I! Cleaner!-Chapter 1200 - 1094: The Little Mermaid and the Missing Director

[Oceanic Disaster: A man scorned by the sea continuously survives its curses, eventually becoming a disaster upon the ocean himself]

[Wearing Effect: While on 'Ocean' terrain, you and any opposite gender engaging in intimate contact will be immune to negative states]

[Progression Path: None]

[Hidden Trait (No need to wear): A man whom even the ocean cannot kill possesses a soul freer than the sea itself. While on ocean terrain, he gains an additional charm bonus, which doubles when facing opposites who are married and yearn for freedom]

[Hidden Trait 2 (No need to wear): Due to being hated and feared by the ocean, the chance of being swept into nearby high-intensity disasters significantly increases while on ocean terrain]

"..."

Immune to negative states in the sea, but easily swept into nearby disasters, and doubly attractive to married opposites?

The effect of this badge... How can it seem both alluring and repulsive...

With some difficulty, Leon glanced at the newly upgraded badge, and after being swept out of the clam shell ship by the current, feeling the terrifying deep-sea pressure, he hurriedly placed the [Oceanic Disaster] into the badge slot.

Let it be pungent, after all, the hidden traits activate even without wearing it. It's better to equip it directly, first to become immune to negative states in the deep sea!

"Hoo!"

At the very moment [Oceanic Disaster] was equipped, Leon's breathing, a bit stifled under the pressure, miraculously became smooth.

It seemed as if his entire body had undergone some transformation, as cold seawater flooded through his nasal cavity, down his airway and into his alveoli, yet caused no harm, instead providing a large amount of oxygen.

His previously tense skin and muscles also suddenly 'relaxed,' allowing seawater to flow into his body, swiftly filling any 'empty cavities,' bizarrely balancing the internal and external pressure, perfectly nullifying the tremendous deep-sea pressures.

Curiously waving his arms, feeling a body as maneuverable as on land, a hint of satisfaction appeared in Leon's eyes.

It seems as I guessed, underwater breathing and deep-sea pressure can be considered negative states and are negated by the effect of [Oceanic Disaster]. Despite its lousy hidden effects, the wearing effect of this badge is very alluring.

"Blub blub blub???"

Just as Leon gradually adjusted to his new breathing mode, beginning to experiment with underwater movement without his feet touching the ground, the mermaid mother and daughter, also swept from the shell ship, swam over, observing him with shocked eyes, bubbling blub blub.

"Pffft!"

After expelling the remaining air from his lungs, observing Leon moving freely, the goggle-eyed Miss Salty Fish inquired in surprise:

"How can you move directly in the deep sea? Did you use any underwater breathing anomaly? Why didn't I sense any fluctuations?"

Because I'm using a badge... but there's no need to explain that to you.

Smiling at Miss Salty Fish, Leon didn't answer her question directly, instead asking:

"I am, after all, an executive director at the Cleaning Bureau, even if weak, not so weak as to drown the moment I get into the water, right?"

"..."

Well, true...

Although she still didn't understand Leon's method of underwater movement, thinking of his identity as a Cleaning Bureau executive, it seemed less of an issue. So Miss Salty Fish didn't press further.

Though she said nothing more, nearby the bubble-blowing beautiful mermaid woman did pout slightly, a face of disappointment, and said:

"How can you breathe underwater? Now you should hold your breath fiercely, pain in your eyes, flailing about in the water in distress, waiting to be rescued by us!"

"Huh?" x2

"Isn't that the classic falling-overboard scene? Haven't you watched the Kingdom of Saio's popular operas?"

Faced with Leon and the other's puzzled gazes, the mermaid woman gracefully circled around Leon, then folded her arms across her chest, with a face filled with longing:

"I remember that opera; it told the story of a Sea Race princess who, after quarreling with her husband, left home to gather seaweed near the coast to relax, accidentally met the prince's boat, and was deeply attracted to the handsome prince. Then she accidentally whipped up a tsunami, flipping the entire ship.

The handsome prince, upon falling into the water, struggled desperately, so the Sea Race princess risked her life to swim over, blew air into the prince's mouth, and at last blew him up completely until he floated like a round balloon on the sea surface, eventually being rescued…"

"????????" x2

Wait... the protagonist's blown up? What kind of divine scriptwriting is this? And what's with quarreling with the husband at the start? The female lead had a husband at the very beginning? This plot is absurdly wrong!

"Oh right, I remember the name of the play now!"

In Leon's stunned expression as if salted fish won a prize, the mermaid woman suddenly clapped loudly, confident:

"'The Young Lady of the Sea'! That's what the play is called! It was very famous back then!"

Goddamned 'The Young Lady of the Sea'!

After convulsively twitching his cheeks twice, unable to keep up with the mermaid woman's abstract thinking, Leon tightly composed his face, turned to the equally shocked Miss Salty Fish, and with a stiff expression shifted the subject:

"How about we... first find your ship?"