I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent!

The white-clad young girl named Alabaster Maiden pursed her lips and then asked somewhat unhappily, “But even if Leon from the Virgo Subdivision is really as strong as you say and also participated in this evaluation, we definitely won’t get first place if we go. But there shouldn’t be any problem passing the evaluation, right?”

“……”

This isn’t about whether or not we pass! You haven’t dealt with that guy, so you don’t know how terrifying he truly is. There’s never a small issue around him! A perfectly stable investigation mission gradually escalates into something massive. I blink, and suddenly – poof! The Crocodile Kingdom burns to ashes! Twelve kingdoms become eleven! And then there was that support operation before; it was supposed to just resist the Soulfall Black Abyss invasion and drive back the Nightmare King, but in the end, not only was the Nightmare King killed, but half the Dream Realm got obliterated too! If the Nightmare King is humanity’s nightmare, then he, who lost control and destroyed half the Dream Realm, is the shared nightmare of all dream creatures. Going into the Dream Realm with someone like that—seriously, do you think it’ll end well?

“You guys don’t understand what’s going on! Sigh…”

After rubbing her eyebrows, due to most of Leon’s activities being classified as catastrophic level four missions, unable to disclose the details, the Scorpion Bureau Director had no choice but to take an indirect approach and tried persuading them from another angle:

“Really, don’t go. Apart from Leon’s overwhelming personal strength, which you aren’t a match for, there’s also the issue with the Virgo Subdivision.

That woman holds grudges. Among your group, four of you transferred over from the Virgo Subdivision. Based on my understanding of Olivia, she will definitely seize this opportunity to vent her frustrations through Leon…”

“Director! We’re not afraid!”

Upon hearing the Scorpion Director mention the Virgo Subdivision, one of the cleaners stood up, frowning slightly and said: “Only our consciousness goes to the Dream Realm for evaluation. Even if Leon is that powerful, at worst, during the second phase of the assessment when we meet, he might beat us up, but it won’t cause any real harm.

And by the time the third practical assessment starts, when we eight gather together, facing one Level 1 cleaner and four Level 2 cleaners working together, can he possibly eliminate all of us in one breath?”

“……”

I don’t know if he could wipe all of you out, but according to Reuben and Franky, during the Gemini Division Cleaner’s ambush, it took Leon less than five minutes to chop off more than twenty heads from the Gemini Division. Among them, there were seven or eight cleaners with skills comparable to yours…

“Alright…”

Though knowing they would ultimately obey his strict prohibition, looking at these subordinates who weren’t exactly stubborn but rather itching for a beating, the Scorpion Bureau Director couldn’t help but sigh helplessly and wave his hand: “You’ve said your piece. Since you really want to go, I won’t stop you… However, although participating in the Dream Realm evaluation might only damage your consciousness and won’t bring real danger, personally, I still suggest you keep your distance from Leon.”

“We don’t…”

“We’ll be careful!”

Interrupting the White Eyebrow Cleaner’s words, Alabaster Maiden nodded, acknowledging the Scorpion Bureau Director’s warning, then lifted her head slightly and said:

“But Director! We have all undergone dozens, even hundreds of missions, walking the line between life and death until today. We believe we are certainly not inferior to anyone else!”

“……”

None of them listened.

After earnestly advising them, instead of backing down, these subordinates now stood tall with burning eyes. Feeling three parts comfort and seven parts regret, the Scorpion Bureau Director sighed deeply.

Comfort came from their commendable morale. For a cleaner, while caution and rationality are important, the courage to face difficulties head-on, to dare to embrace death, is the most crucial quality and the thing he appreciated most.

Although their talents, aside from Alabaster Maiden, could only be described as average, with this spirited determination, as long as they don’t die unexpectedly during missions, their future achievements will surely not be low. His Scorpio Division will probably gain several more Level 1 cleaners in the future.

“Alright, go ahead. Sigh…”

Painfully glancing at his beloved subordinates, then at the sun already setting below the horizon, the Scorpion Bureau Director had no choice but to reach into his pocket, take out the [Dream Play Fungi] that was spraying rainbow spores, and give each of the eight cleaners wanting to participate in the evaluation a piece, then earnestly advised:

“Pay attention to safety. Remember to admit defeat when you can’t win, and absolutely don’t force it!”

…

[Name: Dream Play Fungi Seedling (Dreamland, Illusion)]

[Appearance: A colorful mushroom as thick as a thumb, with constantly flowing iridescent hues on its cap and a misty night view visible only when closing your eyes. If bitten lightly after sunset, it continuously releases clouds of colored spores.]

[Ability: Follow Dreams Home, Illusion of Life]

[Cost: After consumption, one falls into a deep sleep difficult to awaken from until ‘Follow Dreams Home’ ends or ‘Illusion of Life’ triggers.]

[Record: A special plant growing deep within the Lost Paradise of the Dream Realm. The consciousness of those who consume the seedling will be forcibly induced into dreams and granted immunity to all harm until waking.

The mother plant, besides splitting seedlings and acting as a guiding ‘beacon’, has the special effect of erasing all dreams.

Without exception, after the Goddess of Illusions fell into her own sweet dream, causing large-scale collapses in the Lost Paradise, the remaining thirty-plus mother plants of the Dream Play Fungi were all collected and stored by the Clearing Bureau.]

[Rating: Tonight’s dinner was halfway done when the chicken in the pot suddenly kicked away a nearby colorful mushroom, put on overalls, and started playing basketball]

[Taint Value: 2.5]

“……”

What nonsense is this…

After reading the instructions for the [Dream Play Fungi], confirming it posed no danger, Leon, lying on the sofa on the second floor of the Virgo Subdivision office, pulled the blanket given by the director over his belly button. Then, at the moment the sun set outside the window, he threw the colorful little mushroom into his mouth.

Seriously, this thing tastes pretty fresh. It should taste great stewed with chicken.

This was Leon’s last thought before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the world before him had completely transformed.

Above his head wasn’t the plaster ceiling of the second-floor conference room anymore but a night sky deep and dark like ink, along with a magnificent galaxy composed of countless shimmering bubbles.

Countless wondrous, beautiful, and colorful dreams were encased in bubbles identical in color to the [Dream Play Fungi], floating and sinking in the startlingly close Milky Way overhead, seemingly within reach.

(End of Chapter)