Level Three Cleaner

When Xia Shou jumped out of the vehicle, he was still holding the investigation report on the Blood Demon House. In an instant, every eye turned toward him, including Zhang Zhengde's and the masked man's.

The moment they saw Alice behind Xia Shou, both men understood-he was the person they had been waiting for!

"How strong do you think he is?" Zhang Zhengde asked with a frown.

The masked man studied Xia Shou for a long while before answering, "I can't tell.

"You know how it is. Transcendents with higher anomaly levels tend to be stronger, but low-level Transcendents can have unparalleled advantages of their own.

"Whatever type he is, if he's a Level Three Cleaner, his strength is beyond our imagining."

Zhang Zhengde nodded in agreement.

Level Three Cleaners were the highest-ranking Cleaners ordinary employees could ever see in person.

Before today, Zhang Zhengde had only met one Level Three Cleaner in his long career.

That person's anomaly level was supposedly only two, but his soul had earned the favor of numerous supernatural beings. Through contracts, he had acquired tremendous power to combat anomalies, earning him the title of "Demon Broker"!

Zhang Zhengde took a deep breath, composed himself, and walked up to Xia Shou. With the utmost respect, he said, "We've been awaiting your arrival. Is there anything we can assist you with?"

Xia Shou stared at the stern, rigid man before him, standing rooted to the spot in bewilderment.

He was only here as temporary support. His documents had stated that no additional assistance had been arranged for him on-site; he would have to rely entirely on himself.

So why had someone offered to help the moment he stepped out of the vehicle?

Wasn't this a little too friendly?

"You can provide assistance?" Xia Shou asked.

Zhang Zhengde looked at the pale boy before him, then at the possessing spirit clutching his neck. Her expression was agonized, bloody tears streamed down her face, and she was clearly steeped in resentment. He immediately understood the unspoken implication: ordinary assistance meant nothing to a Level Three Cleaner.

"We really can't offer any assistance," Zhang Zhengde said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Xia Shou frowned. Then why the hell ask if you can't help? What a waste of time.

"The more people the Blood Demon House devours, the more dangerous it becomes. One Level Two Cleaner and five Level One Cleaners have already entered, but none have returned. We know absolutely nothing about the conditions inside! Please exercise extreme caution," Zhang Zhengde dutifully warned.

Xia Shou frowned without answering. He ducked under the perimeter line and approached the entrance of the crooked villa.

The pitch-black front door was shut, just as it had been in his dream. Apart from its bizarre architecture, the entire villa felt surprisingly ordinary.

The Containment Bureau's only record of the Blood Demon House was a failed investigation from ten years ago.

In other words, the Containment Bureau knew nothing about the Blood Demon entity. It was a completely unknown anomaly.

And the unknown usually meant danger.

Fortunately, Xia Shou still had his skill, [Death Road].

After activating Death Road, he had to follow the most dangerous route for a hundred meters, but in exchange, he would receive one chance to turn back time upon death.

As long as he paid the negative cost on his first attempt, he would no longer need to follow the most dangerous route after turning back time.

That meant he could avoid the most dangerous route and choose the safest one instead!

The information he gathered during his first exploration would also greatly improve his chances of survival.

Xia Shou stood before the Blood Demon House. The scene was exceptionally quiet.

He took out his mirror and glanced behind him. The surveyors, armed personnel, and the men in the suit and mask had all stopped working. They stood a short distance behind him, watching him in silence.

"What is it?" Xia Shou asked, puzzled.

"No, nothing. Are you planning to go straight in?"

"What else would I do?" Xia Shou was a little speechless. Since none of you can help from out here, am I supposed to just stand around instead of going in?

"Whew-"

Xia Shou composed himself, focused all his attention on the villa before him, and took a deep breath. Then he reached out and grasped the cold doorknob.

[Death Road]-activate!

In an instant, Xia Shou saw red threads spread from beneath his feet like a spiderweb. The crimson strands extended ahead of him, one thicker and longer than all the others, passing straight through the gap in the door and into the house.

That thickest red thread was the route to death marked out by Death Road!

He could only turn back time by a maximum of one hour. Every second counted-he had to gather as much information as possible within that hour!

Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and strode resolutely inside.

Zhang Zhengde watched Xia Shou enter the Blood Demon House, then watched the front door close behind him. Finally letting out a long breath, he said admiringly, "As expected of a Level Three Cleaner. He didn't hesitate at all!"

"This is a top-tier anomalous phenomenon that devoured that legendary S-Rank Investigator. To this day, there's been no indication that it can be defeated by force.

"If this Cleaner really is as young as he looks, his will and mental fortitude are terrifyingly strong... downright chilling," the masked man marveled.

As soon as he finished speaking, brakes screeched behind them. Zhang Zhengde frowned and turned.

A terrifying pressure immediately swept toward him, bearing down on his body like something tangible!

His legs went weak, barely able to support him. It felt as though gravity had multiplied several times over in an instant!

Zhang Zhengde looked at the other staff on-site. The ordinary employees seemed completely unaffected, while the masked man beside him had dropped to one knee. He was visibly struggling, apparently under far greater pressure than Zhang Zhengde himself.

Zhang Zhengde immediately understood. This was a special kind of pressure-the keener someone's perception, the more strongly it affected them!

Bracing a hand against his knee, the masked man struggled to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head toward the transport truck that had arrived uninvited.

With a swish, the truck's door slid open. To Zhang Zhengde and the masked man, that ordinary sound was as piercing and dangerous as a gunshot.

As the door opened, a foot in a studded leather boot stepped out, followed by a black cloak that covered its wearer from head to toe.

"Sorry. Little Black wasn't too happy to hear we had to work overtime today. Please forgive that," the man said as he climbed out and dusted off his cloak. His face was completely hidden in the cloak's shadow, leaving his features indistinguishable.

A hoarse, furious growl came from inside the vehicle behind him. Then a panther wreathed in black flame leaped out.

The black panther circled the man on the grass. Its paws touched the ground, yet did not bend a single

green leaf.

Only then did Zhang Zhengde realize that the pressure they felt came not from the man, but from this animal-shaped Grudge Spirit!

"At Investigation Department Two's request, Level Three Cleaner, 'Tamer,' reporting to provide support," the man said calmly.