Chapter 547: Chapter 531: Power Is the Pass to Everything

A streak of flowing light pierced through the walls of the Deep Blue Residence without warning, hovering before him.

The flowing light slowly unfolded, transforming into an official missive composed of Magic Runes.

At the very top were the crest of the Gate of Truth and the Probe Star Ring of the Plane Exploration and Development Association.

[Appointment Notice]

[By the resolution of the Association’s Supreme Council, Investigator EX-2071, Allen Wesren, has demonstrated exceptional performance during the emergency support mission in the Y-417 Plane, displaying formidable strength and strategic value befitting the rating of a Morning Star Wizard.]

[Effective immediately, Allen Wesren is officially appointed as the Deputy Minister of the Association’s ’Anomaly Threat Response Department’.]

[Effective immediately. To be announced to all members.]

At the bottom of the missive were the mental imprints of President Augustus Valentine and the Minister of the Anomaly Threat Response Department, Hercules von Older.

"It’s finally here." A sharp glint flashed in Allen’s eyes. "Jarvis, seal the current experimental data. Prepare to head to the Association’s administration building."

Half an hour later.

Allen’s consciousness withdrew from the sea of data and returned to his Puppet body. In the cloakroom, he took out a brand-new black wizard robe embroidered with dark silver patterns and put it on.

His movements were unhurried, as if he were attending a banquet.

Having lived two lives, this was his first time being in a leadership position; he reminded himself to pay attention to his style from now on.

He spent some time getting properly dressed before stepping out of the Deep Blue Residence. His dark blue eyes reflected the Association’s headquarters building floating above the sea of clouds.

Before, he had merely been a passing traveler. Now, he had a place there.

***

The office of the Deputy Minister of Anomaly Threat Response was located in one of the top-floor areas of the Association’s headquarters building.

The interior design here completely contrasted with the busy and efficient operational departments downstairs.

Heavy carpets lined the corridors, and oil paintings depicting ancient mythical creatures or unknown constellations hung on the walls. The air was filled with the peculiar scent of some calming incense.

It was quiet—even somewhat deathly still.

Allen’s exclusive office was at the end of the corridor—Room 3901.

Pushing open the heavy door polished from a solid block of Obsidian, a massive space of over five hundred square meters revealed itself.

At first glance, it looked more like a private museum than an office.

Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows lay an eternal azure seascape, while the interior displayed various bizarre "trophies."

A twisted creature, seemingly made of shadows, was sealed within a transparent crystal; an Alien Energy Weapon thrust into a pedestal was still humming faintly; and even a house-sized heart of an unknown creature soaked in nutrient fluid, slowly pulsating.

In the very center of the office stood a man with a Rune Ball in his eye socket—Hercules. His back was turned to the door as he admired the giant heart.

"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"

He didn’t turn around. His voice rang out calmly, "An offspring from the Wriggling Abyss, an innate Dawn Star Level creature. It possesses no intelligence, only the instincts to devour and reproduce. Three hundred years ago, it nearly ate a newly budding civilized Plane."

Allen walked up beside him, his gaze also falling upon the massive heart as he agreed, "Truly a high-quality biological weapon."

Hercules finally turned around, his Rune Eye looking Allen up and down. A faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his face. "Welcome aboard, Deputy Minister Wesren. It seems our definitions of ’beauty’ are highly aligned. I went to great lengths to decorate this office for you."

"Let’s formally introduce ourselves," he said, extending a hand. "Hercules von Older. Your new colleague, and one of your superiors."

"Allen Wesren." Allen shook his hand with a firm, moderate grip. "It is an honor to work with you, Minister."

The two released their grip, and Hercules pointed to the nearby reception area.

"Have a seat. Before you start enjoying this new job, there are a few things you need to know."

He personally poured Allen a glass of dark red liquid, within which countless tiny specks of light seemed to float and sink.

"The personnel of the Association can be roughly divided into three categories," Hercules got straight to the point without wasting any words. "The first category consists of ’administrative personnel.’ You can understand them as full-time employees, ranging from bottom-tier clerks to the directors of various departments. They receive the Association’s high salaries and the most generous benefits, but their power, knowledge, and even their lives completely serve the massive machine that is the Association.

"The second category consists of ’cooperative personnel.’ This was like your previous identity as an investigator. They are more like long-term contracted mercenaries of the Association. They enjoy a high degree of freedom and can use the Association’s platform to accept missions in exchange for the resources they desire. The Association doesn’t force them into anything, but they will never touch the true core."

Hercules leaned forward slightly, the glow from his Rune Eye growing somewhat piercing. "And we are the third category—the higher-ups, or rather, the ’partners.’

"From the moment you accepted this appointment, Allen, you were no longer working for the Association. You became a part of the Association itself. You have the authority to mobilize all administrative personnel within your jurisdiction, and you are qualified to participate in the pioneering of new Planes and the distribution of their profits... Simply put," he said with a faint smile, "you are finally qualified to sit at the card table, rather than watching others play from the sidelines."

Allen picked up his wine glass and gently swirled it, remaining silent.

These words were almost identical to what Eleanor had told him back then, but coming from a veteran Morning Star and the head of a department, they carried a completely different weight.

"Of course, once you’re at the table, you have to follow the rules of the table and bear the risk of losing," Hercules said, leaning back into the sofa. "Our department is responsible for handling those troubles ’above the table.’"

"How troublesome?" Allen took a sip of the dark red liquid. A searing yet pure energy instantly surged through his limbs and bones.

"Actually... not very."

Hercules spread his hands, his tone turning somewhat lazy. "The ’anomalies’ that can truly threaten the foundation of Wizards, like the Mechanical Realm you encountered before, are naturally headaches for the President and those old monsters at the Gate of Truth. Us? We only deal with the scraps."

He casually swiped his hand through the air, opening a light screen that listed the department’s mission records from the past century.

[...Dispose of the high-dimensional memetic pollution source that infiltrated the G-312 Agricultural Plane.]

[...Hunt down a Second-level Wizard of the Chaos Sect who escaped from the ’Forbidden Knowledge Supervision Institute’.]

[...Investigate the anomalous awakening incident of the indigenous gods in the M-884 Mining Plane.]

The mission list was long, but without exception, the highest risk level never exceeded Rank A.

"See? Most of the time, we’re just scavengers. We clean up the trash that slips through the big shots’ fingers, or deal with sudden situations that the subordinate Planes can’t handle themselves."

Hercules shrugged. "Therefore, our department doesn’t have many people. Aside from you and me, there are only three Dawn Star Level ’Special Consultants.’ They are out in the field year-round, and unless they receive a mandatory draft order, you basically won’t see them. The rest are twelve rapid-response squads led by Second-level Wizards. They are ’administrative personnel’ directly under our command, but the highest combat power in the department will always be the two of us."

A single phrase flashed through Allen’s mind: a retirement department.

No, more accurately, a perfect platform with high authority and prestige, entirely free from the pressure of KPIs.

"I understand." Allen set down his wine glass, a perfectly measured smile gracing his face. "It seems I’ll be having quite a leisurely time in the future."

"Enjoy it to your heart’s content, Mr. Deputy Minister," Hercules said, standing up. "Your permissions have been fully activated. Now, this is your territory as well."

With that, he turned around and walked back toward the massive heart on his own accord, seemingly having lost all interest in further conversation with his new colleague.

Allen watched his retreating back and didn’t say another word.

He walked behind the massive black wooden desk and sat down, lightly tapping his finger on the desktop.

A light screen visible only to him unfolded before his eyes; it was the Association’s internal system.

His identity tag had changed to [Anomaly Threat Response Department - Deputy Minister - Allen Wesren], and his permission level was Dawn Star Level (High).

Those previously grayed-out, unclickable options were now all displayed as accessible.

His fingers precisely typed a long-dusty serial number into the search bar.

[BR-0931]

Power was the key to prying open all secrets.

The light screen refreshed, and the file regarding that mandatory mission which had driven him into a desperate corner resurfaced before his eyes.

Just like the last time he queried it, core information such as the mission’s issuance process and its original initiator was still covered by a lock icon.

But this time, right next to that lock, a brand-new option had appeared.

[Submit an application to view as ’Deputy Minister of the Anomaly Threat Response Department’.]

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