I! Cleaner!-Chapter 1061 - 977: Ascending the Divine Staircase (Part 2)

The events that followed indeed played out almost exactly as the White Snake had predicted.

As the "Snake Bearer Director's" footsteps fell, the invisible steps revealed their true form, transforming into the glowing white Stairs of Justice, extending upward. They stopped at the "ninth level," turned white, while the subsequent tenth step took on a vivid bloody hue.

Even though I have concentrated the billions of just bloodlines of the Western Kalavin Kingdom, my limit in the power of [Justice] is only nine levels...

Staring at the Stairs of Justice that didn't even reach the tenth level, the Snake Bearer Director inside Leon's heart couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. It seemed that his compatibility with [Justice] was indeed quite poor. But that was normal, considering he wasn't of a genuine just bloodline from the beginning.

After shaking his head slightly, the Snake Bearer Director, with Leon's cooperation, steadily stepped onto the first step. A voice with the same tone as the Snake Bearer Director, but cold and mechanical, began to speak in Leon's ear.

'What is justice?'

Hm? Do I have to answer questions just to climb these steps?

While Leon was still puzzled, the more knowledgeable Snake Bearer Director about the Ladder to Divine Ascension began to reply:

'Justice is the most acclaimed of all virtues.'

'Correct.'

With the mechanical voice acknowledging this answer, the invisible barrier that blocked their advance was broken. Leon's left foot automatically stepped onto the second step, and the voice of the Snake Bearer Director once again spoke in their ears.

'What is justice?'

Faced with the same question again, the Snake Bearer Director paused for a moment, and after thinking for a bit, responded somewhat uncertainly:

'This... if honor is the measure that others use to weigh me, then justice is the measure I use to weigh myself.'

'Correct.'

Acknowledging this answer coldly again, the third step came with the third question, which was exactly the same.

'What is justice?'

'...'

It seemed that the Snake Bearer Director hadn't expected to encounter the same question three times in a row. After being stuck for a moment, he tentatively ventured,

'Justice... is the source of power?'

"Crack!"

With a slight cracking sound, under the Snake Bearer Director's... or Leon's feet, half of the third step shattered, with a multitude of white fragments scattering around like a broken mirror, reflecting the mocking eyes of the gods.

A limit of only nine levels is pathetic enough, but he couldn't even hold his footing on the third level... it seemed the next step would likely be his limit. A True God who only ventured four steps on the Ladder to Divine Ascension, ha! That was indeed unprecedented.

This could be troublesome...

He hadn't expected to be thrown with three identical questions right away, which exhausted his meager understanding of [Justice]. The Snake Bearer Director in the Crimson Heart couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern.

Although his goal was only to qualify for godhood to resurrect the citizens of the East Carleighwen Kingdom, if he fell after just taking four steps, even creating a divine Kingdom might not ensure its strength.

With a sense of impending doom, the Snake Bearer Director controlled Leon's body to stubbornly step onto the fourth step, anticipating what could be the final question on the Ladder to Divine Ascension.

'If not just, then what?'

'If not just...'

'Let me handle this!'

Feeling the complete lack of confidence from within his heart, Leon, who had vaguely grasped the "flavor" of the Ladder to Divine Ascension, actively took over to debate with the ladder:

'Justice brings clarity, bias brings darkness. When the law bares its fangs at the weak and wags its tail to the powerful, justice becomes a guard dog chained by authority.'

'Correct.'

Approving Leon's answer, the ladder yielded another step forward, then opened again for the fifth query:

'If not just, then what?'

'Then nothing.'

Having thoroughly understood the concept of this mechanism, Leon arranged his words carefully while stabilizing himself on the step and said:

'Light can trim a shadow straight, but the earth is inherently rugged. Hence, the only fairness in this world is its inherent unfairness to all, so there is no absolute justice.'

'Correct.'

Seemingly agreeing with Leon's aphorism-like answer, the ladder allowed him to ascend to the sixth step without asking the same question again, inquiring instead:

'Is there perfect justice?'

'No.'

Thinking for a moment, Leon shook his head and responded as eloquently as possible:

'Justice should be like the sun, not tilting its rays due to wealth or power, but those who pursue absolute justice are like those who approach the sun without limit, burned by their ideals.'

'Correct.'

Again stepping back for the seventh step, there was a hint of emotion in the Snake Bearer Director's still cold voice.

'Since there is no perfect justice, how do you distinguish it?'

'By seeing if it's done for public good or personal gain.'

'What if justice crumbles?'

'Justice will never crumble by itself; it can only have its foundation eroded by the tears of the silent.'

'What if on the other end of justice there lies cruelty?'

'If one end of the scales bears power and rule, the other must contain humanity and compassion.'

'Correct.'

The ladder seemed quite satisfied with Leon's immediate responses, allowing him to walk up the seventh, eighth, and ninth steps of the Stairs of Justice. Following this, the tenth blood-red step was placed before the "Snake Bearer Director."

'Why is blood red?'

"..."

Faced with this somewhat familiar question, Leon hesitated for a moment, then responded dimly,

'Because hemoglobin. Iron atoms in hemoglobin can bond with oxygen...'

'...'

'...'

'...'

After a silent exchange with Leon for a while, the Ladder to Divine Ascension seemed a bit confused but concluded that Leon's understanding was genuine and decided to step back after pondering for a moment.

'Blood is the most precious liquid in the world, but I ask you to name another liquid more precious than blood, even worth all your blood in exchange.'

"..."

Damn! No wonder this sounded so familiar!

Hearing this familiar inquiry, Leon fully realized that these two questions were the exact same ones the Crimson Heart had used in the secret vault tests, questions which were evidently lifted from the Ladder to Divine Ascension itself!

After his mouth twitched involuntarily, seeing the shocked expressions of the True Gods and the slightly suspicious gaze of the White Snake, Leon's heart couldn't help but tighten a little.

Even if he could clear this task, it wouldn't be wise to answer! His unexpected presence on the tenth step, after wavering back on the third, was already beyond everyone's expectations – any further answers might risk exposing everything!

Deciding to end his journey on the Ladder to Divine Ascension here, Leon shook his head decisively.

'I don't know!'

'Correct.'

"..."

Huh???

(O_o)??