CHAPTER 528: CHAPTER 463: DOG

Ah, this...

Watching the female reporter who pulled herself out from the dog’s mouth and boldly claimed she was willing to be eaten in Leon’s place, Leon felt genuinely moved after being stunned for a moment.

Although he already knew from soul vision that the reporter’s moral standards were not low, her willingness to sacrifice herself was still beyond Leon’s expectations.

"Why would you want to replace me?"

Looking at the reporter desperately pulling him, Leon said with a bit of a toothache:

"We’re not on the same side, right? You’re someone our director brought back, and if it wasn’t for my interrogation, you might not have triggered the backup plan of the Aquarius Director and been thrown directly into the Realm of the Dead... Anyway, why would you die in my place? Just because you feel indebted to me?"

"I... maybe..."

After her impulsive declaration, the reporter seemed hesitant, but thinking of the "unimaginable pain" Leon suffered due to her indulgence towards the Aquarius Director, her resolve firmed up again.

"Angsi sir!"

Under the bewildered gaze of the Three-Headed Canine Deity, the reporter spoke up again:

"You previously said I could go back, but now I’m not leaving. You send him back!"

"..."

No... with such righteous conviction, what does that make me?

Watching the reporter repeatedly offering to "die generously," Leon found himself unable to cope.

It’s certainly good to survive, but if the cost is "tricking" someone else to die for you, then you won’t live peacefully for the rest of your life. Thinking about today’s event, you’ll have to slap yourself.

...

Consider me unlucky...

Watching the reporter desperately holding him, Leon sighed inwardly.

If only she did more bad things, then even if I tricked her into dying in my place, I wouldn’t feel any guilt.

However, the unlucky part is that she’s simply not a bad person. Except for concealing Watcher’s Palace matters due to gratitude towards the Aquarius Director, she hasn’t done anything seriously wrong. If I just bluff my way through, I’d feel guilty for life.

Geez... upon reflection, karma really comes around quickly.

I was desperately trying to provoke her guilt to probe information about the Aquarius Director, and now, just like that, the tables have turned and I am consumed by my guilt.

"Forget it, you don’t need to replace me."

Failing to pry off the reporter’s fingers, Leon only offered an embarrassed explanation, unable to get past this mental hurdle:

"Although I have a vendetta against the Aquarius Director, I’m not really a victim nor have I suffered. All that was a lie to you."

A lie to me?!

Hearing Leon’s words, the reporter widened her eyes and slightly relaxed her grip on Leon’s arm.

But thinking of Leon’s eyes filled with pain, her expression steadfastly renewed as she grasped Leon’s arm tightly and shook her head stubbornly:

"I don’t believe it! Over the years, I’ve seen many people struggling in pain, and their eyes look just like yours. None of them are more tortured than you. This is something you can’t fake!"

"..."

Ah, this... sorry, but I really was faking it...

Seeing that his explanation failed, Leon switched to a more forceful approach and shouted directly:

"Let go of me!"

"I won’t let go!"

"It’s my problem! I don’t need you to care!"

"Willing to replace you is my choice too!"

"..."

Damn, this dialogue is really stupid...

Realizing the situation was turning into a foolish melodrama, Leon decisively turned to the Three-Headed Canine Deity to end the nonsense once and for all.

"Hurry up! Which one will you eat?"

"Me, huh..."

Facing Leon’s stern questioning, the Three-Headed Canine Deity blinked its six eyes, shook its three heads, and mimicked Leon’s previous tone, cheekily replying:

"Is there a chance that I could eat both of you together?"

"..."

"..."

"All right, it seems you have no more questions, so I’ll get started."

Amid Leon’s and his companion’s bewildered expressions, the Three-Headed Canine Deity, who had watched the spectacle for a while, opened its massive mouth, swung left and right, and swallowed the two in one bite without even chewing.

"Two fools."

After assessing Leon’s intelligence, the Three-Headed Canine Deity licked its nose, feeling the two unusually high-quality souls in its belly, and then lazily yawned and returned to its giant dog nest beside the Gate of the Deceased, satisfied.

Although, technically, one shouldn’t lie down immediately after eating, especially after consuming two souls, including a genuine Level 1 Cleaner, which was considered a big meal deserving of a walk to speed up digestion.

But for the Three-Headed Canine Deity, the bliss of eating and sleeping, and then waking up to eat again is the supreme happiness. Digesting slowly isn’t a problem, especially as having something in the belly often makes for better sleep... hmm?

Just as it seemed to smell something strange, the previously lazy Three-Headed Canine Deity suddenly raised its neck, its six ears on three heads perked up instantly, and the six basketball-sized nostrils expanded to their maximum, taking a sharp breath.

It was an unfamiliar scent but somewhat familiar.

Judging by the intensity, it should be True God level, yet it lacked True God’s intense stimulating aroma and didn’t have Evil God’s putrid stench. If it was human, it carried a drifting scent of Dream Realm Creatures...

"Sss-la!"

With the sound reminiscent of paper tearing, a small paper cutter emerged from the mist outside the Gate of the Deceased, then drew sharply downwards, ripping a huge opening.

Soon after, a young man wearing a sky-blue robe stepped through the black and white opening, stood in front of the Three-Headed Canine Deity, and asked somewhat surprised:

"Angsi? Why did you wake up before I entered the gate?"

"..."

"Oh, perhaps you can’t recognize me."

Smiling at the perplexed Three-Headed Canine Deity, the Aquarius Director spoke gently:

"I recently encountered some issues and unfortunately had to change my body, so many old friends can’t recognize me now."

"So, who exactly are you...?"

"I’m Camus... hmm, also the former Aquarius Director of the Clean-up Bureau."

Aquarius? Weren’t you dead?!

Upon hearing the words of the blue-robed youth, the Three-Headed Canine Deity was taken aback, then quickly bared its teeth in full alert.

"Are you planning to enter the Realm of the Dead?"

"Yes, I indeed need to go in for a look at something."

After observing the surroundings, and seeing two drag tracks on the ground, the Aquarius Director curiously asked:

"Did someone come before me? No wonder you’re already awake... Oh, what happened to the people who came earlier? Did you eat them?"

"Enough talk! Let’s get straight to action!"

Lowering its body slightly and posing as if ready to lunge, the Three-Headed Canine Deity bared its teeth and said:

"My duty is to guard the gate, to enter the Realm of the Dead, you must defeat me first!"

"Yes, yes, I know the procedure."

The Aquarius Director chuckled and nodded at these words, then interlocked his fingers and pressed down forcefully with a thrust. With a loud bang, the Three-Headed Canine Deity’s mountain-like body was instantly knocked to the ground by an invisible force, unable to move.

Damn God-Suppressing Forked Fingers! Damn Aquarius Director!

Facing a secret technique specifically designed to overpower gods, the Three-Headed Canine Deity, the weakest True God in the Realm of the Dead, truly had no chance to retaliate, only able to lie on the ground whining and cursing the Aquarius Director, hoping he’d soon be dealt with by the Clean-up Bureau, but then...

"By the way, Angsi."

Looking at the Three-Headed Canine Deity collapsed on the ground, the Aquarius Director pondered for a moment but didn’t proceed past it like before; instead, he stood in front of it, somewhat shyly, and announced:

"Because every time I want to enter the Realm of the Dead, I have to battle you, which is a bit troublesome, so I plan to change the approach and solve this problem permanently."

Hmm?

Hearing Aquarius Director’s words, the Three-Headed Canine Deity hesitated slightly, then said somewhat bewilderedly:

"My duty is guarding the gate. How do you plan to solve this problem? Could it be... you can create an abnormal object to exempt me from gate-keeping duties?"

"Apologies, that’s impossible."

The Aquarius Director shook his head and said:

"Guarding the gate is one of the rules of the Realm of the Dead. The cost to change it is too great, so we’ll have to use a simpler method... sorry."

"???"

With a somewhat perplexed look, the Three-Headed Canine Deity watched as the Aquarius Director smiled at it apologetically. In an instant, a small paper cutter quietly pierced into the Three-Headed Canine Deity’s skull, stirring recklessly inside.

"I thought it over, and killing you directly is more convenient."