Chapter 627: 0224

As the Director of the Cleanup Bureau pronounced the verdict, the "Eye of the Sun" in the sky suddenly blazed with unbearable intensity, its radiant light cascading like a waterfall directly onto the Water Bearer Director.

"Damn it! It's all your fault!"

To the shock of all present, the Water Bearer Director, drenched in sunlight, did not instantly burn to ash—instead, surrounded by strange, smoke-like phenomena, he rose to his feet, enduring the searing light as he glared fiercely at the main stage, his eyes blazing red as he roared:

"Why did you come back? If you hadn't shown up today! All I needed was one more day!"

You scared the hell out of me—I thought my meddling had been discovered…

Realizing the Water Bearer Director's rage wasn't aimed at him but at the Cleanup Bureau Director, Li Ang let out a long breath and quickly shuffled sideways, pressing himself behind the Director, terrified the dying man's final thrash might reach him.

As for the Cleanup Bureau Director's spectral form, his full attention was fixed on the Water Bearer Director, so he paid no heed to Li Ang's small movements—instead, he coldly gestured toward the sun.

"Boom!"

With a sound like a cascading waterfall, the sunlight overhead intensified several-fold, a torrent of brilliant gold crashing down and piercing through the smoke encircling the Water Bearer Director.

As this life-saving anomaly was shattered, the Water Bearer Director's physical form was instantly obliterated—even the drifting ashes were vaporized by sunlight nearly liquefied, leaving only a tormented, shrieking soul behind.

After glancing at the Water Bearer Director's soul and confirming it posed no threat, the Cleanup Bureau Director turned his head toward the position of the Gemini Division Director, as if to give orders—but after a moment's hesitation, he looked instead toward the Pisces Division Director.

"Medea, the execution of the Water Bearer is complete. Your Pisces Division excels at handling souls—take his soul away."

"Besides his crimes over the years and his plots against the Watch Palace, locate all positions of the anomalies he created and extract all knowledge of the Water Bearer's secret arts."

"Understood."

The Pisces Division Director, veiled, gave a slight nod and accepted the task. After making these arrangements, the Cleanup Bureau Director turned to look behind him—at Li Ang—and asked:

"You… that… ability… can… you…"

Huh?

Watching the Cleanup Bureau Director suddenly begin "slowing down," his form twisting unnaturally, Li Ang blinked in surprise, then couldn't help asking:

"Director? What's going on?"

"Probably due to Old Earth—time flow there has started slowing again."

The veiled woman, who had walked over from the Pisces Division Director's seat and was preparing to retrieve the Water Bearer's soul, explained:

"His true body isn't here… it's… in… Old… Earth…"

???

Wait, how are you slowing down too?

After glancing in surprise at the veiled woman, Li Ang turned back to ask his own Director—only to be utterly stunned: the entire Cleanup Bureau headquarters, including his own Director, had slowed down.

And the slowdown was accelerating—where the veiled woman had previously spoken one word every three seconds, she now hadn't uttered another after over a minute.

…

"I never expected that, with all my preparations so thorough, you'd still ruin my plan."

With a voice devoid of any inflection, the Gemini Division Director walked forward, passed around the veiled woman blocking his path, and seized the Water Bearer Director's soul in his hand. "Who are you?"

"I am the Gemini Division Director—and also the Water Bearer Director… or rather, the vessel holding his original brain."

Pointing to his forehead, the Gemini Division Director pulled out a tiny set of scales and fixed Li Ang with a calm gaze:

"The one just executed was my true body, a copied brain, and Bolideqingganyubufenlinghun —after all, having my brain licked by the Brain-Eating Demon was excruciating. I didn't want to experience it firsthand, so I devised this method."

"Also, I've thought carefully during this time: though the surgery was a day off and the results slightly off, since the brain in this body remains unaffected, the other version of my brain should be similarly unharmed."

"So the reason my memories couldn't be fully replicated by the Dream-Echo Furnace isn't due to the Krook Kingdom's surgery—it's because of the Divine Brain-Eating Demon. And the only person who directly touched it… is you. I'm curious: how did you control it?"

"…."

"…."

"…."

No way—there's a twist?!

Looking at the Gemini Division Director—or rather, the true Water Bearer Director—staring at him expressionlessly, waiting for an answer, Li Ang was utterly numb.

What the hell are these Cleanup Bureau people even doing?

You guys are so damn powerful—you've captured so many true gods and Xieshen, hollowed out asteroids for your headquarters, even pulled the sun down to use—yet now you're all slowed to a crawl? If the Water Bearer had been just a bit more ruthless today, you'd all be wiped out!

"Don't worry—I can't harm them. Not even make contact."

As if sensing Li Ang's thoughts, the Gemini Division Director—or rather, the true Water Bearer Director—spoke:

"My ability isn't to slow them—it's to accelerate you and me. We two are like two gears peeled away from the 'machine' of the world, able to turn at speeds far exceeding normal time flow."

"But if we make contact with others, these temporarily detached gears will immediately re-engage, snapping back to normal speed. So while our state is strange, we can't actually do much."

【Through direct observation and the user's explanation, you gained extensive information on "Time Gap." The Yisehuizhang "Materialist Soul (Crimson)" activated.】

【Having understood part of the "Time Gap"'s rules, your resistance to it has increased—you can now block lower-level effects.】

Only lower-level… that's still useless!

Looking at the calm, unhurried true Water Bearer Director across from him, and realizing he showed no resistance to conversation, Li Ang gritted his teeth, resolved to struggle even if caught:

"If you wanted to reclaim the soul, you could just accelerate yourself—why did you accelerate me too?"

"To obtain information."

Swinging the scales in his hand, the Water Bearer Director spoke slowly:

"This is the 'Truth Scale.' If one side reveals a secret of sufficient value, then when they ask a question, the other side—no matter how unwilling—must answer with an equivalent secret."

"Why you? First, I'm curious what you did to the Brain-Eating Demon. Second, I want to know the state of the Kingdom. Third, I want intel on the Virgo Division. Most importantly—you're weak."

"If the one accelerated with me were Olivia or Beverly of the Leo Division, the cost would be enormous—and I might not even be able to overpower them."

"You require little cost, know a lot, carry secrets I'm interested in, and once I get the info, you're easiest to handle. So naturally, I chose you."

"…."

"Hmm… the reason for my two selves, the secret of time acceleration, the Truth Scale's ability, why I chose you… that should be enough."

Placing four unequal weights on the left tray of the small scale, watching the right tray rise high, the Water Bearer Director nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Li Ang and asked calmly:

"Your turn. First question: what exactly did you do to that Brain-Eating Demon?"

(End of Chapter)