Chapter 386: The Dispute and Decision
Chapter 386: The Dispute and Decision
"I'm afraid that's not possible..."
Upon hearing the request from the Taurus Director, the square-faced middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then furrowed his brows and firmly refused.
"Even if the headquarters were to be sealed off, absolute safety cannot be guaranteed. You are about to ascend the Ascension Tower, and you must not be disturbed in any way. I cannot leave right now!"
"It should be fine. It's less than a week."
The Taurus Director thought for a moment and then tried to persuade him again.
"The headquarters are located in an extremely secure area, and ordinary people would never be able to reach it. Plus, there are two of us directors here, me and Mimi. Even if we were to be targeted by a large number of True Deities, we could hold out until you return to assist us."
"That's still not an option. You understand the importance of the Watchtower Palace. We simply cannot take that risk."
The square-faced middle-aged man was slightly swayed, but in the end, he shook his head.
"Your combat abilities are not exceptional, and the true soul of the Pisces Director is currently dormant. Mimi's mental age is only around six years old. Aside from being able to activate the Zodiac Star Palace normally, she cannot fully utilize the Pisces Secret Arts.
If I were to leave the headquarters and leave the two of you alone, any unexpected situation could spell disaster. I cannot take that chance!"
"But the situation with Olivia is also urgent!"
The Taurus Director clasped her collar, her face filled with worry.
"Although her abilities are strong, she doesn't have much of an advantage against the Nightmare King. Even if she were to proactively venture deep into the Abyss of Fallen Souls, she wouldn't be able to capture the Nightmare King, who can freely traverse the dream realms of living beings.
If we were to just leave it be, once the Nightmare King successfully descends, even if we can provide remote assistance and use a quarter of the sun's power to scorch the Dream Realm, reducing the harm caused by the Nightmare King, the number of people affected would still be in the millions!"
"Although the impact is widespread, those people will only have nightmares for the rest of their lives, and they won't die!"
The Sagittarius Director insisted,
"After this attack, we can increase the effect of the Illusion Vase, so that even if those affected have nightmares, they will forget them immediately upon waking up. This way, the impact on their lifespan and souls can be minimized!"
"But there will still be an impact!"
The Taurus Director hurriedly said,
"As those who suffer from nightmares grow old, their souls will detach from their bodies earlier than normal, many years before their actual death. They will gradually lose their memories and may even become empty shells without souls!
What about the cleaners from the Virgo Bureau? Once the Nightmare King descends, he will undoubtedly seek out their souls first! Those kids are still on their missions, and if..."
"The cleaners from the Virgo Bureau can be evacuated in advance!"
The Sagittarius Director's face tensed slightly, and he spoke stubbornly.
"Haven't they all been dispatched already? Let the Scorpio Bureau and the Lion Bureau send their people to locate them according to their last known locations and inform them to evacuate the kingdom within three days.
The Nightmare King is always cautious and rarely leaves the Abyss of Fallen Souls. If the cleaners from the Virgo Bureau evacuate quickly enough, there's a high chance they can escape, and they might even be able to return after the Abyss of Fallen Souls departs, without any changes..."
"How can there be no changes?"
The square-faced middle-aged man's repeated refusals triggered an unusual outburst of anger from the usually kind and gentle Taurus Director. Her amiable face now radiated white light, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor. A deep crimson hue spread from her cheekbones to her eyebrows.
"Andrew! We're talking about millions of people! And the purpose of the Purification Bureau is to protect..."
"The role of the Purification Bureau is to ensure the survival of humanity. Only after this premise is assured can we then prioritize protecting ordinary people from being affected!"
In response to the Taurus Director's anger, the square-faced middle-aged man's forehead creased, and he met her gaze unwaveringly, his expression resolute.
"If Aquarius is willing to collaborate with the Nightmare King for the sake of soul repair, there's no reason to believe he can't collaborate with others. If something goes wrong on your end, the impact won't be limited to just those millions of people. That's why I absolutely cannot leave!"
"But it's just a week! I can..."
"When facing an opponent who can foresee the future and possesses more than one time-related anomaly, we can't afford to give them even a minute's advantage, let alone a week!"
...
"Both of you, stop arguing for now.
"
Amidst the dispute between the two current directors, the Red-haired Commissioner finally found an opportunity to interject.
After glancing at the stubborn square-faced middle-aged man, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly, knowing that he was unlikely to be persuaded no matter what. She then took the initiative to speak up:
"Sir Taurus, let's follow Director Sagittarius' suggestion for now... Please help me contact the other divisions nearby and find Emma and the others as soon as possible. Ask them to evacuate the kingdom ahead of time."
"Olivia?! How could you..."
"Sir Taurus, please hear me out."
Interrupting Director Taurus, the Red-haired Commissioner turned to the Celestial Sphere and looked at the square-faced middle-aged man. With a calm expression, she said:
"Director Sagittarius' words aren't unreasonable. Aquarius believes that the Nightmare King wants to use his power to repair souls, but this is just my personal guess. Perhaps his true intention is to deceive Director Sagittarius out of Headquarters."
After all, helping Mimi stabilize her abnormal soul is something he did with you initially. The four-soul replacement pattern of Director Pisces is also well-known to Aquarius.
Knowing that Headquarters is actually quite empty, we can't rule out the possibility of him taking advantage of the situation to launch an attack on Headquarters. It's necessary to increase our defenses.
Seeing that the Red-haired Commissioner acknowledged this possibility, Director Taurus couldn't help but pause, and his eyebrows furrowed as he asked:
"Then what about your side? Are you really going to ignore the Nightmare King?"
"That's not an option either."
The Red-haired Commissioner shook her head:
"It's difficult, but what needs to be done must be done... Please prepare with Directors Pisces and Sagittarius. Before and after the Descent Ritual of the Abyss of Fallen Souls, mobilize the three Zodiac Palaces to burn the Dream Realm in advance, reducing the pressure on our side."
At this point, she hesitated slightly but took a deep breath and requested:
"Also, please help me contact the Commissioner of the Scorpio Bureau. With your three identities, force him to come over immediately and help. If he can help, during the year-end review, I can kneel and apologize to him in front of everyone at Headquarters."
"Olivia..."
The Red-haired Commissioner clenched her fists, and Director Taurus' lips moved slightly. She sighed:
"I'll talk to him. This time, I'll endure the hardship."
Hardship it was... But a little hardship was still better than large-scale death. At least, it would be more satisfying emotionally.
Hearing this, the Red-haired Commissioner smiled without speaking. On the other side of the Celestial Sphere, the square-faced middle-aged man looked at her and hesitated slightly. Then, he extended his finger and drew a Sagittarius emblem of a man riding a horse on the surface of the Celestial Sphere with his fingernail.
(End of Chapter)
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