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墨書 Inktalez
Four-Dimensional Space Divine Realm
"Next group!"
The prosecutor in front of the Transmigration Hall shouted without raising his head. However, the only response he received was complete silence.
"Next group!" The prosecutor lifted his head, only to realize that there were no more reported Ghosts left; the ones who had come to claim their reincarnation numbers were indeed the last group. With this thought, he set down the controller and stretched lazily, collapsing into the Petal Chair. The prosecutor had a peculiar habit of strictly distinguishing between his office seat and his personal Petal Chair for relaxation. He never sat in the Petal Chair while working, but due to an overwhelming workload recently, rushing from the Petal Chair to his office felt like a waste of time. Reluctantly, he had given up this habit and now worked in the very chair meant for rest. Once finished, he would lie back and let the petals envelop him from both sides, providing a comprehensive massage.
"Such a sin," he sighed, with only his head visible beneath the petals. Ever since the Time-Space King issued his orders two days ago, he had been working like a madman—who wouldn’t want to rest? But with even his superior working so hard, how could he afford to slack off?
"Sir, your scheduled massage time is in two hours and three minutes. Have you completed today’s tasks?" A pair of halos appeared on either side of the prosecutor's shoulders, visibly changing wavelengths as they emitted sound from the intelligent Petal Chair.
"Hiss." The prosecutor opened his eyes. "Right, why have no more Ghosts reported? Aren't we supposed to keep sending eight hundred vanguards?"
He canceled the massage, and as the petals unfurled, he stood up and left the resting area, heading toward the main hall while pondering what might have gone wrong.
The main hall was divided into three areas: the central area upon entering was for the council, with several pathways on either side. The west side led to the private quarters of the Time-Space King, while the east side connected to a transportation center linked with the outside world. Most Ghosts visited through this eastern transportation center. In the Divine Realm, there were no distinct social hierarchies; civilization was highly advanced, allowing any Ghost to visit the main hall. In fact, as long as they signed a commitment letter, they could even visit the King’s private area because they believed themselves equal to their domain's leader; to them, the King was not some distant figure only to be gazed at from afar.
As soon as he pushed open the door, a couple brushed past him with their child, and brilliant light cascaded onto the floor, making it exceptionally bright. A variety of Ghosts crowded in the hall; some gathered in small groups chatting while others waited for council members to assist them. The prosecutor walked all the way to the end of the council hall where a massive stone tablet stood. A teacher transformed into a glowing orb slowly descended along the words inscribed on it while her students followed its lead, chanting: Above Time, Beneath Civilization.
This was inscribed by none other than the Time-Space King himself. As a friend of his, the prosecutor had never asked about its meaning because he knew he wouldn’t understand it. After passing by the stone tablet and still reflecting on it, he was stopped by guards ahead; just two more steps would take him into the Time-Space King's private area.
"What do you want? The King is resting. Even if you signed a commitment letter, please do not disturb him. Thank you!" One guard on his left extended golden vines from his palm, ready to ensnare him at any moment.
Seeing those golden vines made the prosecutor halt; getting caught by them was no joke—once ensnared and tightened around him, he wouldn’t even know how he died. Retreating now would mean wasting his time; advancing would lead to being turned away again—how could he resolve his lingering doubts?
"Just go back and come again later," said a guard on his right kindly upon recognizing him.
However, just then, a door behind them slowly opened. The Time-Space King stepped out from within dim yellow light; both guards immediately stepped aside with smiles saying, "Awake now, Your Majesty."
"Come in," Sogfiel nodded in response and beckoned for the prosecutor.
The guards quickly retracted their golden vines and opened the door to the King's private domain. Upon entering was an open-air hall where guests were received—a vast space filled with various unordered items that created an overall chaotic yet aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. The Divine Realm held great respect for randomness brought about by time's passage; thus in their art forms, greater disorder and spontaneity were often more culturally appreciated. Here "open-air" meant visibility of the sky but did not allow anything to fall into this hall.
"Have a seat." Sogfiel gestured toward a rose-colored transparent crystal chair. The prosecutor hesitated before sitting down since he planned not to stay long. Noticing his reluctance, Sogfiel turned around and lightly raised his hand; suddenly, the chair floated into mid-air before settling behind him.
"Your Majesty," began the prosecutor cautiously, "I've discovered an issue—why..."
Before he could finish speaking, Sogfiel interrupted him gently while manipulating a kettle to pour sweet water into a cup.
"I must halt this plan," Sogfiel stated.
"Huh? What insights do you have?" asked the prosecutor.
Sogfiel took a sip of water and spoke with an air of tranquility: "Not quite; there has been an unexpected situation within Vanguard."
The prosecutor listened quietly.
"According to reports from Miao Chengmin—the general agent for Vanguard—due to coveting Chaos Crystals' power, one team member named Virgil has betrayed us and successfully absorbed energy from Chaos Crystals."
"Then that means..." The prosecutor exclaimed in shock.
Sogfiel continued: "I didn't expect this either; these team members were all individuals I deemed righteous yet still possessed twisted souls driven by desire for power. I was too complacent; this responsibility lies with me."
"No one can oppose her now," the prosecutor pondered. "Unless there is an energy entity that stands in opposition to Virgil."
"There is; Miao Chengmin has absorbed it as well."
"Ah?"
The prosecutor was momentarily stunned, trying to process this unexpected information, which was so convoluted that it made him want to stomp his feet.
"I can't understand how they managed to absorb that power. Chaos Crystals are supernatural entities; as beings that created the universe, how could they so recklessly indulge their own power... Things have become complicated. According to the latest intelligence from the Star Domain Alliance, Ban Sa is already on its way back and should be aware of the news about the transfer of the Chaos Crystals." Four-Dimensional Life does not have a specific physical shape and produces random light arcs; its face can appear randomly on any part of its body. However, Sogfiel remained motionless, his face tense as if locked in place. His left hand gripped a teacup, proving his deep concern about the matter.
The prosecutor had not anticipated the situation would escalate to this level; it was something no one had foreseen initially because, in the eyes of the gods, these were carefully selected souls that were absolutely pure and absolutely loyal. The sudden betrayal disrupted all plans that the Divine Realm had laid out on Earth.
"King, may I ask a bold question?" the prosecutor said. "Do you really think the safety of a small planet is that important? Earth has only just met the conditions to enter cosmic society. If it comes down to it, we could have Vanguard take the Chaos Crystals, or explain to Chaos Crystals and have them take Vanguard to relocate and find a new hiding spot. Why go through so much trouble for a single planet? In such a vast universe, life and death are inevitable."
"Do you remember what I carved on the stone tablet?" Sogfiel slowly set down his cup and changed the subject.
"I do."
"Then do you know what it means?"
The prosecutor shook his head. Sogfiel explained: "Since I took office, it means I will dedicate my life to managing the Dimension of the cradle of life. They have long desired to control Time, which is a capability we inherently possess. Being in this position, I must fulfill my duties; as King, standing above the timeline, I must manage every civilization within each Time Structure and be responsible for their histories. This is my basic obligation: above Time, I must perform my duties diligently; at the same time, I am also the leader of the four-dimensional spacetime in the Second-Order Cosmic Layer. I must keep my abilities within my authority, respect each civilization's development choices, and when necessary, assist any civilization. I must serve as a steward of cosmic society in the Dimension of the cradle of life, maintaining humility and reverence; this is what it means: beneath civilization, one must abide by their duties. You should not think that just because I am King, I can disregard any civilization's life; I have responsibilities."
"Above Time, beneath civilization."
The prosecutor silently repeated this phrase. Although his expression showed no change, his trembling fingers revealed his deep respect. He poured a pot of tea for Sogfiel, and until he filled Sogfiel's cup with tea, neither deity spoke.
"What’s wrong?" Sogfiel patted him on the shoulder.
"You... You truly are worthy of being called Time-Space King."
"Just fulfilling my duty."
"Now back to business; how can I assist you with this sudden situation? As a prosecutor, this is also my responsibility."
"Good!" Sogfiel praised him. "The connection between the Divine Realm and Earth needs to be under your control. The goal is for you and Miao Chengmin to maintain contact at all times; do not let me down!"
"Understood!" The prosecutor offered the highest courtesy of the Divine Realm to Sogfiel, extending his arms out to support himself on the ground while lowering his body slightly.
After accepting the mission bestowed by the Time-Space King, as he passed by his Petal Chair, he glanced at it before striding forward. The words of Sogfiel lingered in his mind, reminding him why he was merely a prosecutor while he could become the lord of the Divine Realm. This was not fate but rather a distinction between him and Sogfiel that defined his insignificance; there was reason behind why Sogfiel could become the Time-Space King.
"Hello, Prosecutor!" The chattering discussions faded into silence upon his entrance; working Ghosts stopped and looked at him, hoping he would explain what had happened. However, he said nothing but pointed towards the connection control room in the northern center.
"Don't ask anything; you'll understand what has happened," said the prosecutor. "Restart the connection with Earth!"
Earth, China, November 2, 2058 - Sunny
In U City National Protected Forest Park, there is a waterfall where sunlight shines down at a specific angle creating a perfect rainbow standing like a gateway on both sides of the falls. Continuing downstream from the waterfall reveals that after plunging into the water, it crashes against a central black rock before being split into six smaller streams leading in different directions. In the illuminated stream waters, several grass carp seem to float lazily in the rushing river while onshore a wild boar strolls leisurely along one of those streams. A little piglet grew thirsty and quietly strayed from its group, stepping into clear water with its front feet and greedily scooping up mouthfuls with its tongue.
"Snort." Something nudged it from behind; turning around, it saw its mother had noticed one of her little ones was missing and had come back to find it. The piglet lowered its head for a few more licks before jumping ashore and scampering back to its mother's hind legs as they both hurried back towards their group.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
The increasingly dense sounds began to emerge from the thicket behind them, as if something heavy was pressing down on the fallen leaves and branches. And it was getting closer, in large numbers.
There were particularly many.
The Wild Boar Mother became anxious; she walked behind the piglet and pushed it hard, trying to get the little guy, who was frozen in curiosity and staring back, to move away.
"Hey, there are two wild boars, one big and one small."
"Don't scare them; let's change places."
"Why bother with animals?"
"Hey!"
The thicket was pushed aside, and out stepped a ragged, pale figure whose limbs were nothing but skin and bones. A piece of flesh hung loosely from its face, swaying precariously, and its eye sockets glowed with a flicker of fire, dark and shadowy, with only the exposed bones looking somewhat alive.
It looked at the piglet, which stared back into its eye sockets. With a terrified scream, the piglet abandoned its mother and ran away. The Wild Boar Mother also stumbled in confusion, looking around to find her little one had run off by itself, and quickly took off after it.
"I have such a..."
George barely poked his head out when Miao Chengmin pulled him back.
"I told you not to go out! Changing places is fine too!" Miao Chengmin reprimanded George in a hushed tone.
"You scared them away..." George helplessly pointed at the empty riverbank over there and then retorted to Miao Chengmin, "Are we here to be vanguard warriors or are we being exiled as punishment? If we have to be so restricted just to see an animal, we might as well be dead; at least in the Demon Realm we could be reborn!"
Miao Chengmin lifted his head slightly; if he had eyeballs, he would probably want to express: I can't help it either.
"Come on, siblings, let's wash up; we've been walking for so long, it's rare to take a break," Miao Chengmin said without further addressing George.
"What about us?" a Female Zombie asked.
"Uh..." Miao Chengmin's mouth was covered, "Well, ladies first; all male souls turn around and don't look!"
"Can you guarantee they won't look?" another Female Zombie pointed at a group of male zombies nearby and questioned.
"With our current bodies, what is there to care about? Even if we were naked, we wouldn't want to look! Hurry up; don't make it difficult for the boss!" Several male zombies immediately voiced their dissatisfaction and confronted the two Female Zombies.
Miao Chengmin found it both amusing and exasperating: "It's voluntary; I won't force anyone."
In the end, a small number of eleven Female Zombies gradually jumped into the creek. The originally clear water quickly became murky as blood and dirt flowed downstream. The Female Zombies splashed around while occasionally glancing at their male companions. On the shore, Miao Chengmin and the male zombies sat in two half-circles with their backs turned to them, listening to their giggles. The laughter made them involuntarily recall bits of joy they had experienced back on Earth. George glanced at Miao Chengmin and saw him smiling faintly while staring blankly at the distant mountains.
"These souls must have been beautiful young girls in life," George sighed lightly, relaxing his shoulders as he gazed at a Woodpecker on a branch, imagining, "Brother Miao must also be a soul with a story."
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