Chapter 671: The Wine Immortal

"How did half of it disappear?"

Watching Li Ang stagger out of the storage room, his face flushed and legs unsteady, the Red-haired Director, who had been waiting for him for hours, couldn't help but sneer:

"Our Prince, is it that drinking alone is too dull, so you came out to find some pretty girls to keep you company and ease your boredom?"

"Well… fine…"

To the Red-haired Director's surprise, instead of blushing shyly at her sarcasm, Li Ang nodded firmly, then lurched forward, his eyes hazy as he grinned:

"Drinking alone… is pointless. It's better with someone… I think… you're perfect."

"…"

Oh?

Hearing Li Ang's words, the Red-haired Director glanced at his hand resting on her shoulder, her eyebrows lifting slightly as her beautiful fox-like eyes narrowed.

You had good wine and didn't invite me, and now that you're drunk, you're hitting on me? What's the difference between this and another woman using my husband to have a child, then making me raise it?

"Fine~ Whatever the Prince says is fine~"

Grabbing Li Ang's hand and pulling it onto her shoulder, the Red-haired Director half-carried the drunken man toward his office, smiling as she suggested:

"But I don't drink much. I know someone who's an expert—want me to get her to keep you company?"

"No… no need…"

Passing by his own office and being led to Emma's door, the half-blind Li Ang chuckled foolishly and called out:

"You two together… more people… more fun!"

"…"

Want fun? Fine! I'll give you a real party!

Glancing sidelong at the heavily intoxicated Li Ang, the Red-haired Director sneered, then pushed open Emma's office door and dragged him inside.

"Li Ang? How much did you drink?"

Seeing Li Ang's state, Emma, who had been writing a report behind her desk, paused in surprise, then shot the Red-haired Director a look tinged with reproach.

It's all your fault—once-steady, reliable Li Ang is turning into a drunkard because of you!

What's it to me? I didn't force the bottle down his throat… well, I barely forced it—he mostly drank himself, okay? I'm at most fifty percent to blame.

After giving Emma a look of utter disbelief, the Red-haired Director blinked, her eyes flickering with mischievous intent:

By the way, Emma, remember that time I got drunk and insisted on sleeping with you? That trick you used to scare me awake? Try it on him—help him sober up!

That's not fair. Li Ang will have psychological trauma.

No problem. It'll help him quit drinking. This bastard just tried to have both of us pour with him—scaring him will teach him a lesson.

Really? Li Ang said that? Are you lying to me?

…

"I didn't… drink that much… just one sip from each of a thousand bottles… Oh, Emma!"

As the Red-haired Director and Emma exchanged intense glares, Li Ang seemed to regain a sliver of clarity. He let go of the Red-haired Director's shoulder and stepped forward, grabbing Emma's hand.

"I've… always wanted to thank you."

After uttering this unexpected opening, Li Ang held Emma's soft, pale hand and said with deep emotion:

"Since joining the Cleanup Bureau, you've helped me so much—giving me suitable weapons, teaching me how to handle missions, patiently explaining how to stay safe during operations… Oh, and Director!"

In the Red-haired Director's stunned expression, Li Ang turned back to her, his hazy eyes brimming with gratitude:

"If not for Director letting me join the Cleanup Bureau, I'd probably be… well… and I've never forgotten your care for me. Though my strength is still weak and I can't help much yet, I… will… keep trying, until I become someone you can truly rely on!"

"…"

This… why suddenly say something so touching? It's… really… embarrassingly sweet…

After receiving Emma's accusing look—"You're lying, Li Ang would never say that"—the Red-haired Director, her heart warmed, sighed helplessly and abandoned her plan to torment Li Ang further. Too bad…

"Too bad, Director, you have plenty of flaws."

Standing unsteadily after drinking over a thousand kinds of liquor, Li Ang bluntly evaluated:

"When sober, you're incredibly reliable. But when drunk, your brain is as simple as a female monkey's—nothing but drink, drink, drink. When the mood strikes, you even grab my dog and force-feed him two sips;

And if you hold back from drinking, you still find other mischief—saying cruel, teasing things, holding grudges, being petty, always giving me bad ideas…"

"…"

I really need to sober you up. If you keep listing them like this, Olivia will definitely hold a grudge against you.

Hearing Li Ang's unfiltered complaints and seeing the Red-haired Director's darkening face, Emma couldn't help but smile faintly. She reached out, grabbed Li Ang's hand, and lightly scraped his thumb's pad with her fingernail.

"Huh?"

Something astonishing happened: though Emma could still physically touch Li Ang's hand, the strike meant to inflict soul-piercing pain twisted strangely and vanished into illusion—as if she had never activated the anomaly at all.

What is this?!

The Red-haired Director also noticed this oddity. Frowning in confusion, she snapped her fingers—several strands of crimson hair quietly detached and swiftly coiled toward Li Ang's hand.

But the same phenomenon occurred: after a strange distortion, the 【Blood of Slaughter】 strands dissolved into illusions, leaving Li Ang's wrist empty once more…

?!! Even a numbered anomaly fails?!

"Li Ang! Wake up!"

Realizing something extraordinary had occurred, the Red-haired Director grabbed Li Ang's shoulders and shook him hard, her eyes heavy with concern:

"What's happening to you?"

"Huh? What… what's happening?"

"Your condition! Why did my and Emma's anomalies instantly revert when they touched you?"

"You mean this…"

Li Ang, half-asleep, chuckled.

"I've become an Immortal. Drunk."

"…

【Wine Immortal (Anomalous·Clear Yellow·Cannot Level Up）: Sipping fine wine between lips, wind and frost blades never cease the cup; thick mist and sorrowful clouds stretch a thousand li—yet one sip sweeps all gloom away.】

【Effect: After consuming alcohol totaling more than your body weight, you enter the special state "Drunk in Life, Dreaming in Death."】

【Drunk in Life, Dreaming in Death: During intoxication, all attacks that harm your body become illusions; all attacks that harm your soul are entirely repelled by the drunken haze.】

【As the price of immunity to all damage, during "Drunk in Life, Dreaming in Death," you cannot use any non-physical attacks, and your mental processing speed is forcibly reduced by 90% due to soul-blinding intoxication, making rational control of your behavior and speech nearly impossible.】

【Advanced Path: Maximum level reached. Cannot advance further.】

【Hidden Trait (No Equipment Required): Aside from "Drunk in Life, Dreaming in Death," you will never become intoxicated again.】

(End of Chapter)