, acting… Although individually, these badges aren’t particularly powerful (those below silver don’t even reach the “anomalous” category), they do provide clear paths for advancement. As long as I accomplish the corresponding tasks, there will be significant improvements.

Plus, with badges like “Friend of Demons” and “Devout Believer” that directly enhance anomalous item effects, if I work harder, my growth rate will absolutely increase dramatically. So…

As long as I don’t die, I’ll grind until death!!! Determined to become a super grinder, Leon carried a box containing a sniper rifle and two hard breads to the Records Bureau, planning to first check his family records to see what Anna was worried about. After dealing with lunch casually, he intended to spend the whole day at the firing range, shooting until he couldn’t see the target anymore. However…

“This… I sincerely apologize, but the file you requested has already been borrowed by someone else.”

After checking the record, the archivist at the Records Bureau gave Leon a slight nod and explained apologetically: “Although your clearance is slightly higher, this kind of ordinary file only exists in one copy here. If you want to review it, you’ll have to wait until the other party returns it.”

(The chapter ends here)