Chapter 1730: Upper Limit and Lower Limit

"I think… it's understandable?"

Looking at the group of Directors with drooping faces around him, the silver-haired Taurus Director secretly glared at Leon, then coughed and spoke to mediate:

"Aquarius… Leon went a bit too far this time. With a good chance of winning, he still handed the 【Lifespan】 back. But you might as well think about it from another angle: this opportunity was fought for by him in the first place!"

"After all, you all know how bad the situation was at that time. The present world was blockaded by 【Yesterday's Abode】, the King-Slaying Society and the demons were colluding, and they even tampered with the Nine Great Angels in advance. Protecting the 【Lifespan】 was almost impossible to begin with."

"If it weren't for Leon being relatively cautious and going to the Abyss to catch the Original Sin Demon Gods first, then when blocked by angels and demons from both sides, let alone having the upper hand, the three of you Directors and the six Zodiac Directors would all have been folded into Heaven Mountain."

The more he spoke, the more he felt his words made sense. The Taurus Director, whose back had been slightly hunched, slowly straightened up, then said righteously:

"So I think, although Leon violated the Bureau's regulations this time, his merits clearly outweigh his faults. Not only should he not be punished, but instead… cough… considering the preciousness of 【Lifespan】, actually not rewarding him is fine too… What do you say?"

"…"

What do we say… You've said both the good and the bad, so what else can I say?

Rolling his eyes at the Taurus Director, who was clearly prepared to protect Leon at all costs, the Scorpio Director, whose face was bruised and swollen, said with a dark face:

"Alright! Stop protecting him so hard. I know that without him, the 【Lifespan】 wouldn't have been brought back either. I've already accepted this matter… And I didn't say I was going to do anything to him, okay?"

Glancing toward Leon's direction, the Scorpio Director gritted his teeth, his speech slurred as he said with hatred:

"Although Aquarius disregarded the overall situation, was trapped by private feelings, and when the situation was excellent, just one small step away from letting all humans live for another fifty years, he suddenly chose to compromise with the King-Slaying Society and ran over to give me a heavy beating."

"Then, disregarding the bitter pleas of Virgo and me, he forcibly snatched away the 【Lifespan】 that we and the Directors had fought hard to snatch back and sent it to the damned Supreme Four Pillar God, making all my hard work of the past thirty years go to waste… But didn't I also not say anything? Huh?"

"…"

You really didn't say anything… After all, after you've listed it all out like that, there's no need to say anything else… Speaking of which, your tongue is truly nimble. You didn't stutter at all in such a long sentence. I guess you've been holding it in for a long time.

Looking at the Scorpio Director, whose resentment was so thick it almost condensed into substance and could support ten Evil Sword Immortals, Leon, who had indeed given him a heavy beating, couldn't help but show a quite awkward expression, then said in a low voice with guilt in his eyes:

"Apologies… It was mainly to drag out a bit more time so that Capricorn could take the opportunity to purify some 【Lifespan】 and recover some losses, so… sorry."

"I know! Didn't I just say it? I don't blame you! I don't blame you! I really don't blame you!"

After emphasizing three times that he didn't blame him, the Scorpio Director, whose face was longer than a donkey's, opened his mouth, which was missing two front teeth, smiled coldly at Leon, and then gritted his teeth:

"I just blame myself for being useless!"

"If I were stronger than you, I would give you a heavy beating in return, and then, just like you pinched me, I would pinch your neck, lift you up, and force you to follow my ideas!"

"Uh… sorry…"

"Alright! It's all in the past."

Glancing at his old partner who was saying he didn't blame him but was actually feeling very aggrieved, the weak Virgo Director reminded:

"Aquarius did compromise under threat, but he also tried his best to make amends. Not only did he immediately remind Capricorn to start purifying 【Lifespan】, but he also tried to delay for a period of time, managing to get some 【Lifespan】."

"Although we didn't manage to bring back the snatched 【Lifespan】 completely, we did absorb a portion, allowing everyone to live for another two years or so. We didn't make the trip entirely in vain."

Hehe, I know he tried his best, and I didn't intend to blame him, but he lifted me up and beat me. Can't I feel a little aggrieved?

Rolling his eyes at the Virgo Director as well, the Scorpio Director turned his head away and stopped talking. After barely persuading the Scorpio Director, who was full of complaints, the Virgo Director, whose face was pale and blue, turned his head to examine Leon carefully, then said to the Taurus Director with amazement:

"Jeanne, is Aquarius really not even twenty years old this year?"

"More than that. He is still a few months away from eighteen. In a kingdom with relatively detailed laws like the Kingdom of Cicalevin, this child could even be considered a minor."

After answering the Virgo Director's question, the Taurus Director couldn't help but continue:

"So I am not necessarily protecting Leon. It's mainly that he has done well enough. When I was his age, I wasn't even a cleaner, yet he is already shielding the human race… He is still a child."

He is a fart of a child!

Hearing the Taurus Director's words, the Scorpio Director subconsciously touched his neck, then couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

Can your child punch out two of my front teeth and then lift me up with one hand to ask if I'm convinced? I really… If he is still a child, then what are those Original Sin Demon Gods who are trained by him to be more obedient than dogs? Are they unborn demon embryos?

"At this age, you are probably more powerful than the Third Generation."

Looking at Leon with amazement again, the Virgo Director said gently:

"Although it's a pity that only a small portion of 【Lifespan】 was brought back, we didn't come back entirely empty-handed. At the very least, in the more than 130 years that Aquarius is still alive, Heaven Mountain and the Hundred Prisons of the Abyss no longer need people to guard them, and Cancer and Capricorn can also return to the present world… Hm…"

When he said this, the Virgo Director paused slightly, then said quite helplessly:

"However, Capricorn was injured at the root this time, and I'm afraid it will take two or three years to recover. Cancer only has five or six years of lifespan left, and I also need to recuperate because of preserving 【Lifespan】… This is really… Although the Bureau has always been winning, there are fewer and fewer people who can move."

"…"

Ah this…

Hearing the Virgo Director's emotion, Leon, who had indirectly pitted many Directors, couldn't help but feel a little guilty, raised his eyes, and looked at the golden ceiling of the Taurus Star Palace.

I have a clear conscience. My past record is verifiable. I am basically the MVP in every game and never lie down to win. Even the game I just lost was a hard-fought game that was not a war of my own making. As for why there are fewer and fewer Directors… this… maybe it's a matter of luck?

"In short, just as Jeanne said before, Aquarius, your merits outweigh your faults this time."

After sighing about the complex situation in the Bureau, the Virgo Director looked around at his colleagues and summarized:

"In my opinion, Aquarius has already done his best. Let's leave it at that for this time. What do you say?"

"I agree."

"Fine."

"Hmph, I said it long ago, I have no opinion!"

"This matter cannot just be left at that."

"?"

Amidst the surprised gazes of several Directors, Leon turned his head with apology and said to the Scorpio Director and the Virgo Director:

"The 【Lifespan】 this time was brought back by the two of you from thousands of miles away. It was also something you, the Director, and the White Sheep Director spent many years in the Old Earth, taking huge risks and experiencing untold hardships to find."

"Although I don't regret my choice, and I would choose the same way even if it happened again, the compromise I made did waste your years of effort… I will definitely make compensation."

Compensation?

Hearing Leon's words, the Directors did not accept them gladly, but frowned one after another.

Aquarius's intention to take responsibility is naturally good, but what was lost this time is not an ordinary thing; it is the lifespan of the entire human race. The equivalent compensation naturally must be one of the four 【Treasures】 of the same level, so…

"Leon!"

After calling out, the Taurus Director's face sank slightly, and he reminded:

"Don't be impulsive. You can't force this kind of thing!"

"Jeanne is right."

The Cancer Director also nodded and said earnestly:

"You are still young and have plenty of time to wait for your talent to be realized. There is no need to go deep into the Old Earth now."

"Yes, this kind of thing cannot be rushed."

The Virgo Director secretly stepped on the Scorpio Director's foot and then persuaded:

"We have been looking for many years in the Old Earth and have only encountered 【Treasures】 a few times. Our strength has long reached its limit, so it doesn't matter if we spend time trying our luck, but you don't need to do this… Scorpio, am I right?"

"Right…"

After secretly moving his foot that was stepped on and hurt, the Scorpio Director grunted:

"The reason I don't like you is that you beat me, not that you sent the 【Lifespan】 back. You must be calm as a Director and cannot mess around just because you are angry!"

"Uh… thank you for your advice…"

Looking at the Directors who started to denounce, echo, persuade, and provoke just because he said one sentence, fearing that he would go to extremes, Leon couldn't help but hide his head back and explained:

"I understand your good intentions, but I didn't say I was going to the Old Earth to find treasures now…"

"???" x4

"I mean, the 【Lifespan】 lost by all of humanity this time, I can make up for some of it in another way."

After organizing his language slightly, Leon explained:

"The matter of lifespan, in the final analysis, is only the 'upper limit' of the theoretical degree, and it is also a matter of delaying the time to start aging."

"And although the upper limit of our human lifespan is set at 150 years, apart from us cleaners who have been immersed, very few people live to the limit of 150 years, and there are not many people who are even over 90 years old."

The Virgo Director heard this and said confusedly:

"So you mean to say…"

"I mean to say, since the 【Lifespan】 that raises the upper limit has been snatched back, we can completely start from another aspect and raise the 'lower limit' of our human race's lifespan… for example, these."

As Leon spoke, he reached out to touch his cufflinks and took out a few thin booklets from them, distributing one to each of the confused Directors.

"After I asked Veronica for a warrant, I let the Fourth Research Institute of the Traveling Thrush conduct this research topic. The content is the relationship between human lifespan and social environment, the investigation of productivity in the Eleven Kingdoms, the feasibility analysis of cross-border resource allocation, and how to use anomalous items to participate in large-scale production, etc."

"Oh, right, the researchers in the First to Seventh Research Institutes of the Traveling Thrush are basically scholars from the original Kingdom of Krolok. Their research results are not necessarily completely correct, but they must have great reference value. The Fourth Research Institute is currently specifically responsible for the investigation and visits of social problems…"

After briefly explaining the origin of these booklets and initially proving their reliability, Leon explained to the bewildered Directors:

"According to the investigation results of the Fourth Research Institute of the Traveling Thrush, there are about 27 significant reasons for the low average lifespan of humans in the present world. The top four are poverty, hunger, war, and large-scale plague."

"What?"

"How much?!"

"This is impossible!!!"

"This is not about whether it is possible or not, but the specific data investigated."

After looking at the Scorpio Director who almost stared his eyes out, Leon patiently explained:

"This lifespan data is calculated by the supercomputer of the Kingdom of Krolok through all publicly verifiable household registrations, cemeteries, genealogies… as well as the undisclosed troop numbers, land property, industrial scale, etc., of various kingdoms and city-states."

"Even if this data cannot be 100% accurate due to reality and statistical errors, and can only be an approximate value, the negative error will absolutely not exceed two years."

"The negative error is…"

"It means calculating it lower."

It's already 61.9, and it has to be calculated lower by two years? Less than 60? Not even half of 150 years? Then what is the significance of what we did for 【Lifespan】 in the past?!?!

"This is impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

The Scorpio Director jumped up from his chair, his expression somewhat annoyed as he said loudly:

"Isn't the upper limit 150? How can it be only this much?"

"Lord Scorpio, the reason has been marked in the booklet I gave you. In fact, the reason why this data can finally be achieved is that several long-lived kingdoms have forcibly pulled it up by their talent."

After turning the booklet in front of the Scorpio Director to the third page and pointing to the chart above, Leon explained earnestly:

"The citizens of the Kingdom of the Shrine Maiden basically have some Great Court bloodlines, their bodies are naturally stronger, and the kingdoms are ruled by various associations, with very low pursuit of wealth and power. Coupled with the excellent natural environment, the average lifespan once approached 90 years."

"And the Kingdom of Oleson, which has the reputation of the Kingdom of Greenery, is the largest grain producer among the Eleven Kingdoms. Although the Oleson royal family is quite inhuman, the land there is so fertile that seeds grow grain wherever they are scattered, so the average lifespan is not bad."

"Similarly, the Kingdom of Medicine, Perti, and the Kingdom of Cicalevin, where the law has relatively strict constraints on the aristocratic class, have average lifespans higher than the average level because of their various characteristics or advantages."

"Then how is it only…"

"Because the rest are really not human."

Pointing to the lowest bar charts in the chart, Leon couldn't help but frown:

"The Kingdom of Thousand Sails, where the whole country lives by looting, often breaks out in regional wars. The average lifespan is about 40, and the male average is even lower than 32, and they are desperately pulling down the lower limit of others."

"And the former Kingdom of Traveling Thrush, apart from a large number of factories, also retained a lot of aristocratic plantations and farms. The daily working hours of workers and farmers generally exceeded 13 hours. Because of overwork and diseases brought by overwork, the average lifespan barely touched the threshold of 50."

"The Kingdom of Ice and Snow is a bit wronged to be counted in. Their problem lies in large-scale natural disasters, shortages of food, medicine, and industrial products, and the super-high infant mortality rate in extreme cold weather…"

Taking out a board from the Mirror World and setting it on the table, drawing and writing on it with charcoal, and popularizing which of the Eleven Kingdoms in the present world are bastards to the bewildered Directors, Leon spoke earnestly:

"Everyone, if we can snatch back 【Lifespan】 and raise the human lifespan upper limit to 200 years, that would be a great thing. But before that, I'm afraid we have to do some more basic work first, for example… raise the average lifespan to half of the upper limit first?"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1731 =====