Chapter 696: Pollution
Chapter 696: Pollution
"It's all taken care of."
As the last cleaner stared at him in terror, he licked his forehead and consumed three hours' worth of his memories. The Crab Director, who had been called to deal with the aftermath, released the drenched and unlucky cleaner and then turned his gaze towards Leon, his eyes burning with passion as he asked:
"Hey, aren't you considering giving up your position as Aquarius Director and trying again under my supervision?"
"..."
"Enough! Now is not the time for that!"
After stopping the Crab Director, who still had his heart set on recruiting, Archer Director turned to look at Leon, his brows furrowed in inquiry.
"Leon, what did you mean by what you said earlier? Isn't Aquarius already ascended to the palace? How can he still seek cooperation with you?"
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how he managed it."
Under the watchful eyes of the Taurus, Pisces, Archer, and Crab Directors, Leon opened his mouth to respond:
"According to my guess, when he divided his soul, he probably left a small fragment or something similar in the Aquarius Palace, allowing him to maintain a connection with the Aquarius Palace even after ascending to the palace.
However, the reason I asked you all here is not because Aquarius can still maintain contact with the mortal realm, but because of this."
Leon took out the Past, Present, Future Sign that foretold the future and handed it to the Taurus Director, who was closest to him. With a serious expression, he conveyed:
"According to the Aquarius Director, in the future he witnessed, the Tyrant King Guild will plan four operations, successfully carrying out three of them, and severing the bloodlines of three royal families.
After that, the power of the Watchtower Palace will weaken three times in a row, allowing True Gods with over 60 Leon Value to freely descend upon the mortal realm and wage war against our Purification Bureau!"
The four directors' expressions froze as they heard this. The Archer Director was the first to speak up, questioning:
"This information came from the Aquarius Director. Can you be sure that he's telling the truth?"
"I can't say for sure about the rest, but what's written on the paper should be true."
After recalling the intelligence he had gathered, Leon spoke with conviction:
"Moreover, he has a request of me. The contents of this Past, Present, Future Sign can be considered an 'advance payment' to prove his sincerity, so it's highly credible."
A request of you?
Upon hearing Leon's words, the Archer Director exchanged glances with the Taurus Director, who then asked:
"Leon, can you tell us all the details of this cooperation?"
"Of course."
Leon nodded and shared his experiences within the Aquarius Palace, carefully selecting what he could reveal.
After listening to his account of the "cooperation process," the Crab Director's eyes widened, and he summarized with a strange expression:
"So... he wants to obtain some intelligence, help us deal with the Tyrant King Guild, assist us in capturing the fragments of the Codex of Law, and then fulfill his duties as a Palace Resident, continuing to inform us of potential future dangers?"
"Yes."
Bullshit!
Looking at Leon's serious expression, the Crab Director's lips twitched, barely managing to swallow the retort that had risen to his lips.
Is this something Aquarius is capable of? You must be joking!
"Leon, I believe there's a problem with this cooperation."
The Crab Director refrained from voicing his retort, but the youthful Pisces Director, who had been silently listening from the side throughout, spoke up with a calm demeanor:
"I'm not questioning your judgment, but your interaction with Aquarius is still limited, making it difficult to identify any discrepancies. However, we have had a relationship with Aquarius for decades, so we know him better than you do."
"From your description, his demeanor and reactions don't match the Aquarius I know. The Aquarius I remember is more composed, colder, and wouldn't display his emotions so intensely."
"I had the same thought," the Pisces Director agreed.
The Archer Director, standing nearby, furrowed his brows and added, "In my memory, he wasn't the type to talk this much. Given his past personality and behavior, when faced with your threats and tests, he would have only two ways to respond.
If your test proved true, he would smile and calmly admit it, then find a way to turn the tables. If your threat held no meaning, he would simply smile faintly and remind you of your mistake in judgment.
But the Aquarius you described behaves strangely in every way. He seems a bit agitated, prefers to hide things, doesn't want to openly state his intentions, and..." He paused, "...he looks somewhat familiar."
"Familiar, that's it!" After glancing at Taurus Director as if understanding something, and seeing the strange expression on his face, Lyon nodded in agreement. "You're right, the Aquarius Director I know isn't like that..."
Lyon paused for a moment, unconsciously glancing at Taurus Director, then rephrased his words, "He doesn't have such intense emotions, such pure thoughts, such openness to others, such disregard for personal gain, or such benevolence towards the world..."
"Alright, that's enough!" Taurus Director raised his hand to stop Lyon's deliberate defense. His face turned red, and he coughed lightly before speaking on Lyon's behalf, "Aquarius Director's method of infiltrating the Watchtower Palace was to replicate me almost perfectly, including my soul, body, memories, and emotions. Everything was within the scope of replication. He had to abandon his entire self and allow me to completely overshadow him to gain the Watchtower Palace's recognition.
So, in a sense, the real Aquarius Director ceased to exist the moment the replication was complete. The one who took his place, climbing the Ascension Ladder, was merely another me, possessing Aquarius's obsession and memories."
"..."
Oh, well, that's fine then.
After recalling Taurus Director's usual behavior, the other three directors exchanged glances, understanding flashing in their eyes.
Such a disadvantageous collaboration would never be Aquarius's doing.
But if it were a certain director known for their honest and sincere nature, slightly more emotionally volatile, prone to stimulation, holding a high position yet rarely thinking things through, easily trusting others, and being gullible in their youth... then it's not impossible.
Hmm... Alternatively, one could say that after being overshadowed by Joan's mind, the fact that he didn't immediately reveal his true self upon seeing Lyon, and instead showed his vulnerability, was already an exceptional display of Aquarius's lingering obsession.
"In any case, with the influence of Taurus Lord's..." Lyon paused, choosing his words carefully, "...guidance, the current Aquarius Director seems somewhat trustworthy."
As the three directors relaxed their tense bodies, lowering their guard by 90%, Lyon continued, "In my perception, although the obsession is still strong, and he seems a bit stubborn, the current Aquarius Director appears to harbor some goodwill towards humanity and the Purification Bureau. His warning is highly credible. So, should we recall all the directors who are currently away?"
(End of Chapter)
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