Chapter 16: Office Life and Lingering Threats

The following day dawned.

Given that Bai Li had been brought to the Weichangzhe Organization branch by Lin Xi, she seized the opportunity to register as an intern Weichangzhe.

Presently, the two of them found themselves seated in the Weichangzhe Organization’s branch office.

One might wonder why they weren’t out battling aberrant beasts. The answer was simple: these creatures didn’t just materialize out of thin air.

This was no longer the era of rampant aberrant beasts, when people lived in constant dread of a sudden interdimensional gate spewing forth monstrous creatures. Human technology had advanced to a point where the appearance of aberrant beasts could be predicted within a certain radius. Consequently, ability users primarily remained on standby at their branch offices, mobilizing only when an anomalous interdimensional concentration index was detected.

The remaining personnel rotated between patrolling the city, handling administrative tasks, or, in rare instances, undertaking specialized missions—though these particular assignments were not yet within the purview of Bai Li or Lin Xi.

While other Weichangzhe merely needed to perform tasks aligned with their specific strengths, the combat personnel among them faced a far greater array of considerations.

“So, when there are no aberrant beasts to fight, do you all just… slack off here?”

Though the question carried a hint of sarcasm, it reflected an undeniable truth, for Lin Xi was presently sprawled across her desk, engrossed in a book—a posture hardly indicative of diligent work.

“Roughly so,” Lin Xi replied. “While we must deploy instantly when an aberrant beast alarm sounds, the periods of inactivity can be quite tedious. It’s not that we couldn’t train during these lulls, but it would be detrimental if it compromised our readiness for actual combat.”

This sentiment wasn’t exclusive to Lin Xi; the Weichangzhe Organization, along with other official ability user groups, explicitly advised against excessive training during active duty hours, fearing it might lead to undue exhaustion in the event of an unforeseen emergency.

Consequently, many ability users secretly wished for more aberrant beasts to appear during their shifts, eager to seize the opportunity for practice and to accrue valuable combat experience.

Indeed, the aberrant beasts that commonly emerged now were largely considered ‘experience packs’ (TL Note: A gaming term referring to enemies that provide experience points when defeated) for ability users. Some even opted not to deliver killing blows, aiming for a ‘sustainable development’ of their training.

Incidentally, Bai Li had apparently overheard from some of the aberrant beasts under her command that a significant number of their kind shared a similar philosophy: they refrained from harming civilians, engaging ability users only in ‘point-to-point’ (TL Note: A martial arts term referring to a sparring match where contact is made but not with full force) combat.

If the older generation of ability users, who had relentlessly fought these creatures, were to learn of this, their very ashes would likely coalesce into human form and burst from their graves in outrage.

Casting her gaze around the room, Bai Li observed that not only Lin Xi, but also the other Weichangzhe from the combat division, wore expressions of profound boredom. Some had even stretched out on the sofas, already fast asleep.

While it might appear enviable on the surface, the reality was that it truly was quite enjoyable.

However, it was crucial to remember that the combat division was tasked with directly engaging aberrant beasts. While most current aberrant beasts were incapable of stirring up significant trouble, they were well aware that causing substantial damage could draw the attention of more powerful ability users, leading to their eradication. Thus, they generally tried to restrain themselves.

Yet, there was always the unpredictable risk of encountering aberrant beasts, or even rogue ability users, devoid of reason and driven by malice. For this reason, working as an ability user in the combat division was inherently a high-risk profession.

Furthermore, beyond the cities protected by beacon towers, numerous regions had been severely encroached upon by the otherworld. The conditions within these areas remained entirely unknown, rendering them virtually forbidden zones for humanity. Many ability users, driven by duty, curiosity, or the allure of instant riches, had ventured into these territories, only to vanish without a trace.

Should aberrant beasts launch another full-scale invasion, these individuals would serve as humanity’s primary line of defense. Moreover, given that Bai Li and Lin Xi had learned from Yu Menghua about the potential for a catastrophic future disaster, a measure of caution was certainly warranted.

“However,” Lin Xi continued, “when interns are present, they are the first to be deployed for aberrant beast encounters, typically accompanied by a few supervising Weichangzhe. This means our actual working hours are even further reduced.”

Coincidentally, this period followed the ability awakening ceremony for third-year high school students. Many of them seized the opportunity to gain experience, preparing for the impending college entrance examinations. Consequently, the Weichangzhe Organization branch, being Tiangong City’s most renowned official ability user organization, experienced a significant influx of interns.

The college entrance examination, too, had undergone a profound transformation. No longer primarily focused on knowledge and academic prowess, it now prioritized abilities. While categorized into various types such as manufacturing and support, combat abilities naturally held the highest priority. Consequently, students like Lin Xi, who had awakened their abilities long ago and had served as Weichangzhe for some time, were typically granted direct exemption.

“Exactly, exactly,” another Weichangzhe chimed in. “With the interns around, our workload has significantly lightened.”

“Still, watching those students fight is unexpectedly amusing, isn’t it?”

“You’re probably just reminiscing about your younger days, aren’t you?”

Upon hearing Lin Xi’s words, the other Weichangzhe in the office began to chatter amongst themselves, each offering their own comments.

Judging by their appearances, they weren’t particularly old; none seemed to be past their late twenties. It was likely they had joined the Weichangzhe Organization shortly after graduating from university, yet their conversational tones already carried the weariness of middle age.

Their behavior, too, was indistinguishable from that of seasoned office veterans, some even playing mahjong during working hours.

In this context, Lin Xi merely perusing an encyclopedia of abilities could, at a stretch, be considered a form of study.

“Speaking of which, the recent batch of students are all quite brilliant!”

“Oh? How so?”

“Didn’t one of them start with a D-rank ability right off the bat? And this current batch of interns averages an E-minus rank—can you believe that? Back in my time, most of us were only F-rank!”

“D-rank? They must be from one of the prominent families, with no shortage of resources at their disposal.”

“Honestly, why do these individuals, blessed with both talent and resources, have to compete with us for what little we have?”

As they continued, the conversation amongst the Weichangzhe gradually veered towards the topic of innate talent, drawing Bai Li’s focused gaze.

It wasn’t that she was taking the comments personally; rather, she worried that Lin Xi might internalize their implications.

Even though Lin Xi wasn’t from a particularly prominent family, her parents both being powerful magical girls, combined with her own innate talent, meant she might easily find herself relating to such discussions.

This wasn’t a groundless concern; in fact, Lin Xi had been the subject of similar discussions in the past, which had only ceased after Bai Li discreetly engaged in some ‘friendly communication’ with the culprits.

“…Hiss… does anyone else feel like the air just got colder?”

“Now that you mention it, it certainly does…”

The Weichangzhe who had been the target of Bai Li’s intense gaze also sensed something amiss, promptly bringing their conversation to a halt. Watching Bai Li, who was still fixated on the other Weichangzhe, Lin Xi let out an inward sigh. ‘Bai Li’s protectiveness runs a little high,’ she mused. ‘I don’t actually care about such remarks. Still, she’s utterly adorable.’

As if the perception of cuteness were a mutual exchange, Lin Xi, so utterly endearing in Bai Li’s eyes, likewise found Bai Li incredibly adorable. This, however, was a truth known only to Lin Xi.

“Ring! Ring! Ring!”

At that very moment, the aberrant beast alarm blared.