Chapter 786: Purpose and Reason

Is Miao just half of the Aquarius Director?

Upon hearing this, the Red-haired Director hesitated slightly, still finding the answer absurd, but out of trust in Li Ang, she followed this line of thought.

Indeed, according to the Bureau's past usage records of the 【List of Designations】, unless a specific scope is emphasized, it can only lock onto a single target.

Therefore, if the two souls split from Aquarius Director were vastly different and had been separated many years before the 【List of Designations】 activated, they might indeed evade its effect.

But souls are not like flesh and blood—once gone, they're gone; minor damage can self-repair, but such a complete split is nearly impossible to restore.

And I saw with my own eyes the strongest portion of the "Evil Soul" descend into the depths of the Death Realm—so the remaining half of Aquarius Director, even if he still retains his god-tier status, would suffer a catastrophic drop in power.

By normal estimation, his Li Ang value now is barely above 30, at most not exceeding 40; ordinary Level One Cleaners have Li Ang values between 30 and 50, so the current Aquarius Director is weak even among Level One Cleaners.

As for my own power, among Directors of the Zodiac Division, I rank among the top; under the Star Palace's blessing, my Li Ang value can briefly surpass 70—almost double his.

This gap is too vast to be bridged by minor tricks, especially since I have the 【Blood-Soaked Killing Hair】 with ID 013 enhancing me—where does Aquarius get the confidence to act right under my nose?

……

"Li Ang, I feel something's off."

After pondering long without clarity on Aquarius Director's source of confidence, the Red-haired Director frowned:

"He sacrificed most of his soul just to slip past the Bureau's punishment and avoid sanctions—logically, he should lie low for a while."

"Yet he didn't hide—he risked being eliminated by me outright to gather vast quantities of dreams in the Wang Gong, and even after meeting you, he made no attempt to conceal himself, openly declaring he'd do something within three days. This strikes me as strange."

After sipping the cold tea, the Red-haired Director idly tapped her fingers on the desk, frowning further:

"The night after three days is when the Fallen Soul Black Abyss fully merges with reality—he's essentially telling us exactly when he'll strike. But given his current state, he's no match for me—where does he get the nerve to provoke me?"

"Also, based on my knowledge of him, Aquarius is a man driven by purpose—he never does meaningless things."

"Yet neither the Wang Gong nor our Division seems to hold anything worth his covetousness—the 【Twelve Ant Nests】 he can't open, and my 【Blood-Soaked Killing Hair】 he can't seize—then what does he truly want?"

What does Aquarius want…

After hearing the Red-haired Director's analysis, Li Ang also frowned.

If Aquarius Director's greatest obsession is replacing Taurus Director to enter the Watch Palace, that path is now nearly blocked.

The six anomalous items needed to usurp the "Ascension Candidate" identity remain in my hands and those of the rebels—he can't gather them; and Taurus Director, the target, is currently self-sealed in the Headquarters, giving him no access.

Even if he somehow gathered near-equivalent items and infiltrated the sealed Headquarters, he couldn't stand against three Directors—he'd be killed the moment he entered.

If he wishes to continue pursuing that greatest obsession, he should first restore his power—at least to the level of a Division Director—before… wait. Restore power? A faint, unclear thread brushed his mind. Li Ang paused briefly, then cautiously suggested:

"Director, perhaps we should shift our perspective. Instead of asking what Aquarius wants to do in the Wang Gong, let's first ask what he most 'needs' right now."

What does Aquarius need most?

Hearing Li Ang's words, the Red-haired Director's gaze sharpened slightly.

Of course—no matter what Aquarius Director ultimately seeks, what he needs most now is to recover the power he lost after sacrificing most of his soul, which has plunged him to rock bottom.

Only by restoring his strength to near Taurus Director's level could he possibly replace Taurus Director through bodily usurpation and ascend to the Watch Palace.

And as for a method to heal his soul's wounds and return him to his peak… the Fallen Soul Black Abyss! The Nightmare King!!!

With Li Ang's reminder, the key insight struck her—she drew a sharp, startled breath.

Soul damage is usually incurable, but just as the Death Realm's rules deny the existence of flesh, the Dream Realm's rules deny the existence of souls.

The Dream Realm's foundation is memory and fantasy—so as long as a person's memories remain intact and their cognition unimpaired, even if Aquarius Director's soul is shattered, the Dream Realm will still recognize him as a "complete" being.

If the Nightmare King successfully descends and is willing to intervene, he could permanently swap portions of the Dream Realm with reality.

Then, by creating a "complete" Aquarius Director within the Dream Realm, and inducing the real Aquarius Director to fall into deep sleep, the Nightmare King could permanently exchange the two.

The soul-damaged Aquarius Director would, under the Dream Realm's rules, become a mere false "nightmare," while the complete Aquarius Director within the dream would awaken in true reality!

And why would the Nightmare King help Aquarius Director? The document, supposedly from the Watch Palace, listing thirty-five locations of the Bowan Black Cult, meant to prevent the Fallen Soul Black Abyss and the Nightmare King's descent—it was delivered by Aquarius Director himself!

……

Too late…

After a deep breath, the Red-haired Director leaned back in her chair, head slightly lowered, sighing:

"No wonder Aquarius wasn't afraid I knew he was still alive—since Emma and the others left, nearly two days have passed. Now realizing this… it's already too late."

Too late for what?

Hearing her sigh, Li Ang froze, then hurriedly asked what had happened.

The Red-haired Director rubbed her temples and replied succinctly:

"If I'm right, Aquarius Director is collaborating with the Nightmare King. The document he delivered likely contains false information—the marked locations aren't Bowan Black Cult outposts. The Nightmare King's descent is now inevitable."

(End of Chapter)