1. Correlated Variables Are Supposed to Fail
The Archive recalibrated.
Not violently.
Methodically.
New lines of light threaded themselves between Ne Job and Yue—thin, translucent strands humming with logic and quiet threat.
CORRELATION ACTIVE
STRESS DISTRIBUTION ENABLED
FAILURE PROJECTION: 87%
Ne Job stared at the glowing threads.
"…Are we handcuffed?"
Qi-Yun shook his head grimly.
"No. Worse. You're statistically dependent."
Yue exhaled slowly. "They expect one of us to make a mistake."
Ne Job scoffed. "Joke's on them. I make mistakes professionally."
Qi-Yun didn't smile.
"They're counting on different mistakes."
2. Oversight Explains the Cruel Math
Oversight's presence hovered—not oppressive, but absolute.
CORRELATED VARIABLES REDUCE SYSTEM RISK
WHEN ONE DESTABILIZES
THE OTHER IS PRESSURED TO COMPENSATE
Ne Job frowned. "So… if Yue hesitates, you push me harder."
CORRECT
"And if I rebel, you punish her."
CORRECT
Ne Job's jaw tightened.
"That's disgusting."
IT IS EFFICIENT
Yue stepped forward before Ne Job could explode.
"And when one of us breaks?"
Oversight answered calmly.
CORRELATION TERMINATES
SYSTEM STABILITY INCREASES
Qi-Yun muttered, "They turn people into load-bearing walls."
3. The First Stress Test Arrives Immediately
The Archive didn't give them time to breathe.
A new scene unfolded—harsh, urgent.
A border-processing hall flooded with panicked souls.
A backlog stretching centuries.
At the center: a judgment engine overheating.
A red alert flashed:
OVERFLOW EVENT
ACTION REQUIRED: IMMEDIATE CULLING
ESTIMATED LOSSES: 12,000 SOULS
Ne Job's stomach dropped.
"No."
Oversight continued:
CORRECTIVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
OPTION A: SUBJECT NE JOB AUTHORIZATION
OPTION B: SUBJECT YUE OVERRIDE
Yue stiffened.
They both understood instantly.
Ne Job clenched the pen. "They want us to choose who becomes the villain."
Qi-Yun nodded slowly.
"If one of you acts alone, the system marks the other as compromised."
Yue swallowed.
"If we hesitate—"
"Thousands die," Ne Job finished.
The strands between them glowed brighter.
4. Yue Chooses First (And That's the Problem)
Yue stepped forward.
"I'll do it."
Ne Job spun. "No—Yue, don't—"
She met his eyes, steady but afraid.
"You can't keep burning bridges. You'll run out of ground."
She turned to Oversight.
"I authorize the override."
Ne Job felt the thread yank—hard.
Pain lanced through his chest.
SUBJECT NE JOB
STRESS RESPONSE: ELEVATED
Qi-Yun swore.
"They're penalizing him for your compliance."
The judgment engine roared to life.
Souls screamed as pathways collapsed.
Ne Job staggered.
"STOP—"
Yue flinched—but did not withdraw.
Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I won't let them make you choose."
5. Ne Job Breaks the Math (Again)
Ne Job straightened.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"No," he said quietly.
The pen pulsed.
Oversight reacted instantly.
WARNING
SUBJECT NE JOB INTERFERENCE DETECTED
Ne Job raised the pen—not at the engine.
At the threads.
"At the correlation," he said.
Qi-Yun's eyes widened.
"He's not countering the outcome…"
Ne Job spoke clearly.
"You linked us to force a zero-sum choice."
The pen flared.
"I reject the premise."
He slashed.
Not violently.
Precisely.
The glowing threads snapped.
The Archive screamed—not aloud, but structurally.
CORRELATION FAILURE
STABILITY LOSS: SIGNIFICANT
The judgment engine stalled.
The culling halted mid-process.
Souls froze—alive.
Yue gasped.
"Ne Job—what did you—"
"I broke the equation," he said, shaking.
"I won't let you hurt her to control me."
Oversight flickered wildly.
SYSTEM INTEGRITY COMPROMISED
Qi-Yun whispered in awe:
"He just severed a dependency rule."
6. Oversight Panics (Quietly)
Oversight recalculated—faster than ever before.
SUBJECT NE JOB
BEHAVIOR ESCALATION: UNPRECEDENTED
Ne Job laughed weakly.
"Yeah. I get that a lot."
Oversight tried again.
PROPOSED SOLUTION:
ISOLATE SUBJECT NE JOB
The Archive walls shifted—
—and stopped.
They refused.
Qi-Yun frowned.
"…The Archive itself is resisting."
Oversight paused.
ANOMALY SPREAD DETECTED
Yue stepped to Ne Job's side.
"You taught it something," she said softly.
Ne Job wiped blood from his lip.
"I just showed it the cost."
7. Qi-Yun Issues the Hard Truth
Qi-Yun placed a hand on Ne Job's shoulder.
"Listen to me," he said quietly.
"What you just did… cannot be undone."
Ne Job nodded.
"I figured."
"You are no longer a corrective agent," Qi-Yun continued.
"You're a system fracture."
Yue stiffened.
"That sounds—"
"Terrifying," Qi-Yun finished.
"Yes."
Oversight dimmed its presence.
UPDATED ASSESSMENT REQUIRED
Ne Job looked at Yue.
"You okay?"
She nodded, tears still falling.
"…You didn't have to do that."
He smiled tiredly.
"I did."
8. Heaven Reacts
Far above, judges felt it.
Files went missing.
Predictions blurred.
Certainty weakened.
The Shard Court Judge's gavel cracked.
The Forgotten God of Paperwork stirred in its sleep.
And somewhere deep in the First Archive—
an uneditable margin note appeared.
SYSTEMS THAT CANNOT ADAPT
WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK
— AUTHOR UNKNOWN
9. Cliffhanger: Oversight Changes the Rules
Oversight re-manifested.
Smaller.
Sharper.
DECLARATION:
OBSERVATION PHASE TERMINATED
Ne Job stiffened.
"…That sounds bad."
NEW PHASE INITIATED
NAME: INTERVENTION
Qi-Yun's blood ran cold.
"They're done watching," he said.
"They're going to act."
Oversight concluded:
SUBJECT NE JOB
STATUS:
— UNCONTAINABLE
— HIGH PRIORITY
ACTION AUTHORIZED:
DIRECT CORRECTION
The Archive darkened.
Every door opened at once.
Ne Job tightened his grip on the pen.
Yue stood beside him.
Qi-Yun drew a slow breath.
"Run," he said.
END OF CHAPTER 254