[Friend of Demons (Silver), After ten extremely evil sacrifices, continuously offering tributes full of human hatred and blood, the ambition buried deep within your soul has luckily won the deep affection of a high-ranking demon.]
[Wearing effect: Greatly increases affinity with Anomalous Objects marked with "Corruption," while reducing usage cost and significantly enhancing the effect.]
[Advancement Route: Continue the agreed-upon evil sacrifices until the demon's incarnation fully revives; at that point, this badge will automatically advance to the Golden Badge "I Am the Demon."
Additionally, offering a human soul burdened with sin will increase the demon's revival speed by a corresponding degree; the current revival value is at 5%.]
[Hidden Traits (No need to wear): The prolonged companionship has tainted your soul with the evil aura of the demon, making you more likely to attract the attention of certain malevolent existences.]
[Your Contamination Value has increased.]
[Current Contamination Value: 0.4]
Contamination Value...
Staring at this strange value appearing again, squatting in an alley near the police department and lighting a cigarette for the Black Goat, Leon couldn't help but squint his eyes.
He had asked the Black Goat privately, but it seemed that the Purification Bureau did not have any mention of the Contamination Value, so the significance of this data could only be deduced by himself.
And if he remembered correctly, this thing called the Contamination Value had appeared a total of four times so far.
The first time was when he touched the Black Goat, and through the effect of [Materialist Soul], he learned its Contamination Value was 0.1;
The second time was when he gained the Black Goat's approval and obtained its usage rights, his own Contamination Value was raised to 0.1;
The third time was upon learning the Intelligence of the Red-haired Director's [Love Without Memory], he discovered that its Contamination Value was 7;
The fourth time was after touching the doorknob of Happiness Apartment, he learned from the message that appeared that [Spirit Lodge]'s Contamination Value was also 0.1.
So, currently, it could basically be confirmed that having a Contamination Value should be a unique trait of Anomalous Objects.
Moreover, from the fact that his Contamination Value increased after the Black Goat began to revive, it seemed that after obtaining the usage rights of an Anomalous Object, the user's Contamination Value would increase by the same amount.
Thinking of this, Leon couldn't help but reach out and rub the Black Goat's head twice.
[Name: Demon's Antlers (Corruption, Knowledge, Whisper) (In Revival)]
[Contamination Value: 0.4]
Sure enough, the value was the same as his own.
Looking at the Black Goat's Contamination Value which had become 0.4, a glint of understanding flashed across Leon's eyes as he inferred why the middle-aged nurse hadn't had her memory erased by the Brain of the Evil God.
According to [Spirit Lodge]'s "usage cost," the tenants who would greet the administrator granny used this Anomalous Object daily, so their own Contamination Values should all be at 0.1.
And the method by which the Purification Bureau's Brain of the Evil God distinguished between ordinary people and Purification Bureau employees should be by checking for a Contamination Value on them, so they weren't subjected to memory processing as "related personnel."
If his guess was correct, this should be the truth understood by the Purification Bureau: anyone who had used an Anomalous Object would not have their memory erased by the Brain of the Evil God.
Aside from this, there was another issue: what exactly did the amount of Contamination Value represent, and the most likely hypothesis at present was that it represented the strength of an Anomalous Object.
With [Demon's Antlers] having the same strength as [Spirit Lodge], both at 0.1, the Black Goat could withstand the old man's scissors, though its horn got a mark.
And the Director's [Love Without Memory], able to erase the memories of over seventy thousand people in one go, was much stronger than these two, hence its Contamination Value was 7?
*Hmm... I've encountered too few Anomalous Objects, the intelligence is not enough... But it seems I can find a way to try again.*
Thinking of this, Leon couldn't help but look again at the panel hovering over the Black Goat's head, eyeing its Contamination Value that had increased to 0.4, while pondering as he rubbed the Black Goat's head again.
If the Contamination Value really represented the object's strength, then 0.4 > 0.1, meaning the Black Goat's strength was now greater than [Spirit Lodge].
So, after becoming stronger, he could go back to Happiness Apartment, trying to have the Black Goat take the old man's scissors; if they weren't nicked this time...
"Why do you keep patting my head? Are you petting a dog?"
Unbeknownst to him that Leon was planning to experiment with him, and feeling displeased as he shook off Leon's wandering hands, the Black Goat, with a cigarette in its mouth, puffed out a ring of smoky darkness before squinting its eyes and saying comfortably,
"Kid! Seeing how generous you are, we'll let the knife thing slide. As long as you keep offering to me, we'll still be good partners in the future!"
After half-heartedly responding twice, and through a series of events, now more eager for power, Leon lit seven or eight cigarettes, stuffing them into the Black Goat's mouth, while probing,
"I've observed closely, and the people in our department all have very unusual physiques! Senior Emma can make handprints on a metal cabinet, and the Director drank over a hundred bottles of strong liquor, looking only slightly flushed.
"Even Senior Harry, who was sent out again just after returning, could easily carry a box that I couldn't drag far with all my strength as if it was lighter than a cup of water..."
After sharing his observations, Leon stared intently at the Black Goat, not blinking as he asked,
"If it were just one or two people, it might be due to the effect of Anomalous Objects, but for everyone in the bureau to be this way, there must be a reason!
"So can you tell me what I need to do to have their kind of physical strength?"
*Sigh... you observe quite keenly, but this can't be rushed!*
Taking a deep drag of the cigarette in its mouth, with smoke billowing from its ears, the Black Goat lazily replied,
"Well... let me put it this way, after using my abilities for a while, do you ever feel completely exhausted, like you've been drained from spirit to body?"
Damn... forgot this kid has an unusually high affinity with demons...
Looking at Leon speechlessly, the Black Goat's thick lips moved twice, clamping the cigarette to the side, then said with a disgruntled look,
"My ability isn't to observe souls but to stir up the dark corners of people's hearts! You've been using me as a telescope and half a mind-reading tool, you haven't used me properly at all! Of course, you wouldn't feel any drain!"
"Anyway, every time you use Anomalous Objects, besides fulfilling its own rules, you must expend a certain amount of physical strength and willpower as a cost. The stronger the effect you exert, the more physical and willpower you'll need to expend.
"Hmm... let's say that guy named Harry in your bureau, his strongest Anomalous Object is an everlasting roll of tape, and that thing can bond physical objects, even conceptual things too."
"Conceptual things... like what?"
"Like souls, bonds, shattered beliefs... anyway, you better be careful around him. If you suddenly develop a fondness for him one day, you're probably bonded by him. Quickly slap yourself awake!"