Chapter 731: No Junk Anomalies, Only Junk (Part 2)

"Ahahaha!"

The moment he was chased out of the graveyard, the red-haired director, his face flushed crimson, burst into loud laughter, slapping Li Ang's back with force.

"Holy shit! That's hilarious! The old man's face when he watched you forge—like you were boiling shit in his cooking pot—turned completely green!"

"..."

"Ahahaha, oh no, I can't—I really can't!"

After wrapping an arm around Li Ang's shoulder, the long-suppressed red-haired director leaned half his weight against him, struggling to stretch his face into the old man's expression while gasping between laughs:

"The old man... ha... he's not a bad guy, but his mouth is just so annoying!

Lord Golden Bull is such a kind person, yet every time he sees Lord Golden Bull, his first question is always when she's going to die—I've wanted to teach him a lesson for ages! Ahahaha!"

After recounting his petty feud with the square-headed old man, the red-haired director laughed and said:

"Li Ang! Do you know what he told me before you came back? He said he looked down on today's forgers, thought they focused too much on the process—just a bunch of hopeless trash."

But when he taught you, he practically stood behind you, holding your hands step by step—every time your hand trembled, his face twitched right along with it..."

"Oh no, I'm dying of laughter!"

"..."

As a mere observer, Li Ang would probably have laughed along—but as the one who had personally "boiled shit," he simply couldn't bring himself to smile.

Watching the red-haired director, doubled over with laughter and leaning most of his weight on him, Li Ang sighed helplessly:

"Director, you're making it impossible for me to walk—we've been kicked out for ages, and we haven't even moved ten meters yet..."

"Mm, okay, I'll... ha... I'll hold it in!"

After clenching his lips tightly, the red-haired director finally suppressed his laughter, then muttered through gritted teeth:

"Good—you've probably been holding it in too long. Go ahead, ask what you want."

"Then I'll ask... were all those things just deliberate?"

"Yes... but not entirely~"

The red-haired director grinned:

"My goal in bringing you here was to get him to craft you a new main combat anomaly, and to have him guide your forging techniques—plus maybe squeeze a few good materials out of him."

You've seen how much he hoards. Because he's buried them so long, many materials have lost much of their power. Better to take them and use them for your anomalies than let him bury them until they rot."

"But... I didn't make anything useful..."

Recalling what he'd forged, Li Ang's lips twitched slightly, then he sighed:

"Those things are better left buried in his coffin than wasted by me."

"That's not certain."

The red-haired director shook his head, then grinned and reminded him:

"You forgot? Besides the 【Dream Invader】, the Third-Generation Lord crafted another anomaly for you—wouldn't you like to see it before you decide?"

Another anomaly? That roll of black snake skin? Could its ability alter the anomalies I forged? But how do you even know that?

Hearing the director's reminder, Li Ang asked in surprise:

"Director, do you understand forging? Can you tell what that snake skin does?"

"I don't understand forging. But I understand luck."

The red-haired director grinned: "Today is my birthday. Every Cleanser gets the blessing of the Lord of the Starry Sky on their birthday—a fortune so potent it's like wishes come true. Any wish that isn't utterly impossible has a chance to manifest."

"So far today, I've made two wishes. The second was to secure the most suitable anomaly for you. My intuition tells me that roll of snake skin is exactly what you need."

Birthday wishes?

Hearing the director's words, Li Ang froze slightly.

Last year on his birthday, he'd accidentally triggered this blessing—but according to the Black Goat, this blessing came with a curse: after great fortune came misfortune, and each fulfilled wish brought one misfortune in return.

A rare, once-a-year wish, demanding a heavy cost—used to help me acquire an anomaly? How could I ever repay this debt?

"Thank you..."

Looking at the smiling red-haired woman before him, Li Ang's eyes filled with emotion:

"Director, I..."

"Enough with the thanks. Just fulfill my first wish later."

After extracting a promise from Li Ang, the red-haired director grinned and urged:

"Touch the snake skin—now I'm dying to know what ability this 'perfect' anomaly will have."

"Alright!"

Li Ang nodded, pulled out the black snake skin, and gently caressed it with deep reverence.

【Name: Unfair Snake Pact (Trade, Contract)】

【Appearance: A roll of smooth black snake skin; when unrolled, it becomes a reusable black contract】

【Ability: Equivalence Exchange, Forced Contract】

【Cost: Cannot be signed by ordinary means; must consume large amounts of the user's blood to leave any text on the contract】

【Archive: An anomaly forged by the Anomaly "Spirit of Forging," crafted from the black tail of a serpent spirit devoured by the Goddess of Wealth, imbued with the unique power known as "All Can Be Changed," and part of the Goddess of Wealth's "Contract" authority.】

【When the user, using their own blood as catalyst, signs their name and the target's name on the Unfair Snake Pact, a one-sided trade contract is forcibly established, allowing the user to demand any item currently held by the target in a fair exchange.】

【Evaluation: Do not use your ability to obtain information about the target's anomaly; do not write such discovered information into the contract as a trade target; do not force-exchange your own heavily tainted, worthless creations for others' precious core anomalies.】

【Because such tactics are utterly despicable—you may win the battle, but you won't enjoy it!】

【Taint Level: 59 (6. )】

"Hss..."

After reading the description of the 【Unfair Snake Pact】 and understanding its "perfect" effect, Li Ang sucked in a sharp breath.

Just touch an enemy's anomaly, write it on the 【Unfair Snake Pact】, and force an equivalence exchange?

So after losing their powerful core anomaly, the target receives something of equal value—a prettier right foot, a trendy demon name, a stylish wolf-fur collar, a seductive bass voice, the ability to recall what they ate for lunch, or even improved digestion?

Despicable! Absolutely despicable!

(End of Chapter)