Chapter 628: The Crushing Blow of Knowledge

【Through materialist understanding... Having preliminarily grasped the operating rules of the 'True Word Balance,' your resistance to this anomaly has increased; you can now block general-level effects.】

Accompanied by the badge system's notification, Li Ang felt a violent shudder, as if he had instantly lost control of himself, overwhelmed by an unimaginable urge to confess.

"I touched... the ass of that god-tier brain-eating demon..."

As Li Ang finished speaking, the right tray of the True Word Balance finally lifted a single weight—yet this grain-of-rice-sized weight plunged the tray sharply downward.

Strange. This isn't even a secret—why did a weight appear? And why did the True Word Balance recognize its value?

Gazing at the weight that shouldn't have existed, the Water Bearer Director furrowed his brow, once again feeling that strange sense of crisis: his plan was drifting, things slipping from his grasp.

This Li Ang has too many oddities. Maybe... I should question someone else?

Just as the Water Bearer Director was considering whether to kill Li Ang, a date-sized weight slammed down, instantly flattening the tilted True Word Balance.

"Through the Demon Badge... I directly... seized control of the god-tier brain-eating demon."

Badge? What's that?

Seeing that a mere vague name carried the weight of four of his secrets, the Water Bearer Director—who had just hesitated about switching interrogators—suddenly widened his eyes in sharp interest.

"What anomaly is the Demon Badge? What is its effect?"

"The Demon Badge... is not an anomaly... its effect is... direct control over all demonic anomalies with a fallen nature..."

Not an anomaly itself, yet capable of directly controlling all demonic anomalies? How can such an unreasonable thing exist?!

After hearing the Demon Badge's exact effect, the Water Bearer Director gasped sharply. He opened his mouth to ask more—only to find the True Word Balance had completely flipped; his own tray had been violently lifted by a duck-egg-sized weight.

"..."

Trouble... If I keep asking, I'll have to reveal some terrible secrets of my own. Is it worth it?

But the Water Bearer Director's hesitation lasted only an instant.

Before something that lets a Level-3 Cleaner forcibly control a True God-tier anomaly, a little risk is worth it. Even if I leak secrets now, it doesn't matter—I'll kill him after the deal. A dead man, no matter how much he knows, will keep his silence.

"What I'm about to say is the path to directly ascending to the Watchtower Palace... To completely replace the Taurus Director, I crafted six high-rank anomalies designed to work in concert."

As the Water Bearer Director spoke without expression, the left tray of the True Word Balance began accumulating weights.

"The six anomalies' effects are: usurping the body, simulating the soul, replicating personality, imitating emotion, replacing the past, and projecting the future."

Because body, soul, personality, emotion, past, and future... these six aspects fully cover everything about a person.

If I use Taurus Director's body; possess her same soul, emotions, and personality; even share her exact past and future—then even the mighty Watchtower Palace must recognize me as Taurus Director."

"Click."

A chicken-egg-sized weight dropped. The right tray of the True Word Balance finally rose high—and still unsatisfied, the Water Bearer Director continued:

"The entire rebel faction was formed to achieve this goal. The body-usurping anomaly is in Luke's hands; the soul-replicating anomaly belonged to Barton, the rebel you killed; the future-projecting anomaly is Nathan's Door to the Other Side;

The emotion-imitating anomaly resides in Oliver, whose face constantly shifts between joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Personality arises from memory and experience—so if Phoebe erases my memories and Lucy implants Taurus Director's, I can nearly replicate her personality."

Of the six anomalies, the one that replaces the past and forcibly alters reality is troublesome—I tried over a dozen times and failed. But recently, I found it: your sister's photograph..."

After rapidly spilling a flood of secrets, seeing the left tray crushed to its limit, the Water Bearer Director nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Li Ang with burning eyes:

"Your turn. How exactly did you get that Demon Badge...?"

"Besides the badge, I have other valuable secrets!"

Before the Water Bearer Director could finish, Li Ang—who had already grasped the True Word Balance's rules—interrupted, mimicking the Director's tone, eyes gleaming:

"What I'm about to reveal is a social science theory, independent of anomalies, capable of reshaping the world—a guiding ideology for new political systems beyond kingdoms and federations, with a fully developed theoretical framework.

From historical materialism, societal development is determined by the economic base; changes in economic form inevitably trigger social transformation, and societal progress and change occur through struggle between classes..."

"????"

What the hell are you even saying????

Though each word was understandable, together they formed a strange knowledge he couldn't grasp at all—the Water Bearer Director froze.

Worse, as Li Ang continued speaking, a crimson weight larger than a watermelon suddenly appeared on the right tray, crushing the True Word Balance into a new imbalance and making it groan uncontrollably!

So... he's telling the truth?! Just a few sentences—this truly has the power to change the world!!!

On the True Word Balance now: one tray held the path to the Watchtower Palace; the other bore knowledge said to reshape the world. Under the crushing weight of these two "world-level" secrets, the balance began violently trembling, as if ready to explode at any moment.

Never expecting Li Ang harbored a secret of this caliber, facing this unprecedented absurdity and feeling his power draining like a dam breaking, the Water Bearer Director—who had always seemed in complete control—finally showed shock, lips trembling as he roared:

"Damn it! You... shut up! I don't want this! Be quiet, I said!"

Not shutting up! Not even if I die!

Seeing the Water Bearer Director, drained and barely standing, Li Ang—finally finding his chance to turn the tide—beamed with joy and began reciting harder, dredging every last memory.

Beyond the terrifying cost of the True Word Balance weighing two world-level secrets, to maintain balance, the Water Bearer Director—no matter how unwilling—had no choice but to reveal his most valuable secrets, one after another.

"The Clearance Bureau's numbered anomaly catalog..."

"The whereabouts of the Ophiuchus Branch Director after the Ophiuchus Nation-Eating Incident..."

"The entry method for the Water Bearer lineage's anomaly-creation secret art..."

"The location and control method of the God of Enlightenment..."

"The principle and training process of the Reversal Fork Finger..."

As one of the Clearance Bureau's twelve Directors, the Water Bearer Director had likely served nearly a century—his secrets were numerous. Though lower in quality, they were abundant in quantity.

As his lips moved rapidly, one heavy weight after another appeared on the left tray. Li Ang, only half-familiar with Ma Zhe, felt the urge to confess again, and began pushing harder.

"The theory of surplus value holds that exploitation in capitalist society arises because workers create surplus value..."

"The Krook Kingdom's royal family has been soft-confined by intelligent machines; currently, the kingdom is run by..."

"Societal development is continuous progress; political change resolves internal societal contradictions and inequalities..."

"The Twin Branch members have been fully controlled; only one escaped—now..." "..."

As both sides gritted their teeth and kept adding weights, Li Ang and the Water Bearer Director no longer understood each other's words—only the shifting, overwhelming urge to confess drove them, their lips worn thin, veins bulging on their foreheads as they spewed nonstop.

As both sides kept adding weights, the Water Bearer Director—who bore not only the burden of revealing secrets but also the True Word Balance's drain—paid a far greater price. Though many secrets remained untold, he was already drained, barely standing, and collapsed onto the floor.

But just as Li Ang, overjoyed, prepared to press his advantage and finish the Director off—he suddenly ran out of material.

Damn it! The exam only covered the first five chapters—I haven't memorized the rest yet!!!

"The Black Cult's summoned Fallen Soul Abyss will briefly overlap with the Kingdom; at that time, all will..."

"..."

"Besides Nathan, I've arranged other attacks on the Virgin Branch..."

"..."

"?"

After two secrets with no reply, the nearly numb Water Bearer Director finally noticed Li Ang's pause. Seeing he had nothing more, the emaciated Director—drained by the True Word Balance—suddenly revived, staggered to his feet, and glared at Li Ang with a monstrous grin.

You fucking bastard!

I chose you to question hoping to save energy—but this Level-3 Cleaner's belly held secrets of this caliber? You nearly sucked me dry!

Worst of all, I didn't understand a word he said! Had I known this would happen, I'd have just forced Olivia to fight me mid-charge!

Filled with regret and rage, his face twisted, the Water Bearer Director didn't summon any anomaly—he stretched out two withered hands and lunged at Li Ang bare-handed, as if to strangle him alive!

In this dire moment, Li Ang's mind flashed—he ducked past the Director's lurching lunge, then shouted at the top of his lungs:

"What I'm about to reveal is the fundamental elements of the material world, arranged by atomic number, chemical properties, and periodic law!

Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron; carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon; sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus; sulfur, chlorine, argon, potassium, calcium..."

"????"

What the hell is this shit!!!

Under the shock of the periodic table, the Water Bearer Director again felt the suction surge—and turned in horror to see another massive weight on the right tray of the True Word Balance.

Though slightly faded, uneven, and partially mismatched, its size—bigger than a rice cooker—still qualified as a "world-level" secret!

Besides the last one, he can pull out another of the same level?! What the hell is this kid?!

Seeing this second world-level weight, the Water Bearer Director was utterly stunned. He turned back to Li Ang, still reciting, and roared in disbelief:

"How the hell are you..."

Before the Water Bearer Director could finish his horrified shout, the True Word Balance—pressed by the equivalent of four "world-level" secrets—cracked under strain, then exploded with a thunderous bang, scattering countless precious weights into the air!

"Wah!"

At the instant the True Word Balance shattered, the Water Bearer Director suffered unimaginable trauma—he spat a gout of black blood, and even vomited fragments of internal organs.

As the user was injured, the Time Gap accelerating them could no longer be maintained. With a strange sensation like grinding gears, the world around them—once painfully slow—began speeding up.

Shit!

Noticing the changes and the Clearance Bureau members turning toward them, the Water Bearer Director shuddered violently, surged up through his blood-soaked clothes, and lunged for the nearest "world-level" weight.

Though I don't understand it, if it could crush the True Word Balance to pieces, then whatever this bastard said must be valuable!

Li Ang, snapping to, rose and chased after him, trying to stop him before the Time Gap ended—but his anomalies were crushed under asteroid-level suppression, inert; his physical strength was far inferior.

Within seconds, the bleeding Director kicked him away, sending Li Ang crashing into several other weights.

"The anomaly-creation secret art originates from..."

"Societal development is continuous..."

"The foundation of Reversal Fork Finger is..."

The instant Li Ang touched them, the three weights vanished, flooding his mind with vast knowledge.

Meanwhile, the Water Bearer Director touched the weight bearing the periodic table—but could not comprehend it at all. He clutched this priceless world-level secret and staggered toward the Clearance Bureau Director... or rather, the unconscious Nathan behind him.

"Open the door!!!"

With a blood-flecked roar, the middle-aged Joshua—still unconscious—lifted his hand without reason, and an invisible door suddenly opened before him.

Finally... finally...

Gazing beyond the door at his secret base, the Water Bearer Director—who had prepared perfectly but had failed at every step—nearly wept.

But just as he threw the middle-aged Josiah inside and turned to spit out some threats, Leon swung the crimson weight—the size of a watermelon—and smashed it squarely into the back of his skull with a thud.

This is the power of the first five chapters of Maghe!

A devastating blow from XX-ism knocked the wounded Aquarius Director down; fearing he'd be dragged into the door, Leon didn't dare press his advantage—he spun on his heel and ran without hesitation.

As for the Aquarius Director, who had just regained his wits, he barely missed—his hand swept empty, failing to grab Leon, only tearing off a corner of his coat.

Tsk… slippery little brat!

Seeing the 【Gap of Time】 about to dissolve, the Aquarius Director dared not pursue. He shot Leon a venomous glare, then turned and retreated into the Door to the Other Side, hastily fleeing the headquarters of the Clearance Bureau.

What the Aquarius Director didn't notice was that when Leon struck him on the back of the head, it wasn't merely an act of rage—a long, lustrous strand of red hair had been stealthily slipped into his collar during that perfect moment…

(End of Chapter)