Chapter 887: Embarrassed Beyond Words
Chapter 887: Embarrassed Beyond Words
Considering the circumstances and the fact that the situation hadn't reached its worst, the Taurus Director chose not to dwell on Lyon's naked tower climb. Instead, noticing Lyon's face partially hidden by his hat, he asked with concern, "Lyon, what happened to your face?"
"It's not a big deal..." Lyon hesitated slightly before lifting his hand to raise the brim of his hat. "During the fight with the Mountain Patrol Woman, I was locked onto by the rules of Lingering Mountain for a few seconds. She took away a part of my 'self-awareness,' which affected my face a little..."
Cognitive damage?!
Noticing Lyon's slightly blurred features, as if veiled by a thin layer, the Taurus Director's expression turned serious.
"Aside from your face, is there any other damage to your soul?"
"No, that's all." Lyon shook his head slightly and pulled the hat's brim back down. "I was only locked onto by Lingering Mountain for a brief moment. Aside from the impact on my face, none of the truly important parts were eroded... Director Taurus, I'm fine. Let's focus on the matters in the Netherworld."
"Alright..." The Taurus Director scrutinized Lyon's face and, seeing that it was only slightly blurred, considered it a minor injury. Still, he advised seriously, "Although it doesn't seem like a major issue and will likely heal with time, soul-related injuries are no small matter. So, be cautious... Oh, and!"
The Taurus Director paused, as if remembering something. He furrowed his brows and added, "Remember, before your soul fully recovers, avoid looking into mirrors. If you must, try not to stare for too long."
No mirrors?
Lyon was taken aback by this advice. "Why can't I look into mirrors? Are you worried that I'll forget what I look like if I stare at my slightly blurred face in the mirror for too long?"
"Exactly," the Taurus Director nodded, a hint of sadness in his voice. "About a hundred years ago, the Gemini Director suffered a similar cognitive separation, resulting in facial damage. He was a proud, handsome man who couldn't resist checking his reflection to see if he had recovered. But after staring at his blurred face for too long, he couldn't remember his original appearance and had to live with that face for the rest of his life.
"So, be cautious and don't make the same mistake. It's best to carry a portrait of yourself. Whenever you can't recall your appearance, take it out to refresh your memory. This will aid in your recovery."
Carry a portrait?
Lyon nodded, committing the advice to memory. He decided to ask Veronica's court painter to create one for him when he returned. Then, with a hint of urgency, he asked, "I'll remember that... Director Taurus, how is Director Sagittarius' investigation going? Can you find out if Emma and the others have safely returned from the Netherworld?"
"Not yet."
A weary voice echoed from a large mirror in the main hall of the Taurus Palace, revealing the righteous-looking face of Director Sagittarius. He moved aside, allowing a glimpse of the sky behind him, which was densely covered by Death Crows. With a resigned expression, Director Sagittarius said, "The Black and White Bridge has been moved by the Faceless One. The Crow-Eyed Grandma has released all the Death Crows, and the Yellow Spring has been severed by the Yellow Earthworm. The No Return Path has been blocked at several points by the 'location' of the Terminus Cliff. Their return to the living world is temporarily cut off.
"How could this be?!"
Upon hearing this, Lyon's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked in a flustered tone:
"Why?"
Why? You ask why? Don't you know what you've done?
As if Lyon's question had stirred up his anger, the Archer Director took several deep breaths before managing to calm down. His expression was far from pleasant as he replied:
"Because someone spent less than half a day torturing a Netherworld Overlord, smashing the entire City of Regret into the bottom of the Swamp of Phantom Souls, and then, with twenty million dead souls in tow, they kicked down half of Lingering Mountain, nearly killing the Mountain Patrol Woman and the Flesh-receiving Doe..."
"..."
After organizing Lyon's achievements in his mind, the Archer Director looked at Lyon, who was speechless on the other side of the mirror, and couldn't help but ask with a darkened face:
"If you were one of those Netherworld Overlords, wouldn't you run upon hearing this news? If they don't hide right now, are they just waiting to be slaughtered by you on the No Return Path? They're dead, but they're not stupid!"
"..."
Well... that makes sense, I guess.
"Alright, alright, everyone calm down."
The Taurus Director couldn't help but step in to defuse the situation, seeing Lyon's face turn slightly red from the scolding, his expression quite embarrassed.
"In the end, this is still the Crying Doll's fault. If it hadn't tormented our people, Lyon wouldn't have lost control and taken care of it. So, Lyon was a bit impulsive this time, but his heart was in the right place... What's the situation on your end?"
"The situation here... is not good."
Without dwelling on Lyon's unauthorized actions, the Archer Director closed his eyes briefly and adjusted the mirror's angle, focusing on the chaotic Netherworld below. With a tingling scalp, he described:
"The latter half of the situation is unclear, but in the first half of the No Return Path, all the Netherworld Overlords below Pillar God-level have abandoned their territories and fled. All the dead are now bottlenecked on the No Return Path.
For ordinary dead souls without special abilities or strong regrets, it takes approximately three years from the moment they enter the Gate of the Dead until they fall from the top of Terminus Cliff.
So, if the latter half of the Netherworld is also at a standstill like the first half..."
The Archer Director paused for a moment, then looked down at the seemingly endless dragon of dead souls, his expression grim.
"The total number of dead souls stranded on the No Return Path has likely surpassed one hundred million."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Faced with the terrifying number the Archer Director had concluded, the three people on the other side of the mirror also fell silent.
The reason the Purification Bureau had been making concessions to the Netherworld Overlords, even the strongest third-generation ones, was to avoid such a situation.
If the Netherworld Overlords were to flee en masse, abandoning the dead souls on the No Return Path, this near-hundred-million dead souls would cause a decrease of two to three million in the current world's birth rate if they remained in the Netherworld for a year. And if luck was even worse, if a quick resolution wasn't possible and a stalemate ensued...
(End of Chapter)
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