Chapter 34

34 Badass to the Max

【Obtained usable anomaly: Chromatic Badge “Materialist Soul (Crimson)” — Hidden Trait Activated】

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

【Wearing Effect: …】

【Advanced Path: …】

【Hidden Trait: Badge Slot 2 — Current Slots: 5 — Anomalies Required to Unlock Next Slot: 4】

【Your Corruption Value has increased】

【Current Corruption Value: 0.9】

…

After carefully reading the description of the “Witch’s Broom,” especially the Corruption Value of 0.5, Li Ang couldn’t help but turn his gaze to the black goat on his desk, his expression deeply complicated.

You’re really weak…

You’re always bragging about being some great demon, looking down on everyone, yet your Corruption Value can’t even beat a broom?

Do you know? If you hadn’t just “leveled up” yesterday, your Corruption Value would’ve been only one-fifth of this broom’s — a single broom outmatching five great demons… It’s just… utterly degrading…

“What are you staring at?”

After locking eyes with Li Ang and being pierced by the look in his eyes, the black goat — still bearing a shoe print on its face — stiffened its neck and glared angrily:

“Are you ashamed of me? You bastard! We’ve been through life-or-death crises together!

When you nearly got killed by that old man, it was me who took the blade for you! Now that you’ve got a new anomaly, you’re ashamed of me?”

“No no no.”

Though this thing was mouthy, always trying to lure him into corruption and goading him into doing evil, it had saved his life — and as someone gentle and sentimental, Li Ang could only turn his head aside and lie untruthfully:

“You’re mistaken. I don’t look down on your weakness. Uh… really, I don’t.”

“…”

Then why the hell aren’t you looking at me when you say it?!

If Li Ang had openly mocked his weakness, the black goat might not have felt so crushed — in verbal sparring, it had never feared anyone.

But Li Ang’s pitying expression — the kind that spared the truth out of compassion — was like saying “I’m sorry” followed by “Alright then?” — instantly piercing the black goat’s pride as a great demon.

“Don’t you dare look down on demons!”

It tumbled off the desk with a thud, its psyche shattered, rolling on the carpet while screaming in fury:

“I am a true great demon! One of the top demons in the entire Abyss!”

“Mm-hmm, I believe you. Your abilities are actually quite powerful.”

“Aaaahhh!!!”

Angered by Li Ang’s attitude, the Black Goat shrieked:

“You kid… we got ambushed right after we descended! Our heart, our eyes, our stomach… all ripped out, and these horns were messed with by that red-haired woman!”

“Don’t judge us by how we look now—if you can recover everything we lost, we’ll be the strongest… top ten… at least top thirty anomaly in your Clearance Bureau!”

“…”

So you’re a set of demonic gear?

Though he didn’t believe the Black Goat’s clearly hollow claim of “top thirty,” Li Ang still instinctively perked up upon hearing there might be other related anomalies besides the 【Demon Horns】.

The effect of the Silver Badge 【Friend of Demons】 is to increase affinity with anomalies marked “Fallen,” reduce usage cost, and greatly enhance ability effects.

Which means these anomalies—【Demon Heart】, 【Demon Stomach】, 【Demon Horns】, 【Demon Eyes】—are highly compatible with me; once I get them, I can rapidly boost my own strength!

…

“Tell me about it.”

“”

After bending down to pick up the goat’s head and placing it back on the table, Li Ang temporarily set aside his “new favorite” and turned with interest to his “old acquaintance”:

“How many of your anomalies were taken from you? And where should I start looking for them?”

“If you’re interested… counting these horns, the parts of us that qualify as anomalies should be split into seven pieces!”

Seeing Li Ang seemed genuinely invested in reassembling him, the Black Goat immediately perked up and eagerly boasted:

“When we were at our peak, our rank was only half a step below that of a Demon God—we’re among the top-tier demons, our very flesh an embodiment of ultimate sin!”

“Our horns are weapons of combat, symbolizing wrath and war; our heart is swollen ambition, symbolizing pride and rebellion; our eyes are twisted will, symbolizing envy and longing;

Our stomach is greed and conquest; our tongue is gluttony and desolation; our tail is sloth and secrecy…”

“Kid! Believe us! If you reassemble us, your strength will surely enter the Clearance Bureau’s top tier—even that red-haired woman won’t be your match!”

“…”

Setting aside the idea of reassembly for now, but your numbers don’t add up.

After counting the items the Black Goat mentioned—horns, heart, eyes, stomach, tongue, tail—Li Ang frowned, eyeing him skeptically:

“That’s only six. Where’s the seventh?”

“The last one isn’t urgent…”

The Black Goat mumbled in response:

“That anomaly was completely destroyed back then; it’s probably still repairing itself. We can wait until it recovers before searching for it…”

“Not urgent or not, you still have to tell me what the last one is.”

“…”

“Why are you being so evasive?”

“…”

“Speak up! Why are you hiding this last one?”

Under Li Ang’s relentless questioning, the Black Goat, though deeply reluctant, finally revealed the true nature of the final anomaly.

“The last one… is our whip… symbolizing lust and copulation…”

“…”

Seriously… can’t you tell I don’t want to say it? Why keep asking about it?

Glaring at Li Ang for bringing up the one thing he didn’t want to mention, the Black Goat scowled:

“As for how to obtain them… after we were ambushed, those bastards took advantage of our weakness, used some unknown method to restrain us, and slowly peeled off our parts one by one.

I feared I’d be completely killed, so when they were about to take that one thing, I gritted my teeth and blew it up myself—sent the other six anomalies flying everywhere. So I don’t even know where the others ended up.

I only remember that after I landed, I latched onto the first available host and made him run like hell, hiding and fleeing for who knows how long.

Only when I realized no one was chasing me did I try to regain some strength… and immediately got caught and beaten to pieces by that red-haired woman—turned me into this mess… What’s wrong with you now?”

Seeing Li Ang’s gaze shift repeatedly—from disgust to shock, from shock to disbelief, then from disbelief to admiration—the Black Goat’s heart lurched. He paused his recollection, eyes wary:

“Kid? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Why look at you like that? Of course because I admire you! Forget everything else—just that insane move of yours? Isn’t that worth my full respect?