Chapter 390: The Beginning
Chapter 390: The Beginning
"Achoo!!!"
After sneezing loudly for the third time, Lyon couldn't help but rub his nose vigorously.
What's going on today? Why does my nose keep itching?
Even after blowing his nose vigorously, Lyon still felt uncomfortable. As he stood in the waiting area of the pier, he frowned and glanced at the towering chimneys lining both sides of the river. Just as he was about to find a tissue to blow his nose again, someone lightly patted him on the back.
"Meeting again."
A tall, slender middle-aged man, carrying a large suitcase in his right hand, quietly appeared behind Lyon without even startling the Black Goat.
After taking a look at Lyon's face to confirm he had the right person, the slender man lifted the empty hat on his head slightly, smiled, and greeted him, "I'm sorry, the ferry on the other side of the river is delayed, two hours behind schedule... I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"
"No, Mr. Edward."
Lyon, following the Red-haired Commissioner's advice, had arrived two hours late to pick up the man. After glancing at the 'Scorpion Pushball' emblem on the man's suitcase, he politely nodded and honestly replied, "I just arrived too, so I didn't wait long."
"Hehe, that's good."
The man, who had come to provide support in a simple manner, did not ask why the Red-haired Commissioner hadn't come to pick him up personally. He took a step forward and walked towards the exit of the waiting area, following the crowd. As he walked, he turned sideways and explained to Lyon, who was quickly catching up, "I didn't mean to keep you waiting. When I was still a first-class cleaner, I once accompanied the former commissioner on a mission to clean up those escaped souls from the past, the time sequence was normal, and a small piece of my soul was nibbled away.
Since then, my time has been off, always two hours later than everyone else.
So, if there's something you want me to arrive on time for, when you inform me of the time, you'll need to account for a two-hour buffer. If you want to meet at eight o'clock, you'll need to tell me it's six o'clock, otherwise, you'll have to wait two hours for me."
"I understand."
Lyon, who was following closely behind, nodded and handed over a pocket watch that had been adjusted in advance, saying, "Before I came, the commissioner had already told me, and asked me to adjust the time according to the Capital City's time for you in advance."
"Not bad, very thoughtful~"
The satisfied Scorpion Branch Commissioner took the pocket watch, replacing the old one hanging on his lapel, and for some reason, he seemed to be in a good mood. He carefully examined Lyon's expression and then smiled, saying:
"The watch is good, and so are you.
Even though you're just a third-class cleaner, knowing that you'll face the Nightmare King and be permanently enslaved if you fail, you still choose to stay and fight alongside Olivia.
Putting aside your abilities for now, the courage and boldness you possess as a cleaner are commendable. I appreciate your spirit... How about joining our Scorpion Branch like your predecessors?"
"..."
It was the familiar recruitment attempt again...
Lyon's cheeks twitched slightly as he watched the slender man, who had barely spoken two sentences before offering him the olive branch once more.
During his previous visit to the headquarters, this Scorpion Branch Commissioner Edward had tried to poach him right in front of the Red-haired Commissioner, only to be rebuffed.
According to the man, almost all cleaners who had left the Virgin Bureau had joined his branch, and the greatest conflict between him and his own commissioner stemmed from this...
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any plans to switch branches at the moment."
Lyon shook his head slightly and, unlike last time, did not slap the man's face. Instead, he respectfully said, "Also, when the needle of your watch reaches around 9:30, the Capital City will enter the night, and it will be the time when the Abyss of Fallen Souls overlaps with reality. Please be prepared at that time."
"Hmm, I understand."
Upon hearing Lyon mention "important matters," the Scorpio Director's smile faded slightly as he adjusted his hat and lifted the pocket watch hanging from his lapel, glancing at the clock's hands.
"There's still over half an hour left... What about the arrangements after the Soul Annihilation Abyss Incarnation? Has Olivia discussed it with you?"
"Yes, she has."
Glancing at the man's index finger, which was undoing the suitcase's latch, Lyon realized he was indeed prepared. With a slight sense of relief, he replied, "The Director and the three Directors at Headquarters have requested support. At the moment the Soul Annihilation Abyss overlaps with reality, the three Directors will relocate Headquarters to a suitable spot, projecting a quarter of the sun for three seconds to scorch the Dream Realm and the Soul Annihilation Abyss near the overlap.
"Once the Dream Realm is burned by the sun, creating a gap, the Director will personally enter the Dream Realm and fully deploy the Slaughter Blood Hair to block the Dream Realm creatures carrying nightmares from rushing towards reality. This will minimize the impact of the Nightmare King's descent."
"As for you, your primary responsibility is to guard reality, hunt down any Dream Realm creatures that slip through, and once the Nightmare King descends, try to hold him off for a while. I'll inform the Director, and he'll come to assist you in intercepting the Nightmare King."
"Hmph, a simple and brute-force plan... But it's not bad. I'm not keen on joining forces with her in the Dream Realm."
After listening to Lyon's account, the tall, thin man snorted disdainfully and turned his head towards Lyon, asking with interest, "Also, from what you're saying, your main task is to stick by my side and relay messages to her on my behalf?"
"Yes."
Lyon tilted his head slightly, showing the man his red hair wrapped around his shoulder, and cautiously replied, "The Director assigned me a cluster of Slaughter Blood Hair. If you successfully intercept the descending Nightmare King, she will sense the aura here and come directly to join you in surrounding and defeating him."
"Is that so? Then I must take a good look at it first."
After hearing Lyon's words, the tall, thin man's right eye twitched, and his eyes rolled strangely, just like Lyon's. His pupils quickly lost their color, turning as white as the eyeballs.
He rolled his eyes at Lyon, then examined Lyon's body and soul. The corner of the tall, thin man's mouth curled upward in a smile as he commented, "According to the Bureau's latest classification, a Third-Class Purifier's Lyon Value is between 1 and 10 points, a Second-Class Purifier's Lyon Value is between 11 and 30 points, and your Lyon Value is around 7 to 8 points.
At this level, you're considered decent among Third-Class Purifiers, but any higher is not worth mentioning. With a Lyon Value of 63 points or more, the Nightmare King is no different from a roadside ant. There's no point in staying here."
"..."
"Take my advice: give me Olivia's hair, and then go wherever you need to go."
Extending his right hand towards Lyon, the tall, thin man spoke calmly, "Considering you've only been exposed to anomalies for a few months and are in a rapid transformation phase, at your current rate of absorption, you might be able to reach over 30 Lyon Value points in a year or two. And anything above 31 points is already at the level of a First-Class Cleaner.
If you don't have any prospects, then you'll just die. But you're a talented individual with potential, and it would be a waste to die before reaching your full potential...
Come on, hand over Olivia's hair. This mission won't be much different with or without you. Instead of letting you die like this, it's better to keep a future elite for the Bureau."
(End of Chapter)
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