Chapter 128

【Obtained usable anomaly: Bloodstained Plague Belt; hidden trait of the Chromatic Badge: Materialist Soul (Crimson) activated】

【Materialist Soul (Chromatic · Crimson · Non-Upgradable): …】

【Wearing Effect: …】

【Advanced Path: …】

【Hidden Trait: Badge Slot 3; current number of slots: 6; total anomalies required to unlock next slot: 8】

【Your contamination value has increased】

【Current contamination value: 2.8】

…

There was indeed one more slot, but the number of anomalies required to unlock the next one had jumped from four to eight…

Looking at the explanation protruding from the badge panel, Li Ang couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Including the 【Bloodstained Plague Belt】 just obtained through “friendly exchange,” he currently possessed four anomalies: the ram’s head, the broom, the pendant, and the bandage—still far from the next “slot unlock.”

The young Hound, napping atop the ram’s head, had its own anomaly panel too, but it wasn’t counted—likely because it was alive and thus not an “anomaly object,” or perhaps because it was still a puppy and child labor didn’t qualify for official slots.

Hmm… the latter possibility seemed more likely.

After stroking the young Hound’s wonderfully soft fur, Li Ang watched the child laborer roll over, still sound asleep and even snoring softly, and couldn’t help but chuckle, then gave a slight nod to the female prisoner glaring at him.

“Thank you.”

“…”

Thank your fucking mother!!!

Seeing Li Ang politely nodding to her, the female prisoner—whose bandage had been “forcibly taken”—wanted to curse him violently, but feared provoking him and endangering her fellow infiltrator in the Secret Investigation Bureau; she ultimately swallowed her rage, gritted her teeth, and turned away.

Demon!

This damn bastard always looked harmless, but once he dropped the facade, he was a devil who toyed with minds!

When I get out, I’ll warn everyone: don’t be fooled by his appearance—this Cleaners’ guy is ten times more dangerous than he looks!

“By the way, before I leave, I have a few questions for you.”

After glancing at the woman’s soul—half fury, half dread—Li Ang hesitated, then finally spoke:

“If you successfully escape from here, will you keep being a rebel?”

“???”

What did he mean by asking that?!

Watching the woman’s eyes freeze, silent yet whose soul churned violently, Li Ang shook his head:

“Though you’ve behaved normally, the soul doesn’t lie.

Your soul holds many emotions, yet lacks fear of death—but when I mentioned your insider in the Secret Investigation Bureau, your fear of death suddenly flared up.

So I believe your insider in the Secret Investigation Bureau promised to rescue you, and since his exposure directly determines whether you can be saved, that’s why you’d rather hand over the bandage than let me speak, correct?”

¤co

“…”

Facing Li Ang, who had stripped away all her secrets in under five minutes, the female prisoner felt her heart turn cold, sinking into utter despair.

“Yes! All of it’s true!!!”

Knowing lies were pointless before this soul-reading “devil,” the woman gave up entirely, glaring at him through gritted teeth:

“Bobby Lane is dead, but I haven’t finished avenging my husband! It wasn’t just the bloated nobles of the Lane family who killed him—it’s this kingdom, rotten to its core!

Since my revenge isn’t over, if I escape, I’ll keep being a rebel—and I’ll keep doing it

Until I die!”

“Alright, I understand.”

After observing the woman’s extremely “sincere” soul, Li Ang shook his head again, then said with slight regret:

“Sorry. After I leave, I’ll immediately capture that spy.”

“You?!”

Hearing Li Ang’s words, the woman screamed in shock and rage:

“You just took my item! Damn it! You tricked me?!”

“Well… I never promised not to capture him. I only promised you’d be silent. In our director’s words, that’s one thing at a time.”

After forcing himself to utter this shameless line, Li Ang’s cheeks flushed slightly—he wasn’t yet skilled enough in shamelessness—and added apologetically:

“Forgive me. If you’d only targeted officials, I might not have acted this way. But every time you strike, innocents get caught in the crossfire—I can’t ignore that.

Moreover, both you and the director of the Secret Investigation Bureau have shown considerable interest in me—he even harbors strong hostility toward me.

Considering your rebels’ methods, it’s likely you’d target my family. So I must prepare in advance.

By the way, to be certain, is the director with the scar on his face your infiltrator in the Secret Investigation Bureau?”

“I don’t know!”

Hearing Li Ang’s question, knowing he was about to launch another “mind-reading performance,” the woman struggled desperately, trying to knock herself unconscious.

But as a key suspect in the Princess Assassination Case, she was shackled tightly to the chair, unable to move much—only the chains clanged loudly as she tugged.

“So I guessed right.”

Using his soul vision to directly learn the answer, Li Ang continued, as the woman glared at him with bloodshot eyes:

“Next question: does he possess an anomaly?”

“I don’t know!!”

“He does have an anomaly… Is his strength weaker than yours, or stronger?”

“I don’t know!!!”

“Stronger than you? Then do you know his ability?”

“…”

Is she really unaware this time?

After asking several more questions from different angles and realizing he couldn’t extract further information, Li Ang sighed and stood up.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Goodbye.”

“You… you’re despicable! You’re shameless!”

Watching Li Ang trick her and shamelessly steal the bandage’s use, the woman thrashed wildly, screaming hysterically:

“Stop pretending to be a good person! You can’t ignore it…? You’re just stronger than me! Do you dare touch those truly powerful ones?

If you really think you’re a good person, go kill all those bastards! Fuck! I’m sick of people like you! You’re a hypocritical bastard!”

“…”

Hearing the woman’s profanity-laced rant, Li Ang paused at the door of the interrogation room, thought for a moment, then nodded:

“You’re right.”

“???”

In her bewildered expression, Li Ang sighed again and openly admitted:

And I’m not just hypocritical—I’m cowardly too. I despise many things, yet lack the courage to abandon everything and change them completely;

I’m not just cowardly—I’m stubborn. I can’t handle many things, yet I can’t fully ignore them; when I encounter them, I always feel compelled to interfere;

I’m not just stubborn—I’m reckless. I know acting will bring trouble and put me in danger, and I’d be better off just waiting it out—but I still often can’t resist…”

“I’m a terrible person. Sometimes I even hate myself.”

“…”

Facing Li Ang’s unusually sincere self-analysis—his self-criticism even harsher than her own—the woman was utterly stunned.

Faced with Li Ang’s unusually sincere self-examination, hearing self-assessments even harsher than her own, the female prisoner was utterly stunned.

“I’m just an ordinary person. I only do what I can. As for the rest…”

Looking at the glowing badges on his panel, Li Ang clenched his right hand slightly, a faint, impure resolve shining in his eyes.

I’ll see just how high I can climb.

That depends on how high I can ultimately ascend!