Watching Big Poop Lady enthusiastically handing out strange potions to all the Cleaners, Leon’s expression turned strange.
This is feeding stones! This must be feeding stones!
After hearing about Senior Amyen’s illustrious history from Feiliya, and knowing she would also participate in the assessment this time, I specifically did some secret research on Senior Amyen’s resume.
Even though my mere Class 3 Cleaner access only let me see some files, Senior Amyen’s "features" were overly distinctive. Whether it was how she joined the Clean-up Bureau or the methods and assessments in various missions, everything was inseparable from the word "poop."
Especially the potions she took out, while extremely potent in effect, if consumed... Let’s just say, you’ll either uncontrollably start making poop like crazy, or outright start eating poop!
And Senior Amyen seems to be the type who is passionate about research, not performing many tasks normally, and even fewer with other branches, so not many people seem to be aware of her "hobby."
Among the Cleaners who came to participate in the assessment, aside from a few who tactfully declined with strange expressions, the majority were fooled by her kind demeanor and took the potions she handed out, drinking them without any guard, some even smacked their lips as if savoring them.
And not long after, all who drank her potions started emitting a unique and intense scent that easily masked their original aura, perfectly concealing everyone’s presence, except...
"Strange, why does it smell sort of like musk?"
"Uh... you... you all stay away from me..."
Leon swiftly stepped back several paces, with eyes twitching from the potent stench wafting in the breeze, then took out the [Silver Dagger of Cutting] and wildly swung it, clearing away all the incoming poopy stench, finally feeling a bit better.
Senior Amyen, satisfied after handing out potions, looked surprised at the Silver Dagger in Leon’s hand, then regretfully put away the only bottle of transparent, colorless potion.
"You wield the dagger well. Since you can eliminate aromas yourself, I won’t give you my potions."
"Mm-hmm, I’ll do it myself!"
Although Senior Amyen saved the colorless potion for me, probably out of consideration for being colleagues in the Virgin Branch, Leon really didn’t dare entrust his... taste to Senior Amyen’s decency, so he had to proactively change the subject:
"By the way, Senior Amyen, why don’t those who drank the potions sense... any smell?"
"Because my potions can affect the senses of the drinker, naturally including the nose." Googlᴇ search NoveI[F]ire.net
After casually explaining the reason, Amyen tugged the curious Pisces Director and said to Leon with a smile:
"Don’t worry, according to Director Olivia’s instructions, unless absolutely necessary, the potions used for companions of the Virgin Branch are mostly specially formulated. Although the effect might be inferior, nothing that ordinary people can’t handle."
The Director is wise!
Leon awkwardly smiled and continued chatting with Big Poop Lady, before inquiring about other intelligence concerning the Demonic Soul Abyss. Meanwhile, the Cleaners who hid their aura with the potions finished their preparations for departure.
With a light yell, the silver-smooth Ashima, once shattered by Leon’s wild swings, leapt up like a silver fish, then suddenly exploded, releasing numerous silvery raindrops that drenched over four hundred Cleaners, transforming them all into shiny little silver men.
And now completely coated in silver, Leon was surprised to find that the world before him seemed to slow down dramatically. The turbulent black waters of the Nightmare River, though still swift, now surged forward much slower.
Apart from that, even the fragmented dream realms flowing in the Nightmare River appeared slower, with only those equally covered by silver able to maintain their original speed.
Is this... slowing down time? Or similar to Feiliya’s Scepter of Time Division, significantly increasing one’s reaction speed?
Overcome with curiosity, Leon reached out and touched his silver-colored arm.
[Name: Minoshire Cursed Mercury (Speed, Flesh, Metal)]
[Appearance: Silvery-white special metal, possesses high fluidity while able to solidify completely under willpower, can grant the body unique properties identical to Cursed Silver upon full integration with flesh.]
[Abilities: Speedster, Flesh Assimilation, Metal Body]
[Cost: Extra speed gained after activating Cursed Mercury will be deducted equivalently from the user’s life (Granted by holder’s permission, no cost payment required)]
[File: Mercury Lake Dungeon Minoshire contains a large natural mercury pool, once a major mercury production site for the Vandastone Kingdom, until nine years ago when the secret society "Earth Essence Society" attacked Minoshire, causing the mercury pool to reverse flood the old district.
The old district of Mercury City, with a total of 1525 residents, were all eroded by reverse-flooding secretive mercury into flesh, transforming into mercury beings, unable to maintain a solid form. Only a young man named Ashima A. Alfa successfully escaped...]
[Evaluation: One of the "works" of the secret society Earth Essence Society, a special anomaly with equally significant effects and costs.
Although Cursed Mercury is not ordinary mercury, caution is advised to stay away from high-temperature areas, as both the user and this anomaly object are at risk of suffering great damage]
[Contamination Value: 19.9 (16.1)]
Minoshire Cursed Mercury... Seeing the name with a strong sense of déjà vu, Leon’s brow slightly furrowed.
As another "little silver man" of the Virgin Branch, the anomaly comprising Senior Pioni’s body is called [Meibis Cursed Silver], a name quite similar to this, and both are the handiwork of that secret society called "Earth Essence Society."
This matter... make a note, once the assessment is complete and back to the bureau, I’ll need to inform Senior Pioni. This intelligence, similar to his situation, might be useful for him...
Seeing Leon frown after touching the silver metal on his arm, Big Poop Lady asked puzzledly:
"What’s wrong? Is there something strange about this thing?"
"A bit, but it’s unrelated to this assessment... Sorry for keeping you waiting, let’s head out too!"
Watching the Cleaners turn into beams of silver light advancing into the Demonic Soul Abyss, Leon apologized with a smile, then started moving, chasing after the distant Cleaners.
After hearing his explanation, Amyen didn’t inquire further and nodded, also following suit, however...
Pisces Director, pulling Amyen out from the speed state, raised her smooth little face, pouting unhappily:
"Bottle~ this pretend-not-to-know-you game is so boring, how long do we have to keep playing?"