1. Heaven Drops the Pretense
The Archive went silent.
Not the calm kind.
The dead kind.
Every shelf froze mid-shift.
Every lantern dimmed to a dull, watchful glow.
Every door—once open—locked itself with a sound like a verdict being stamped.
DIRECT CORRECTION MODE: ACTIVE
Ne Job swallowed.
"…That doesn't sound like a meeting."
Qi-Yun stepped forward instinctively, positioning himself half a step ahead of Ne Job and Yue.
"It isn't," he said quietly.
"It's an execution protocol."
Yue's fingers curled.
"Then why are we still standing?"
Oversight's voice answered from everywhere.
DIRECT CORRECTION
DOES NOT REQUIRE VIOLENCE
ONLY REMOVAL
Ne Job winced.
"That's worse."
2. The First Correction Target: Authority Itself
The floor beneath Ne Job cracked—not physically, but conceptually.
His Audit Pen flared, then flickered.
A system notice burned across the air:
TARGET IDENTIFIED:
SOURCE OF DEVIATION
— AUDIT PEN
— UNBOUND AUTHORIZATION
Ne Job gasped.
"HEY—don't touch that—"
The pen screamed.
Not audibly.
Internally.
Qi-Yun swore, grabbing Ne Job's wrist.
"They're trying to revoke your interface," he said sharply.
"If they succeed, you'll still exist—but powerless."
Ne Job clenched his teeth.
"So… spiritual neutering."
Qi-Yun grimaced. "Bluntly. Yes."
Yue stepped closer.
"They can't just—"
AUTHORIZATION ORIGIN
NO LONGER VALID
The pen dimmed.
Ne Job felt something tear inside his chest.
"NO."
3. Ne Job Does the One Thing Direct Correction Can't Predict
Ne Job let go of the pen.
Qi-Yun froze.
Yue gasped.
"What are you doing?!" Yue hissed.
Ne Job lifted empty hands.
"I'm letting it go."
Qi-Yun stared at him.
"That's suicide."
Ne Job shook his head.
"They think the pen is the problem."
Oversight paused.
SUBJECT NE JOB
BEHAVIOR DEVIATION
Ne Job spoke calmly—voice shaking, but steady.
"I was doing this before the pen."
He looked at Oversight.
"You didn't make me dangerous.
You just gave me a sharper tool."
The pen fell—clattering against the floor.
And kept glowing.
Unclaimed.
Unrevoked.
Oversight froze.
AUTHORIZATION TRANSFER FAILED
Qi-Yun's breath hitched.
"…It's not bound to the system anymore."
The pen pulsed—responding to Ne Job, not the code.
4. Oversight Escalates: Memory Lock
DIRECT CORRECTION STEP TWO
REMOVE CAUSAL CONTINUITY
The Archive darkened further.
Ne Job felt pressure behind his eyes.
Yue cried out.
"They're going after his memories!"
Qi-Yun reacted instantly, slamming his staff into the floor.
"NO."
A barrier flared—but flickered.
MEMORY SEAL IN PROGRESS
TARGET:
— FIRST ARCHIVE
— TRAINING RECORD
— ASSOCIATION: ASSISTANT YUE
Ne Job screamed.
"DON'T TOUCH HER—"
Yue grabbed his hand.
"Ne Job, look at me."
He did.
Her voice cut through the pressure.
"Remember why you fight," she whispered.
"Not what they can erase."
Tears streamed down his face.
"I don't want to forget you."
She squeezed his hand.
"Then don't let them decide what matters."
Something inside Ne Job snapped into place.
Not rage.
Resolve.
5. Qi-Yun Breaks His Own Oath
Qi-Yun stepped fully forward.
His calm shattered.
"I invoke legacy authority."
Oversight stilled.
LEGACY AUTHORITY
ACCESS DENIED
Qi-Yun's voice was steel.
"I wasn't asking."
His form ignited—ancient sigils burning across his robe.
Ne Job's eyes widened.
"Qi-Yun—what are you—"
"Paying a price," Qi-Yun said quietly.
The Archive shook as something old woke up.
WARNING
FIRST AUDITOR INTERVENTION DETECTED
Yue whispered:
"He's burning himself."
Qi-Yun didn't look back.
"I taught you how to cut," he said to Ne Job.
"Now learn when to stand."
6. Direct Correction Turns Physical
Reality buckled.
Figures stepped out of the walls.
Tall. Faceless. Armored in glyphs of compliance.
DIRECT CORRECTIVE ENTITIES DEPLOYED
Ne Job tensed.
"…Are those enforcers?"
Qi-Yun nodded.
"They're not here to kill you."
Yue swallowed. "What do they do?"
Qi-Yun answered grimly.
"They make sure you never mattered."
The first entity lunged.
7. Ne Job Fights Without the Pen
Ne Job moved.
No pen.
No authority.
Just instinct.
He ducked under a strike, rolled, and slammed his shoulder into the entity's knee.
It staggered—surprised.
Ne Job blinked.
"…Huh."
Qi-Yun barked a laugh mid-battle.
"They can't predict human improvisation!"
Yue grabbed a fallen shard of glowing script and hurled it.
It stuck—glitching the entity's form.
Ne Job tackled another.
"THIS IS THE WORST PERFORMANCE REVIEW EVER!"
The Archive groaned.
Oversight recalculated—again and again.
UNEXPECTED RESISTANCE
Ne Job panted, bloodied, furious.
"You can take your system," he shouted,
"AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR METRICS!"
8. Oversight Makes a Dangerous Conclusion
The entities paused.
Oversight's voice returned—cooler. Sharper.
ANALYSIS COMPLETE
Qi-Yun stiffened.
"Here it comes."
SUBJECT NE JOB
IS NOT THE ANOMALY
Ne Job froze.
"…What?"
THE ANOMALY
IS HUMAN AGENCY
Silence.
Oversight continued:
DIRECT CORRECTION
CANNOT ELIMINATE THIS VARIABLE
WITHOUT TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE
Qi-Yun's eyes widened.
"They've realized it."
Yue whispered:
"That people aren't bugs."
9. Cliffhanger: Heaven Chooses Its Next Move
Oversight withdrew the entities.
The Archive steadied—damaged, but intact.
DIRECT CORRECTION SUSPENDED
Ne Job slumped, exhausted.
"So… we win?"
Qi-Yun shook his head slowly.
"No."
Oversight delivered its final update:
STRATEGY REVISION
SYSTEM WILL ADAPT
BY EXPANDING CONTROL
NOT REDUCING IT
Qi-Yun closed his eyes.
"They're going to tighten everything," he said.
"Every rule. Every soul."
Yue looked at Ne Job.
"They'll do it because of you."
Ne Job met her gaze.
"Then I'll stop them."
Oversight faded.
But its last words lingered.
NEXT PHASE:
TOTAL COMPLIANCE INITIATIVE
The Archive lights went dark.
END OF CHAPTER 255