Chapter 1070

Demons... carving statues of me?

After hearing the situation described by the Cancer Director, although it felt mostly like a joke, Leon's tooth roots still ached, and he had to grit his teeth several times to recover.

Although my methods might have been a little extreme, I consider myself a good person. These bastard demons...

"Hahaha! You actually believed it!"

After seeing Leon's awkward expression, the Cancer Director suddenly grinned and laughed twice, then teased:

"How could demons carve statues of you? Not to mention whether they have the skill, those demons haven't even seen what you look like. How could they ensure the person they carved is you?"

Damn... turns out he's a prankster...

"So the statues they worship are the ones I sold them."

Huh???

"No choice, those demons paid way too much."

In Leon's bewildered state, the Cancer Director blinked his eye sockets... and said with a hint of nostalgia:

"You don't know, the Abyss is the hardest to manage among the nearby worlds. If those demons were truly united, it would probably take most of the Cleanup Bureau to suppress them."

"Fortunately, those Abyssal demons are used to killing each other and are unlikely to unite. If you play some tricks and befriend or even support a small portion of them, guarding it becomes much easier. The one I chose to support is the Abyss of Gluttony."

"Now your statues are hot items there. As long as I sell them little trinkets carved from stone, it saves a lot of trouble, deepens the friendship between both sides, and even earns a pile of rare materials. It would be a real loss not to do this business."

"..."

If you put it that way, it's not impossible... but why do I feel like your style is different from everyone else's?

"Lord Cancer..."

Leon, finding it hard to hold back, couldn't help but tentatively ask:

"What do you mean by telling me this?"

"No special meaning, I just simply think highly of you."

After reaching out to rub his round belly, the "prosperous-looking" Cancer Director smiled and said:

"I am several years older than Taurus, and I don't have much time left. I need to cultivate a successor quickly. I've read your file and feel you might be suitable for learning the secret arts of the Cancer Palace, so I called you over to get familiar."

Ah... I thought you were using my portrait rights for business and were going to give me a dividend... By the way, what are the Cancer secret arts?

Regrettably, the Cancer Director had no intention of respecting portrait rights, nor was he prepared to explain what the Cancer Palace secret arts were. He simply reached out, patted Leon on the arm, and instructed with a smile:

"Alright, go back and wait for notification!"

"Currently, among the cleanup agents in the Bureau, there are about three to five others besides you who are suspected of having the aptitude to learn the Cancer secret arts. Once I contact them and gather everyone, I will teach you all together."

"Ah, okay."

Although he didn't get a dividend, the opportunity to learn a secret art was quite precious, so Leon naturally wouldn't refuse the Cancer Director's invitation.

However, just as he wanted to ask what the abilities of the Cancer secret arts were, the Cancer Director withdrew the hand he had patted on his arm, and everything around them began to recede violently and uncontrollably.

Leon only felt a slight blur before his eyes, and his body retreated an unknown distance, standing back behind the red-haired Director. At the same time, the Cancer Director's seat lit up slightly, and a familiar gentle voice entered Leon's ears again.

"Sorry, the last opposing vote was cast by me."

"???"

Wait a minute, didn't you already say that once?

After blinking his eye sockets at the bewildered Leon, the Cancer Director smiled and said:

"The Sagittarius Director believes he should take full responsibility for this Denggong incident... hoping I could return to preside over the big picture for him..."

"..."

Watching the Cancer Director stand up from his seat, politely greet the branch directors, and explain the reason with a gentle demeanor, Leon, who had recovered from his trance, subconsciously looked down at his left arm.

A pattern of a big-clawed, round-bellied crab was slowly fading in color, quietly disappearing beneath his skin, while a slight sensation of the Cancer Director's palm still remained on his arm. So... everything that just happened really happened, but not in "reality," but rather some kind of soul or mental communication?

"Leon?"

Sensing that the breathing of the person behind her was a bit erratic, the red-haired Director turned her head and cast a puzzled look at Leon.

"Why are you... hmm... I see."

After looking at Leon's arm, the red-haired Director's brow furrowed slightly, and a look of realization flashed in her eyes.

"Did Lord Cancer just talk to you?"

"I think so..."

After reaching out to touch his arm and looking at the prompt for the 【Cancer Palace Secret Art Mark】, Leon said uncertainly:

"My consciousness seemed to have been 'pulled' over just now. Lord Cancer said he wanted to meet me and said I seemed to have a talent for Cancer secret arts, and he was preparing to let me try."

Cancer Palace secret arts?

The red-haired Director pondered for a moment after hearing this, then nodded with slight approval.

"Indeed, judging by your past record, you might really have the talent to learn the Cancer Palace secret arts."

"Director."

After hearing the red-haired Director's judgment, Leon couldn't help but ask curiously:

"What are the Cancer Palace secret arts? Are they effective?"

"Very strong. If you only look at combat effects, the Aries Palace's Destruction secret art is the first tier, and the Cancer Palace's Devouring secret art is the second tier that follows closely behind."

"Devouring?"

"It means being able to eat, but what you eat are anomalous objects."

After glancing in the direction of the Cancer Director, the red-haired Director did not continue to participate in the subsequent meeting discussions, but held Leon's palm and explained:

"The effect of the Cancer secret art is somewhat similar to some of that sheep's abilities. Just like you told me before, if you collect the sheep's tongue and sheep's stomach at the same time, you can temporarily increase your Leon value to sixty points by eating anomalous objects."

"And the Cancer Palace's 【Anomalous Devouring】 secret art, although it cannot increase your Leon value, can allow you to hoard a large number of anomalies in your body through eating, and then release them all at once at a critical moment. And there is no upper limit to this hoarding."

"Hiss..."

Leon couldn't help but gasp.

"So the anomalies eaten using the Cancer secret art don't need to consume one's own strength when released?"

"No, the consumption that should be paid still needs to be paid, and not a single bit less."

"???"

If that's the case, isn't the function of this secret art just an "infinite storage bag"? It doesn't sound like it helps with combat at all?

"Leon, the scope of anomalous objects is actually 'broader' than you think."

After glancing back at Leon, the red-haired Director squeezed his palm and reminded him:

"The dead, demons, holy spirits, nightmares, and even true gods—these 'non-human' existences themselves can actually be counted as a type of anomaly."