Chapter 320: 320 The Second Best

「Mmm…」

Upon hearing the Red-haired Director's words, Li Ang's smile froze slightly, then he nodded with a frown:

「When Senior Emma prepared to perish alongside the Goddess of Wealth, the Goddess directly swallowed my pendant—and even took away Senior Pion's… pfft… Silver Charm.

Director, right now everything I have are support-type anomalies; I've got nothing that can directly kill targets. Next time you assign me a mission, I'll probably just have to carry a sniper rifle to get by.

「No need. I sent that crocodile down with you specifically to solve this problem… Keep moving forward, and don't stray too far from me!

After glancing at the gray, hazy sky above, the Red-haired Director let out a sharp whistle, scattering the crows circling overhead, then followed their flight path as she carried Emma deeper into the Dead Realm.

「Li Ang, though you lost your Holy Spirit Pendant this time, your actual gains aren't small—whether it's the Fork of the Lord of Desire, the Goddess of Wealth's tail, or that green bead that trapped Emma, all are items on par with your Holy Spirit Pendant.

Walking the Path of No Return, the Red-haired Director kept her eyes locked on the Death-Crows above as she spoke to Li Ang behind her:

「But the items you acquired are all troublesome. The Lord of Desire isn't dead yet—his weapon, even broken, is unusable by you. The Goddess of Wealth's serpent tail is merely raw material; you can't use it directly either.

The bead remains free of these issues, but it was made by the Goddess for herself. The cost for you would be too high; anyone without forty to fifty Li Ang Points couldn't even activate it meaningfully.

「Yes…」

Li Ang, following behind the Red-haired Director, nodded and replied:

「That bead is called 【Emerald Dream】. It was forged from the shattered 【Elysium】 of the God of Agriculture and Livestock. It can temporarily open a self-contained emerald world with no exit—and the more Corruption Value the user has, the larger the world becomes. That serpent spirit even expanded it into an entire valley.

I can use it directly and even enter or exit the emerald world once it's open. But if I seal it away and reactivate it myself, the world I create would barely reach a few dozen square meters, and its stability wouldn't compare to what the serpent spirit achieved.

「So either you can't use it, or it's unsuitable!

After summarizing, the Red-haired Director continued:

「When you have good items you can't use, you need an Anomaly Smith.

And if you're asking who's the best smith, it's certainly Lord Taurus—but she's currently sealed within the Headquarters and can't assist. So we must turn to the second best.

The second-best Anomaly Smith?

Li Ang blinked, then asked curiously:

「Director, is this second-best smith in the Dead Realm? Is he one of our Clearance Bureau personnel?

「Yes, he's indeed in the Dead Realm—and he was once one of us.

「…」

Wait. Formerly?

…

「Olivia! Ahahaha! You actually came to see me!

In Li Ang's stunned gaze, a short, stout old man with a round, clumsy face suddenly sat upright in the coffin the Red-haired Director had pried open, his eyes gleaming with delight:

「Since you're here, has the current Taurus finally died?

「Er… Lord Taurus hasn't ascended yet…」

「Tch!

Upon hearing the Red-haired Director's reply, the round-faced old man's face fell. He reached for the coffin lid, intending to lie back down—but the Red-haired Director grabbed him firmly.

「Don't pull my coffin! Let go right now!

The old man, seemingly harboring a grudge against Lord Taurus, snarled:

「Didn't I tell you? Don't come here unless she's dead! Why are you breaking your word?

「Third Generation, our original agreement wasn't like that.

The Red-haired Director, still gripping the coffin lid, shook her head:

「We agreed that once you became the best smith in the world again, I'd come find you and tell you the good news.

「Isn't that the same thing?

「No, it isn't.

The Red-haired Director explained:

「Third Generation, something's happened in the Bureau. The current Aquarius Director covets the Watch Palace and seeks to replace Lord Taurus as its occupant, hoping to enter it.

To ensure the Watch Palace's safety, Lord Taurus has remained sealed within the Headquarters under the protection of the other two Directors. She won't emerge until her ascension—so now, you are once again the best smith in the world.

「Ah, well then… that's acceptable…」

After hearing the explanation, the round-faced old man hesitated, finally refraining from closing his coffin lid. He grumbled:

「Since she's not coming out, I'll grant you didn't break your promise… So, what do you want this time?

「To find the best smith, naturally, I've come to ask you to forge something.

Holding up the serpent tail and broken trident, the Red-haired Director pointed at Li Ang and said:

「Third Generation, he's a new Clearance Officer we recruited last year. During a rescue mission, his anomaly was destroyed—he now lacks a direct-attack anomaly.

Could you use these two items as primary materials to craft a custom one for him? If possible, make it low-cost—something a standard Level Three officer can handle—and ideally one that supports future growth.

「Tch… you've got high demands!

Grumbling with displeasure, the round-faced old man rose from his coffin, scowling as he took the materials and examined them—then let out a surprised "Huh?"

「Divine limbs and weapons?

With his bluish hands, he fiddled with the serpent tail and the broken trident, then for the first time turned his gaze to Li Ang, frowning:

「This tail was freshly severed, wasn't it? Did you stumble into a battle between true gods during the rescue mission?

「Strange! You look pathetically weak at a glance—and you're just a rookie from last year. If you'd really wandered into a true god's battle, you'd be dead before you could take another breath. How did you even get such rare materials?

「That's a long story.

Giving Li Ang a look that said "Don't say a word," the Red-haired Director quietly closed the old man's coffin lid, kicked the coffin away with her foot, and smiled sweetly:

「Third Generation, while you're crafting for him, I'll tell you what happened. How does that sound?