Chapter 28

Hao Ren curiously examined the small silver device in his hand, feeling very excited and also quite puzzled.

This was a device no larger than a palm, with a silver metallic sheen. However, it did not feel cold to the touch; instead, it felt warm and smooth, unlike common metals on Earth. The small device was a perfect hexagon, with its thickest part only a few centimeters thick. On its surface, a blue-white light flowed slowly, pulsing as if a living thing were breathing. Hao Ren curiously caressed the surface of the "metal plate," and immediately, the central hexagonal area lit up. A holographic image suddenly appeared in the air, startling him!

Hao Ren almost dropped the metal plate. He pinched it and stared fixedly at the holographic image above the metal plate: the image showed a deep blue cross made of four crystals, slowly rotating. The background was a chaotic black, and below the projection, a line of Chinese characters was displayed: "Temporal Administration Bureau - EN35 Node - AZ655 World - Universal Data Terminal. Current operator has passed permission verification. Device is in standby."

"Full Chinese interface, user-friendly operation, even a beginner can master it," Raven 12345 pointed a finger at the "data terminal" in Hao Ren's hand, drawing his attention. "Here you have your job guidelines, an introduction to the Imperial Temporal Administration Bureau, basic information about the Empire, and other things you need to learn, such as the Macro World, Temporal Routes, World Gate Codes, authorization procedures, material distribution lists, and support application agreements. It's too troublesome for me to explain all this to you, so you might as well read it yourself. Learn slowly. After you memorize all this information... well, you should have completed the first stage of your apprenticeship, then move on to the second stage..."

Hao Ren suddenly felt very pessimistic about his future life: oh, how could he have just graduated from school and now be back to student life again?!

"What is this? How do I use it?" Hao Ren temporarily put aside the potential miserable learning life ahead and curiously pointed at the blue cross emblem in the holographic image. Although he didn't know what it was, he felt it must be significant—because he often saw this blue emblem in Raven 12345's mansion, even on some magical servants. He poked the holographic image with his finger, but his finger passed right through it, unlike what he had imagined, where he could control it by touching the image.

Raven 12345's expression suddenly became abnormally serious, which even startled Hao Ren: he couldn't imagine that this carefree and abnormal "goddess" could have such a solemn moment. Raven 12345 stared into Hao Ren's eyes, as if trying to pierce his thoughts directly into his brain: "This is the Xilin military emblem, the symbol of the Empire, the mark of the Xilin civilization. It represents the Empire. You're a new recruit, so you probably can't understand the significance of this emblem yet. Just remember that it is very important. Throughout the void, countless races survive under the protection of this emblem, and countless warriors fight under its guidance."

Hao Ren listened in a daze. Seeing this, Raven 12345 patted her head: "Hey, why did I tell you this so early? Anyway, remember this: no matter how dangerous a place you go to or how complex a situation you encounter, as long as you see this emblem, you'll see your family. Got it?"

Hao Ren nodded vigorously: "Then how do I use it?"

"Place your hand on any edge, and control it with your mind. It will automatically recognize your confirmation command and won't misoperate," Raven 12345 instructed Hao Ren on how to activate the small device. "Of course, you might need some time to get used to it at first. After all, its response speed is very fast, and its intelligence is not much worse than yours, so it will automatically do some things for you. Sometimes you might think you made a mistake, but it's fine—try activating the main system and tell it you're a rookie."

Hao Ren listened with wide eyes, and one thought kept circling in his mind: "Wow, this is high-tech!"

"You said the Xilin Apostles are gods, so why do gods use such high-tech stuff... do gods also follow the tech path?" Hao Ren muttered as he tried to focus his attention and communicate with the "metal plate" in his hand. Raven 12345 answered his question: "Is there a difference between technology and magic? The Xilin pantheon has always developed both paths simultaneously. Whatever works, they use it. They are all tools for controlling the present world. The thing in your hand would be a divine artifact if given to other unenlightened civilizations. However, I'm not very good at this kind of tech product; I prefer mysterious creations—unfortunately, you can't use those."

Hao Ren didn't pay much attention to what Raven 12345 said because he had successfully activated the small data terminal!

The holographic projection rapidly refreshed a series of images, which seemed chaotic, but Hao Ren didn't feel overwhelmed or unable to understand them. The speed and method of image refresh perfectly matched his comprehension. It seemed that the data terminal could scan the human brain and push new information based on the brain's current state. Hao Ren's eyes quickly moved over the holographic images, and the most important information he needed always appeared in the center of his field of vision. Whenever he wanted to know something new, he didn't even need to give explicit commands; the holographic images would automatically switch, allowing him to always obtain new information in the most efficient way. Initially, Hao Ren thought he might not be able to handle such advanced equipment, but he soon realized something: for a civilization powerful enough to traverse the multiverse, creating a simple and easy-to-use tool was not a problem, just as humans can create feeding machines that even chimpanzees and pet dogs can use. When technology reaches perfection, its use becomes simpler, and complex things are encapsulated in places the user can't see.

For example, Hao Ren was sure that if he took apart the small device in his hand, no one on Earth could put it back together...

"What does 'request support' mean?" Hao Ren suddenly saw a very concerning term in the rapidly refreshing information. Without giving any commands, the item that caught his attention automatically stopped in the center of his field of vision. The holographic image then displayed a large number of accompanying images and video information: various images that looked like weapons and equipment, soldiers in formation, incomprehensible charts, all neatly listed in front of him. However, all of these things were gray.

"Do you think the Auditor is a lone wolf? Do you think their job is just to take care of abnormal creatures at home?" Raven 12345 shrugged. "You'll know when you become a full-fledged Auditor. The work of an Auditor is very complex. What if I send you to the Centauri system to quell a rebellion? Or to the Scorpion Nebula for military mediation? In such cases, requesting support and armed agreements can be very useful. You can choose these things when you're about to be killed—of course, they require corresponding permissions, which in turn require various strict evaluations. We can't give lethal weapons to a mentally unstable new recruit, although those things are basically harmless civilian items in our eyes... well, those civilian items would probably cause four or five ice ages on your planet."

Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat. Although he hadn't finished reading the "Auditor Guidelines" and the "Temporal Administration Bureau Work Outline," he heard something very serious from Raven 12345's words... this job seemed to be life-threatening!

Hao Ren opened his mouth: "I am now..."

"You can't quit," Raven 12345 chuckled. "Even if you die, your soul will still be on my attendance list. I'll give you a new body, and you'll have to continue working. It's not easy to recruit a new employee, and you want to run away?"

Hao Ren: "..."

"Don't look at me like that," Raven 12345 instantly teleported next to Hao Ren, startling him and then patting his shoulder. "I never lie. You'll soon realize that this is an opportunity that ordinary people can only dream of—just don't get yourself killed, and you can basically live for... well, a long time. After all, Auditors are not military personnel; there aren't that many major battles that require you to be on the front lines all the time."

Hao Ren tried to speak several times but was repeatedly cut off by the imposing white-haired witch. In the end, he could only force a smile and put the data terminal in his pocket: there was too much to read, and it was clearly not practical to do so here. He decided to study it at home.

"Let's talk about that nightmare, then," Hao Ren resignedly sat down in a chair. "I think you're hiding something from me—I may be honest, but that doesn't mean I can be bullied. At least tell me more; I'll sleep better at night."

Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren and finally sighed helplessly: "Alright, alright, you're a stubborn one. I'll tell you what I can."