“Ow…”
Flipping over in his sleep, Leon fell off the office desk and groaned in pain as a splitting headache throbbed through his skull. Shaking it off, he shakily rose from the carpet, feeling like the world had split into three and was now cycling through each version.
The director… she’s seriously a dangerous woman… literally dangerous.
Recalling last night’s brutal drinking session, Leon winced and shuddered as he healed his ribs that were almost snapped off while being hugged too tightly.
His bureau director may be an excellent boss who takes good care of him in every aspect, but she’s also an incurable alcoholic. Before, no one could keep up with her drinking, so she’d just drink alone quietly. But after meeting Leon who could at least somewhat match her, the director seemed to have opened a new world of enjoyment, getting more and more excited as they drank on.
Once she got fully drunk, even a dog sneaking into the Clearing Bureau would likely get dragged to the table and forced to drink a few shots. Yesterday, Leon tried faking drunkenness twice but was caught both times, and ended up being half-carried by the director for another round…
But this drinking session wasn’t completely wasted.
Looking at the three strands of red hair wrapped around his right hand, Leon, still pale from the hangover, couldn’t help but slightly curl the corners of his mouth, revealing a somewhat relieved smile.
Anna and the others living in Happiness Apartment are protected during the night by a muscular old man patrolling with a large pair of scissors, and during the day by the warding blessing enhanced by Happiness Apartment. Plus, with the hair obtained from the director, this time everything is thoroughly covered, and Leon can finally feel at ease…
Ugh… my head hurts so much… seems like although I didn’t lose out in drinking, I definitely had too much…
After rubbing his pulsating temples, Leon sighed as he watched the world before his eyes still sway gently. Sitting back behind the desk, he resolved silently that next time the director tries to drag him for drinks, he should firmly decline like Emma Senior does.
Though it might seem ungrateful to take the benefits and then turn down future invitations, drinking with the director is really not something a human should do. If I continue drinking with her like this in the future, I’ll end up becoming a dog! “Woof…”
?? ?
Seeing the puppy lying upside down on the desk, groaning pitifully with the same alcohol smell as him, Leon, whose vision was still slightly blurred, blinked in confusion before looking towards the director’s office with speechless resignation.
I was just saying that out loud, but you really did manage to get a dog drunk!
“Hey! Wake up!”
Leon carefully flipped the puppy over and patted its back gently. After two soft belches, the hungover puppy finally came to, opening its drowsy eyes.
“Woof woof, woof woof woof…”
(What a nightmare, who would even try to get a dog drunk…) Complaining weakly to Leon, the puppy wriggled like a chubby caterpillar, its wobbly little legs pushing it towards the bottle on the table where it retrieved the photo that made it drunk all night.
“Woof, woof woof…”
(I’m going back to sleep, things aren’t the same anymore…) “Go ahead, go ahead…”
Watching the tipsy puppy stagger into the bottle and collapse without a sound, Leon couldn’t help but rub his forehead, then warmed his hands and pressed them over his eyes. Once the world stopped spinning, he reached for the photo on the table.
[Name: Suppose (Substitute, Modify)]
[Appearance: A brand-new photo featuring a beautiful woman smiling towards the viewer. Staring at her for long will cause an inexplicable admiration.]
[Ability: Substitute identity, modify the world]
[Cost: None]
[File: One of many functional anomalies created by the Clearing Bureau Water Bottle Director to fulfill her wish, temporarily numbered 0006.
This anomaly once lost all its power due to the creator’s rejection and denial, but after experiencing some events, the creator’s thoughts gradually changed, and a new desire arose, allowing this broken anomaly to be repaired.]
Unfortunately, the human heart is harder to control than the entire world. Even if you can modify the whole world, you cannot change someone who doesn’t love you; they only love the identity you borrowed.
If someone attempts to use it to gain happiness, they’re likely to receive immense disappointment instead. Perhaps the pain of unattainable desires is the true cost of using it.]
[Taint Value: 9]
[Due to your special relationship with the creator of this anomaly, you have full direct access to use it.]
[Your taint value has increased.]
[Current taint value is 4.1.]
Is this thing… Anna’s family portrait?
Looking at the photo that had been restored but had almost entirely transformed into another anomaly except for retaining the ability to modify the world, Leon frowned deeply.
‘The creator’s thoughts have changed’
‘New desires have arisen’
None of these skipped contents are available on 69 Book Bar!
‘Even if you can change the world, you can’t change someone who doesn’t love you’
This rather pathetic explanation, along with the ability to substitute identities, and the somewhat familiar beautiful woman in the photo…
Could it be that Anna has fallen in love? And she likes the woman in the photo? To the point that it caused changes in the anomaly? Ah Zhe?
With the scarce known information and a brain scrambled from the hangover, barely deducing this possible result, Leon couldn’t help but grab his head with both hands and start pulling at his hair.
What’s going on?! I just slept for a bit, how come when I woke up, the version has already changed?
…
“Knock knock knock!”
Just as Leon filled with doubts about life prepared to ask the Black Goat whether he slept overnight or for a week, polite knocking sounded from outside the door.
“You’ve finally woken up.”
Pushing the slightly ajar door open a bit further, seeing Leon already off the desk, Jerry breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Leon, there’s someone reporting an issue today at the bureau. They said they suddenly got forgotten by everyone. I suspect she might have been attacked by some anomalous ability.
The director hasn’t woken up yet from yesterday’s heavy drinking with you, and currently, the only people in the bureau without tasks are Emma and me. Neither of us is particularly skilled at dealing with soul and spirit-related situations.
So if you’re free, can you give me a hand? If we end up gaining anything from this, we’ll divide it according to our contributions. If it’s soul-related stuff, it’s all yours. What do you say?”
“Hmm… I don’t have any tasks at hand, but something seems to have happened at home…”
After glancing at the photo on the desk, though tempted by the offer, Leon thought of the anomaly involving Anna and declined,
“Alright, Jerry Senior, I need to go home first. If there’s nothing major there, I’ll…”
This person reporting… why does she look so familiar? Seeing the woman in the corridor curiously looking at him after the office door was opened, Leon couldn’t help but pause, then looked down at the photo on the desk again.
Isn’t this the same person? (End of Chapter)
