Chapter 296: The Director's Departure
Chapter 296: The Director's Departure
'Dear little Leon, by the time you read this letter, I should already be gone.'
Reading the words of his red-haired director, Leon couldn't help but frown at the ominous yet not entirely fortunate beginning. After a bumpy journey by boat and transfers, it took 9 copper wheels to return to the Purification Bureau in Leon. His expression darkened instantly.
'The Bureau has initiated its plan regarding Aquarius. Lady Taurus is currently influencing the Aquarius Director through the 'Instruction List' along with the other two directors, forcing him to submit to the exposure of the 'Dead World Streetlamp'.
To ensure the plan proceeds smoothly and prevent the Aquarius Director from finding a way out of the Dead World, I plan to camp out in the one-way road to the Dead World for a month or so. Anyone traveling to the Dead World will pass by there, and once I see the Aquarius Director on that road, I'll return.'
"..."
So, that opening line wasn't just an inappropriate choice of words; your person has indeed 'gone'...? And although I don't know where this one-way road is, just the name 'the one-way road to the Dead World' sounds like a deadly place. You make it sound like it's as easy as going on a leisurely trip...
This is ridiculous!
Imagining the scene of the red-haired director stumbling in the Dead World, guarding the one-way road, and then drinking while randomly tossing empty beer cans, Leon couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
'Little Leon, your task with Piony should be the first to complete. But knowing him, after the task is done, he'll definitely go have some fun for a few days before returning. So, you'll most likely be the first to read this letter.
When Emma returns from the Scale Gold Sect, remind her that this time, just like before, all her tasks will be suspended while I'm away. The Bureau will be under her command during my absence.
To prevent any sudden requests from the Headquarters, and considering the 'Celestial Mirror' can only receive messages from the living, I didn't bring it with me to the one-way road. It's currently in my office, so ask Emma to retrieve it for me.'
'Also, don't drink up all the wine Lady Taurus gave you. I've found a way to bypass the constraints of the spoken word and drink those fine wines. Make sure you leave some for me.
Love you~ (^_-)'
"..."
For some reason, it feels like the second-to-last sentence is what you really wanted to say...
Looking at the small, winking face drawn at the end of the letter, Leon couldn't help but click his tongue. He then reached up to pinch the space between his eyebrows, feeling a bit worried.
The mission to attack the airship had hit a snag; it was ambushed by Middle-Aged Joshua. Although there were no casualties, both the members of the rebel group and Piony's senior were unsure of what to do with him.
As soon as he returned, Leon rushed to the director's office, hoping to ask the director for help in resolving the situation and also to inform her about the Corlock Kingdom's situation, to see if the Bureau could intervene.
However, the director had taken the initiative. If his estimation of the time mentioned in the letter was correct, then she had probably already gone to the 'Underworld'. That would mean... Hmm... Why is this mirror flickering?
...
Staring at the silver mirror flickering in the liquor cabinet, Leon recalled the 'Celestial Mirror' mentioned in the director's letter. He frowned and opened the cabinet door, tentatively touching the mirror with his fingers.
[Name: Celestial Mirror (Star Palace, Image Transmission)]
[Appearance: A mirror that actively changes its material and engravings based on the target of communication. Currently, the frame is silver, and the engraving depicts an Iron Virgin with blood seeping from within.]
[Abilities: Star Palace Positioning, Image Transmission]
[Cost: The cost is collectively paid by the Purification Bureau Headquarters during the annual dimmest moment of the stars, without requiring individual consumption.]
[Archives: The Star Compass was shattered by the Four Pillar Gods and then recast by the first Lady Taurus Director into the Eighty-Eight Star Palaces, leaving behind fragments containing a small amount of Star Palace power. Although the quantity was limited, the power was exceptionally pure.
Considering the lack of long-distance communication methods at the time, the first Lady Taurus Director used these fragments to create several hundred mirrors capable of cross-world communication. She distributed them to important members of the Bureau to carry with them, ensuring timely contact between them.]
[Evaluation: The Worm of Words, the Celestial Mirror, and the Mud Scripture—these three mass-produced anomalies are usually only possessed by the Bureau Directors. They are jokingly referred to as the 'Director's Three-Piece Set' within the Bureau, and you've acquired two out of three. Congratulations!]
[Immersion Value: Increases with the total communication duration and distance from the target.]
So... the effect of this mirror is equivalent to a cross-dimensional video call on a phone?
After understanding the function of the Celestial Sphere Mirror, Lyon watched as the iron Virgin Mary emblem continuously moved and flickered on the mirror frame. Guessing that someone was probably video calling the Commissioner, Lyon reached out and caressed the silver mirror's frame.
"Buzz~"
Amidst the light buzzing akin to a bee's wings, the blood-soaked iron Virgin Mary emblem shifted and settled at the top of the mirror frame. A familiar sound immediately followed.
"Olivia! It's about time you showed some signs of life!"
Emma, her face slightly pale and her body covered in bloodstains, suddenly appeared in the mirror.
At this moment, she seemed to be severely injured. Her beige tailored dress had numerous damages, and her right leg bore wounds as if bitten by a trap's teeth. On her half-exposed rounded shoulder, there were also marks resembling snake scales that had been scraped by a whip.
Her right hand, which held the "mirror," had its five fingers twisted unnaturally. The small white-like little thumb had already been bent back to the back of her hand, seemingly broken by some immense force beyond her control.
"The Scale Gold Sect has an ambush!"
Amidst Lyon's shocked gaze, Emma, her temples drenched in cold sweat and seemingly enduring great pain, quickly reported:
"It seems like Aquarius knew I'd come and contacted the Scale Gold Sect in advance. They directly brought down the Snake Spirit and, when I broke into their gathering, it bit my leg.
Although that snake wasn't my match and I temporarily drove it back, its position was higher than mine. So, it could continuously 'purchase' my immortality through the wound on my leg, and it has already taken away more than three hundred of my..."
As Emma spoke, a strange coin with an unknown currency, emitting a peculiar glow, suddenly appeared in her palm.
The instant the coin appeared, Emma's eyes dimmed slightly, as if losing focus. Her body immediately stopped moving, and she unconsciously tilted her head back...
"No! I can't die yet!"
Accompanied by a murmured, dreamlike voice, Emma, whose right hand was already beginning to disintegrate, managed to steady herself. As her immortality took effect, all her injuries instantly healed, and even the broken fingers straightened on their own.
But her condition improved only for a moment. The pitch-black tooth marks on her thigh reappeared, and strands of fresh red blood flowed from the wound once again...
"Senior Emma?!"
Lyon's expression tightened as he snapped out of his daze and hurriedly shouted into the mirror:
"The Commissioner isn't at the bureau, and it's hard to reach her for the time being. How much longer can you hold on?"
"Senior Emma? Are you there? Talk to me!"
"Who else can I contact? Is there any other way? Will contacting the Royal Family and the General Bureau be fast enough? Can you hold on?"
"Senior Emma?"
...
It was unclear if Senior Emma had lost consciousness due to her severe injuries and couldn't hear Lyon, or if Lyon, not being the owner of the Celestial Sphere Mirror, couldn't truly "connect" the video call.
In any case, no matter how Lyon shouted, Senior Emma on the other side of the mirror didn't respond at all, standing in place with a vacant gaze. Even the image in the mirror began to slightly distort, as if it might "disconnect" at any moment.
This won't do! I need to think of a solution quickly!
After returning to the bureau, Lyon encountered such an urgent situation and couldn't help but clench his fist, regretting not considering this earlier.
Since Joshua could contact the Scale Gold Sect and ask the Snake Spirit to ambush him, he could also inform the sect about Senior Emma's whereabouts. Unfortunately, Emma had been ambushed by that damn snake, and the situation didn't look optimistic. Lyon had to help her quickly!
Holding the Celestial Sphere Mirror, Lyon rushed out of the Commissioner's office and sprinted down the first-floor corridor of the Purification Bureau, wanting to see if there was anyone else around. However, all the office doors were tightly shut, and at this moment, the Virgin Bureau was left with only himself, just as the Commissioner had said.
Commissioner, you're too much! Why don't you recruit more people? Everyone's schedule is so packed; it's hard to find support when needed!
Lyon couldn't help but complain in his heart. After taking a deep breath, he placed the mirror aside and kicked Emma's door.
He couldn't handle that snake alone, so he had to find help. Contacting the Purification Bureau headquarters through the Royal Family should be the fastest way to seek aid.
However, Senior Emma's condition wasn't good, and Lyon didn't know how long she could hold on. Therefore, he had to make two preparations: while contacting the headquarters, he should also go to the Scale Gold Sect's gathering and cause a disturbance outside, hoping to alleviate some pressure for her.
Despite returning to the Wangdu metropolitan area, the effects of the Snake Spirit's blessing caused the Sheep Heart's effective range to drastically decrease. However, he reestablished his "connection" with the dead prisoners and regained his immortality. But with the most powerful Sacred Spirit Pendant still sealed, his current combat strength was appallingly low, forcing him to find a way to replenish his power.
In Emma's office, a pile of objects resembling torture devices caught his eye. Since Emma also possessed immortality, there was a chance that among these items, he might find an anomaly he could use!
With two heavy kicks, he broke the cast-iron lock, barged into Emma's office, and after confirming there were no dangerous anti-theft measures, he reached out to touch the anomalies inside.
[Name: Executioner's Suite 19 - Wheel of Punishment (Flesh, Punishment)]
[Appearance: A massive wheel with iron caltrops, featuring specialized grooves for binding sinners. It is covered in deep brown, dried bloodstains, emitting a perpetual stench of gore.]
[Ability: Flesh Attrition, Sinful Punishment]
[Cost: Bear the same injuries and pain as the punished]
[File: Emma, a Level 1 Purifier from the Virgin Bureau of the Cleanup Bureau, commissioned the creation of this anomaly and 48 others based on her immortal body. The Executioner's Suite consists of 49 pieces in total.]
[When activated alongside the Flower of Sin, the Book of Collective Punishment, and the Bloodthirsty Execution Platform, this anomaly can drag up to 30,000 life forms within a 20-kilometer radius into the execution ground, binding them to the torture devices for a single round of wheel punishment.]
[In conjunction with the Ordeal Octagon Box, the Heartfelt Balance Scale, the Crown of Sorrowful Thorns, and the Poem of Agony, the agony endured by the punished will be infinitely amplified and endlessly looped.]
[If the punished cannot withstand the dual torment of flesh and soul, and a fleeting thought of seeking release arises, they will be forcibly captured by the Gate of the Dead, an anomaly paired with the Bloodthirsty Execution Platform, and sent directly to the Realm of the Dead, never to return.]
[Evaluation: A relatively ordinary legal anomaly when used alone, with a unique additional punishment effect for evil deeds. However, when activated as a set or combined with specific anomalies, it can create a veritable hell, endlessly torturing the souls and bodies of up to 30,000 individuals.]
"Hiss..."
After reading the description of the first anomaly, Lyon took a sharp breath, understanding why the gentle and amiable Emma was known by such a grisly title.
Unlike Lyon, who sought powerful individual anomalies, Emma's anomalies were designed to work in combination.
According to the description, the set likely centered around her immortal body, dragging all targets into an inescapable execution ground. She would endure the punishment once, while others would suffer endlessly, with their pain amplified.
Additionally, the punished would undergo a "weighing" of their souls, confessing their sins, enduring both physical and spiritual torment. If they couldn't bear it or admitted their guilt, they would be taken away by the anomaly connected to the Realm of the Dead.
And the capture range of this set wasn't just one or two targets; it was a staggering 30,000! Thirty thousand!
...
Was this the strength of a Level 1 Elite Purifier?
Lyon looked around at the chaotic pile of torture devices in the room and couldn't help but shiver slightly. For the first time, he felt a hint of fear towards the usually kind and reliable Emma.
It was no wonder Emma never brought all her equipment, and even in places like the Red Brick Hospital, she couldn't use her anomalies. Once activated, they didn't differentiate between friend and foe, and the scene would become overly bloody, making it impractical to use them.
If Emma were to bring all 49 torture devices from the Executioner's Suite and maximize the capture range of the Bloodthirsty Execution Platform, a total of 30,000 people would be sent to the execution platform.
These 30,000 individuals would endure endless, bloody interrogation from 49 terrifying torture devices and, under the influence of the anomalies, would cry and confess their sins.
It would be no different from a living hell! Compared to this terrifying scene, Emma's nickname seemed almost tame.
Lyon shook his head slightly, glanced at the room full of torture devices, took a deep breath, and patted his cufflink.
"Let's equip them all!"
(End of Chapter)
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