Chapter 785: Feel It

Not... what the hell did he dream up?

Looking at the capital, obliterated by a single blow from the golden-haired Leon, leaving not even rubble behind, the veteran investigator's lips twitched violently.

The female reporter beside him, sensing something was wrong, had hastily retreated into the range of the 【Dream Lantern】, avoiding that strike—and she was now pale with terror.

Even if it was a fabricated dream, the destructive power to erase an entire city in an instant was absurdly excessive—many numbered anomalies didn't even have that kind of power. Was he supposed to face him with his bare head?

"Why are you hiding?"

After unleashing a furious barrage at the two cowering within the lantern's range and realizing every attack vanished the moment it touched the lantern's glow, Leon understood the area around the lantern was a "safe zone," so he stopped his pointless assault and instead leaned in, sneering:

"You promised to spare my life. Is this how you keep your promise?"

"..."

"You said all I had was an empty shell. Then come out and prove it~"

"..."

"Don't be a coward. Come out right now. I'll even let you use one hand!"

"..."

What good would letting them use one hand do? Without the safe zone marked by the 【Dream Lantern】, they'd already been erased along with the capital after that one blow!

Watching Leon, golden light blazing across his body, hurtling wildly through the sky at terrifying speed, taunting them as he flew, the veteran investigator's face darkened. He grimly shook the 【Dream Lantern】 again, preparing to exit this absurd dream as quickly as possible.

That damn bastard—what bizarre setting did he give himself? He destroyed the capital with one strike, and even while flying, he left sonic booms trailing behind him. Judging by his movements, if his reaction speed weren't the bottleneck, he could've moved even faster.

Can't fight him! This is truly unfightable!

"Don't leave~"

Seeing the veteran investigator huddled inside the "safe zone," frantically shaking the lantern, Leon simply landed, and grinned through the lantern's glow:

"Come out and play? Don't worry—I won't kick your balls this time!"

???

You dare bring that up again?

Hearing the female reporter's sudden sharp intake of breath, the veteran investigator's face flushed slightly. He gritted his teeth:

"If this weren't your dream, a level-three cleaner like you wouldn't even—"

"I don't deserve it."

Without hesitation, Leon admitted his inferiority. Through the dim lantern glow, he smiled and lifted his leg slightly:

"But I kicked your balls."

"..."

"That was back at the Virgin Branch!"

Feeling the female reporter's increasingly strange gaze, the veteran investigator took a deep breath, then his eyes glinted coldly:

"If Blood-Haired Lady weren't nearby, and I feared exposing my identity too soon, I—"

"I kicked you more than once."

"..."

Damn it, I should never have spoken to him in the first place!

Watching Leon outside the lantern's glow, smirking as he mock-kicked his leg, hinting at something, the veteran investigator shut his eyes tight, then sharply shook the lantern. The capital, now flattened by Leon's attack, trembled faintly.

Stay calm. Don't let him provoke you!

My soul is severely damaged. I have few options left. I must preserve my strength to contain the Blood-Haired Lady. I cannot waste it on him—or on a false dream.

"We'll meet again!"

After giving Leon a cold glance, the veteran investigator twisted the handle of the 【Dream Lantern】, shifting the flame representing Leon's dream away from the center of the lamp.

"Three days." As the golden-spiked version of Leon was about to vanish with the capital, the veteran investigator said flatly:

"What happened today—you can tell Blood-Haired Lady if you want. But in three days, I'll make everything… you?!"

"Let me touch you!"

Stepping into the lantern's glow, Leon's hair instantly turned black. Before the veteran investigator's stunned expression, he slapped his wrinkled old forehead hard.

"Terrible texture... bye!"

As the veteran investigator's eyes widened, he fumbled for a crimson token from his pocket, ready to act—Leon, having achieved his goal, immediately relaxed his suppression of self-awareness. Following the increasingly furious curses of the Black Goat, he forcibly tore himself out of the dream.

"You fucking idiot! Wake up already!"

"Shit! You sleep like a dead pig!"

"I'm fucking done with you! Bring the kettle!"

"You're laughing?! I'll make you laugh!"

"It was your idea to wake you up if anything went wrong—you're gonna pay! We… cough cough cough… finally, you're awake."

Seeing Leon finally open his eyes on the rug, the Black Goat let out a long breath, then quietly signaled the puppy to hide the kettle with its lid already open. With a face full of concern, it asked:

"We noticed your soul was off. Worried you'd been ambushed. Thank goodness nothing happened… Who's watching Joshua's dream? And how do you feel now?"

"..."

I feel fine… but if I hadn't woken up, were you planning to pour boiling water on me?

He glared at it silently. Since he'd ordered it to wake him immediately if anything went wrong, he said nothing more, just rolled off the rug and grabbed the goat's head.

"No time to explain… Let's go! Back to the Bureau!"

???

"What's wrong?"

As Leon dragged the goat head hastily out of Joshua's bedroom, the confused goat asked:

"What did you dream? Why the rush?"

"We can't wait! I just realized—the Water Bearer Director is still alive! And he's that old investigator I kicked in the balls!"

"Huh?"

"That's impossible!"

Hearing the Water Bearer Director was still alive, the Red-Haired Director, awakened from sleep, shook her head, frowning deeply:

"I saw it with my own eyes. His soul descended deep into the Death Realm. Even if he didn't die completely, he couldn't return so soon… I even severed part of his soul to make you those gloves."

"The Water Bearer Director you saw was real—but he was only one part of the true Water Bearer Director!"

Recalling the information he'd touched from the Water Bearer Director's forehead, Leon explained gravely:

"Long ago, the Water Bearer Director's soul split into good and evil. The part we've always dealt with was his evil, obsessive, unrestrained side.

The part carrying his goodness, compassion, and other positive traits joined the Cleanup Bureau under another identity—old investigator Camus!"

(End of Chapter)