I! Cleaner!-Chapter 724 - 659: Opening the Door and the Ambush

Blood flowed profusely.

The Aquarius Director, who had willingly severed their own left hand, took a pale step back, yet their hand remained perfectly fitted into the groove on the giant doorway.

Indeed, even though the Star Palace was sealed, my authority could not be completely replaced until a new Director appeared.

After glancing at his left hand wedged into the door, Aquarius Director’s eyes revealed a hint of relief. Without urgent care for the wound, he softly chanted:

"Aquarius, flood, beautiful lad, wine servant, eagle, search for knowledge, golden grapevine..."

The cryptic phrases were uttered one by one, and on the dark-hued colossal doorway, intricate patterns corresponding to the words emerged in sequence. The hand trapped in the door sank deeper, and a third of the black door slowly illuminated, radiating a sun-like golden glow.

Two more times.

Gazing nostalgically at the golden vase motif on the door, the Aquarius Director retrieved another brand-new left hand, attaching it to his bloodied wrist before pressing it against the great door once again.

"Sagittarius, eternal night, undying one, mentor, poison arrow, sacrifice, centaur longbow..."

With the chanting of the second set of secret phrases, the corresponding golden patterns appeared once more, lighting up an additional third of the doorway, giving the previously lifeless door a sudden vivacity, even faintly yearning for the arrival of the final hand.

"Pisces, love and desire, reflection in water, mother and child, rope, jealousy, golden belt..."

The third, slightly older left hand was welcomed by the door during the incantation, illuminating the final third of the doorway which flickered like the sun for a brief moment, ultimately vanishing completely.

After the enormous door disappeared, what appeared before the Aquarius Director was a vast room, half-lit by a golden lamp overhead, teeming with dense swarms of black ants.

Approximately billions of small four-legged ants moved in and out of eleven sprawling ant nests according to an exceedingly odd rule; those under the light were more active, while those in the shade remained quiet.

Within one shaded nest, a golden ant missing its left front leg suddenly raised its head to gaze at the Aquarius Director standing at the entrance, gently waving its antennae.

Is this ant me?

Exchanging a look with the golden ant that raised its head, the Aquarius Director picked up the left hand that had fallen, reattaching it to his wrist, and astonishingly, the golden four-legged ant also regrew its left "hand," then slightly nodded to him.

A nation is like a nest, people are like ants... Though this is merely abnormal object number 004, in terms of danger, it is likely greater than the Watcher’s Palace.

With a slight shake of his head, the Aquarius Director hesitated to enter the room, instead standing at the doorway, gesturing for the golden ant representing him to approach, then gazed up at a higher place.

A similarly golden petite female ant struggled to climb an invisible stairway, laboriously moving its two hind legs upward, while below, another ant raised its head to gaze at the "starry sky," seemingly anticipating something.

The ascension has already started... It is likely Andrew’s plan, he indeed enjoys such underhanded schemes.

Squinting reflexively at the ant gazing at the starry sky, the Aquarius Director snorted, then forcefully exhaled towards him from afar.

The golden ant staring at the starry sky, seeming to sense something, suddenly burst forth with golden brilliance, attempting to resist the unknown source of danger.

Yet, even as it was no ordinary ant, it was still an ant, resisting for barely a few seconds before being blown away by the Aquarius Director’s breath, vanishing somewhere unknown.

However, even with just a single breath, the Aquarius Director at the doorway nearly collapsed to his knees, his already pale face turning even whiter than paper.

The consumption is truly...matching against Sagittarius might feel like this.

It seems the correct use of the Eleven Ant Nest, rather than directly harming the target, is to leverage the symbolic meaning of these ants, combined with other normally ineffective abnormal objects.

After gasping for breath while supporting himself against the door frame, the Aquarius Director finally regained some composure, then bent down to pick up his own golden ant before pulling out a golden knife, raising his hand towards the golden bull Director who was ascending the palace, but then...

"Woof!"

Accompanied by a childish bark, a familiar mirror crown unexpectedly sprang from the side of the golden knife, not only blocking the blade just in time but also shimmering briefly before the Aquarius Director’s eyes.

Following this, the ant-filled empty room vanished, replaced by a void-dark world magnified countless times, with absolute darkness surrounding in all directions, except for the black river below where nightmares flowed, emitting dribs and drabs of ominous light.

This is?!"

"This is a good dream."

Using the Mirror Dog to launch a sneak attack, successfully dragging the Aquarius Director into the dream, Leon, shrouded in gray mist, stepped into the nightmare created by the crown, standing still before the astonished Aquarius Director.

"But for you, it might not be." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Has he...completely become one with the King of Nightmares?

Watching Leon stand firm in the endless darkness with feet on the Nightmare River, the Aquarius Director mused briefly, then smiled and spoke:

"So you’ve chosen to abandon your humanity, willingly embracing nightmares, no wonder Dongya lost so quickly...but is this truly good? After becoming the master of nightmares, you’ll also be banished by the Watcher’s Palace, making it difficult to return to this world."

There’s no need for you to worry about this.

Without explanation to Aquarius, knowing that this "transformation" was temporary, Leon triggered the "enchantment" buff from the Demonic Soul Abyss with a sinister tone:

"Aquarius, Clean-up Bureau’s support is arriving soon, your plan has completely failed!"

"Mr. Leon, lying is not a good habit."

Hearing this, the Aquarius Director chuckled, raised his hand, and with casual force, shattered the immature nightmare before returning to the sixth floor of the Virgin Branch.

Without waiting for Leon to act, he directly activated the Temporal Rift, accelerating his actions countless times, slicing towards the ascending golden ant.