Chapter 10, The Cartoonist

As the breach in the world's barrier closed, the glimmer of light pouring down from the sky slowly dissipated. Finally, the sky returned to calm.

It was still a deep blue.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Gui Gemu exclaimed "Eh!" and swiped a large "X" across the array diagram in his hand.

"Even God couldn't bear to see me working overtime all night to patch up the sky, so He fixed the hole himself!!!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Everyone, stop for a second!"

"Now we don't need to patch up the holes, we just need to collect the spirits. Everyone can freely draw spirit arrays based on what's already there! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home!"

After saying that, she crumpled the diagram she had just crossed out into a ball and stuffed it into her pocket. "Going home, going home, going home to catch up on my anime."

Yan Shi: ...

Yan Shi glanced again at the intricate array on the ground, which was so complex it was dizzying, before his gaze shifted to Gui Ge Mu.

“Chunqiu, the director of our Confidentiality Department,” she said, momentarily speechless, “is quite lively.”

Sheng Chunqiu: ...

Because setting up an array requires extreme concentration, even the slightest mistake can lead to the complete failure of the entire setup and the destruction of all materials. Therefore, despite the shortage of manpower, the execution department specifically deployed a patrol team to protect the array masters during the setup process.

At this moment, Guige Mu was trying to persuade the patrol team to take her home.

"Captain Gu, can you bear to see a weak and helpless array master like me wandering home alone in the dark at night? What if I encounter thugs on the way?" Gui Gemu tugged at the patrol captain's sleeve, looking pitiful. "If something really happens, wouldn't that be a huge loss for the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs? And look..."

"Director Gui," Sheng Chunqiu interrupted, unable to contain himself any longer, "don't disturb our execution department's normal operations."

Gui Gemu's eyes lit up when he saw Sheng Chunqiu: "Sheng Chunqiu! You've come at the right time. Are you here to calculate my overtime pay? According to the national labor law, overtime pay of no less than 150% of the regular wage is required for extended working hours. It's the weekend, and I'm working overtime in the middle of the night. I'm doing high-intensity mental labor. It's not unreasonable to pay me at least three times the regular wage, is it?"

As she spoke, she took out her phone and opened the calculator, "Let me calculate..."

Sheng Chunqiu: "Guigemu, are you obsessed with money? The salary in the Secret Service is already quite high, where has all your money gone?"

“You don’t understand,” Gui Gemu argued vehemently, “salaries don’t last long. I studied formations precisely because they offer good job prospects, high salaries, and quick money. Otherwise, who would choose such a difficult major?”

Yan Shi, whose university major is archaeology and has absolutely no connection to the Otherworld: ...

It was implied.

“Oh right,” Guigemu looked at Yanshi, “this is?”

Since taking office, Yan Shi has mostly participated in executive department work meetings. Information department work reports are compiled and sent directly to her email, so Yan Shi has never met any of the information department staff.

"Director, this is Gui Gemu, the Director of the Confidentiality Department of the Information Bureau, who is also one of the top three array masters in the Inner World," Sheng Chunqiu introduced. "Director Gui, this is Director Yan. It was the Director who just used his abilities to directly repair the world barrier."

"Direct repair?" Gui Ge Mu exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "What an amazing ability! It must be related to laws or order! Like the ability to make one's words become law?"

A very perceptive probe.

The spell was not the one she thought she inherited after becoming the director, but rather a spell written from her own abilities.

If Sheng Chunqiu had known that the director's ability was to make his words law, she would have subtly asked Yan Shi to use his ability to repair the barrier immediately after the incident, instead of mobilizing the Security Bureau to spend a lot of manpower and resources to set up an operation.

The Director of the Bureau of Dissidents has always been appointed or dismissed directly by the Fate Platform. When the Fate Platform deems there no suitable candidate, the position of Director of the Bureau of Dissidents remains vacant.

Before Yan Shi joined the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs, the bureau had been without a director for six years. Sheng Chunqiu was the de facto acting director of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs during this period.

However, after Yan Shi took the appointment letter to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs and started working, Sheng Chunqiu seemed to have no transition period at all. He immediately adapted to the situation of having an extra director above him and cooperated very well with Yan Shi to get started.

If it weren't for the fact that Yan Shi always had to be accompanied by the Executive Office during meetings, he would hardly have seen any other departments.

Her power was usurped, and everything she could see was what Sheng Chunqiu wanted her to access.

However, Sheng Chunqiu was indeed giving her the opportunity to take power.

Yan Shi couldn't understand Sheng Chunqiu.

Now, Gui Gemu and Sheng Chunqiu are definitely very close friends. Just now, Sheng Chunqiu ostensibly introduced Gui Gemu to Yan Shi, but in reality, he was also subtly protecting Gui Gemu and implying that she should test Yan Shi's abilities.

Faced with this overly eccentric question from the Secret Service's array master, Yan Shi could only nod slightly, feigning composure.

She wasn't sure if this was her ability, and she really wanted to know the answer.

Yan Shi wailed inwardly.

Going to work is hard enough. Every day I have to review official documents by referring to reference books (work manuals), and my colleagues keep trying to figure me out, like they can't understand a riddle.

Not to mention the large number of mentally ill and crazy people I always encounter at work.

The adult world is so difficult.

Sheng Chunqiu's heart sank.

She couldn't gauge Yan Shi's abilities, nor did she know his background. After carefully examining the appointment letter, Sheng Chunqiu calmly accepted this suddenly appearing bureau chief.

When handling official business, Yan Shi was extremely conscientious about his duties at the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, to the point of being almost cold-blooded.

She showed no sadness for the lives lost in the demon rebellion, nor did she feel any regret for the tragic past of the core ghost that caused the abnormal events. And today, she could order the patrol team to destroy the artifacts that were trying to resist for their own freedom without any emotional fluctuation.

Admittedly, what she did was very fair, and it was the order and fairness that the Bureau of Dissidents upheld. However, Sheng Chunqiu felt that Yan Shi was too devoid of emotional fluctuation.

Unfathomable.

Like the embodiment of the law.

Sheng Chunqiu assumed Yan Shi's ability was the power of words, which, while rare in the inner world, did exist. However, Sheng Chunqiu hadn't expected that Yan Shi could even directly repair the world's barrier.

This involves the level of laws and can no longer be called the power of words.

Words become law.

Moreover, Yan Shi did not directly repair the world barrier, but only made his move after observing the Secret Service's formation for a while.

When Sheng Chunqiu learned of the world barrier breaking, he could sense Yan Shi's anxiety and worry.

Why didn't she use her abilities to repair the world barrier immediately, but instead watched the Secret Service set up the formation for a while before taking action?

What is Yan Shi looking at?

Is this an inspection of the Secret Service's array formation capabilities?

Or perhaps repairing the world's barrier would come at a huge price, and she hesitated.

If that's the case, then the cost would be unimaginable.

Sheng Chunqiu pondered.

But now is not the time to think about this, she hinted to Guige Mu to quickly end the topic and move on.

"Could you please say 'Guige Mu's bank account deposits will increase tenfold'?" Guige Mu pleaded with Yan Shi, clasping his hands together. "I'm not greedy! Tenfold is fine, please, please, please!"

"What a brilliant idea! It's genius!" Yan Shi thought.

She also wanted her bank account balance to increase tenfold; once it did, who would still want to work this job?

Yan Shi sighed, "If she weren't completely clueless about her own abilities."

The director of this secrecy department seems utterly unreliable.

Could it be that learning formations has driven him crazy?

Yan Shi looked at the dense array on the ground again, and a sense of respect rose in his heart.

"Director Gui, the car I called for you is already at the door," Sheng Chunqiu changed the subject.

"Really? Sheng Chunqiu, you're so kind! A truly exceptional colleague! I'll be going now, goodbye Director Yan!" Gui Gemu didn't continue mentioning the doubling of the bank account and quickly walked towards the edge of the cordon.

"Oh, right, Sheng Chunqiu, don't forget to calculate my overtime pay!" she called back halfway through her walk.

Due to the abnormal gathering of spirits causing widespread anomalies in the area, the entire vicinity has been cleared to avoid affecting ordinary people. In addition, there are two other high-risk anomaly zones nearby with extremely weak cell phone signals.

Where did Sheng Chunqiu hail the taxi from? And who accepted the order?

Yan Shi wanted to call out to Gui Ge Mu to be careful, but she shut her mouth again just as she was about to speak.

Gui Ge Mu is one of the top three array masters in the inner world; he couldn't possibly be truly weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Otherwise, how could she have climbed to the position of Director of the Secrecy Department of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs?

I am the only one who is truly weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Yan Shi shed tears.

"The world barrier has been repaired. The Anomaly Execution Office will continue to follow up. I'll be leaving now." Yan Shi said to Sheng Chunqiu after watching Gui Gemu leave.

She's not a workaholic like Sheng Chunqiu. Outside of work hours, Yan Shi only wants to reply with "If I'm not here, don't look for me. I won't reply even if I do."

Sheng Chunqiu: "Okay, Director. The Execution Department will compile a detailed report on the incident and I will send it to your email by tomorrow night."

"Okay. The information the Information Department investigated regarding the World Barrier has also been compiled and sent to me."

Yan Shi originally wanted to tear open the space and go home directly, but then she suddenly remembered what had happened to her not long ago.

She paused, then gently touched the crown adorned with blazing sun.

The spiritual energy here is so plentiful. Quickly, transfer some fire spiritual energy so they can go back the way they came.

She tried to make the sun crown understand her meaning silently.

The previously active Sun Crown was now completely silent, without making a sound.

Nothing happened again.

Yan Shi was embarrassed.

What exactly happened today?

Her eyes darted around, trying to hide her helplessness.

“Director,” Sheng Chunqiu seemed to have misunderstood something again, “the patrol team has already sealed off the entire area with talismans on the cordon. No sentient artifacts will escape from the Summer Palace.”

"If you're worried, I'll show you around," Sheng Chunqiu suggested.

Yan Shi: "...Okay."

Accompanied by Sheng Chunqiu, she walked around the entire Summer Palace. By the time she finished, it was 3:30 a.m.

It was already getting light.

They encountered the Bureau of the Stranger's convoy at the entrance of the Summer Palace.

Since there was no need to "patch" the world barrier, but rather to gather spirits, the Secret Service had already set up all the arrays and was packing up the excess and unused array materials to return to the Bureau of Alien Affairs.

Yan Shi's eyes lit up, and he decided to hitch a ride along the way.

God knows how much mental damage it caused her to not speak to Sheng Chunqiu for two hours while walking through the Summer Palace.

Moreover, Sheng Chunqiu wasn't sleepy even in the middle of the night. Yan Shi felt like he was about to successfully cultivate immortality on the spot.

It's fine if she sleeps in the director's lounge, let her go home after get off work.

Yan was so sleepy that he was delirious and his thoughts were hazy.

She got into the Secret Service's car to return to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, and when she finally found the bed in the lounge, she fell asleep immediately.

Why did I walk 10,000 steps in the middle of the night?

She thought bitterly before falling asleep.

Yan Shi dreamed again of the office where she signed her appointment letter to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs.

The white-haired man from last time is now sitting at his desk reading a book.

Yan Shi felt that he was in a state of being both very clear-headed and detached.

Upon seeing the white-haired man, many questions that had been weighing on my mind for half a year suddenly resurfaced clearly in my mind.

What exactly are her abilities? What is the curse? What does the blazing sun crown represent?

But Yan Shi finally heard himself ask, "Why me?"

The white-haired man slowly turned another page of his book.

Unable to bear his silence, Yan Shi strode to the desk, leaned on it, and asked, "Why me?"

To her surprise, the white-haired man was reading a comic book.

The comic page depicts her sitting next to an energy lamp, listening to Lin Cai, Hu Zai, and Wei Ning, the head of the merchant guild, chatting.

Isn't this the comic book in which she was drawn?

“You came a bit too fast,” he finally said. “I haven’t finished reading the latest update yet.”

Yan Shi was speechless.

"Have a seat." He pointed to the area next to his desk, and several patterns flashed on the floor, conjuring up a chair out of thin air.

"I am Kirina," the white-haired man introduced himself.

Kirina didn't seem to care about Yan Shi's reply, and continued to say to herself, "The authority of the spirits is not in the inner world, and the barrier between worlds is getting thinner and thinner."

Yan Shi looked at him in surprise.

He stopped talking about the barrier and instead pointed to the comic, asking, "How was my drawing?"

Yan Shi held back for a moment, but couldn't help it, "You're the cartoonist who just randomly adds a dark filter to my image?"

Wuming laughed as he listened: "But judging from the comments and forum reactions, the readers really like you."

There's even a forum?

Yan Shi was numb.

What exactly do you want to do?

"Didn't you already discover a hole in the world barrier?" He shrugged. "Today is just the beginning. More and more holes will appear in the world barrier until the very end."

Wuming gestured with his hands: "Shattered into pieces. The inner and outer worlds are no longer separated."

"Ordinary people in the surface world will be wantonly harmed by the creatures emerging from the inner world, causing all kinds of natural and man-made disasters. Races in the inner world wage war to fight for territory in the surface world, and disasters in both worlds are imminent."

Yan Shi looked at him calmly: "So? What is your purpose in contacting me?"

Kirina: "I want you to become the most popular character in the manga."

Yan Shi: ...

What is all this stuff? The way to save the world is to become the most popular character in a comic book? Does that make sense?

Kirina's smile was no longer exaggerated: "Literature is an expression of thought. The most popular characters in comics can theoretically gain the faith of many ordinary people in your world."

He became serious: "The weakening of the world's barrier is essentially due to the gradual dissipation of the power of faith and the loss of spiritual authority."

“There have been 66 failures before you. You are the 67th person to try and stand before me, and the last one.”

“I always thought that the chosen ones of the underworld would be easier to achieve this goal as protagonists. When you were chosen, the protagonist was already decided. But now it seems,” Kirina looked at Hiko, “that a mysterious supporting character with little screen time is more popular?”

A note from the author:

If you find any awkward phrasing or other character design issues, please let me know, and I will actively revise and improve the writing! Thank you very much for reading (bows).