Digesting [Gravekeeper], the Attack of the "Tomb Raiders" (5k5)

Digesting [Gravekeeper], the Attack of the "Tomb Raiders" (5k5)

"Gravekeeper?"

Xia Zhi was clearly taken aback on the other end of the phone. "We're Discipline Patrol. We have to work in the field. What cemetery does the Patrol Bureau have for you to play this kind of role-playing—"

Ron refused to give up and pressed on:

"Actually, Corpse Person would work too. Doesn't the forensics department have Corpse People?"

"...What do you think the Patrol Bureau is?"

Xia Zhi was speechless.

"Although we do have them, I didn't bring you into the Patrol Bureau so you could stitch up corpses—"

I didn't want to stitch up corpses either, but the Acting Method was the only way to digest Potions.

Ron was helpless too. He said earnestly, "Sister Xia Zhi, this job would be really useful to me. Help me out?"

Really useful? What use could that possibly have?

Xia Zhi was very curious, but it was Ron's privacy. Maybe it was some personal hobby, so after thinking it over, she decided not to ask.

"Even if I wanted to help you, you're only a high school graduate—"

She was clearly hesitant, but considering Ron's serious attitude, she finally sighed.

"The forensics department really is short-handed. Fine, come to the Patrol Bureau first. We'll talk when we meet."

The forensics department was short-handed?

That meant there was a chance!

Hearing that, Ron immediately smiled.

"I'll be there right away!"

After saying that, he hung up and hurried downstairs. To get to the Patrol Bureau faster, he even paid extra to hire a hovercar.

After leaving that high school last time, because he wanted to visit the Potion Era as soon as possible, Ron had not returned to District B or the luxury apartment Heavenly Hearing Video had arranged for him. Instead, he had decided to spend the night in his shabby apartment in District D.

It seemed that had been the right choice. Otherwise, he would have had to race through the skies in a hovercar for seven or eight hours just to get back to District D.

Traffic in District D was congested, but perhaps because Ron had paid extra, the driver gripped the steering wheel as if he had been injected with stimulants.

Muttering about mortgages and car loans, he floored the accelerator, looking as though he wanted to take three hundred fares a day and pay off every debt, then sped the hovercar straight to the entrance of the District D Central Patrol Bureau.

...I can't ever become like that.

Thinking of the student loan he had only just paid off, along with the several hundred thousand credit points he still had on hand, Ron reaffirmed his conviction.

Although he now appeared to be a top-tier Superpowered specially invested in by Heavenly Hearing Media, a promising contender for Prometheus Authority, with Heavenly Hearing Media spending tens of millions on him, Ron knew it was only temporary glory.

If he ultimately failed to obtain Authority, Ron did not think he would end up any better than that driver. He got out of the car and stood once more before the District D Central Patrol Bureau in Ideal City.

Compared to the deserted scene when he came late at night last time, the Patrol Bureau was much livelier early in the morning. Scattered civilians could clearly be seen coming and going, obviously there to handle various matters.

The familiar black furry mascot stood at the entrance, welcoming and seeing off visitors like the star greeter outside some shopping mall—

—

Ron personally saw several fashionably dressed female high school students who had merely been passing by, only for Woof Woof Officer to run up to them. They gathered around it and snapped a whole bunch of photos in rapid succession.

After they finished taking pictures, Woof Woof Officer seemingly performed a magic trick, pulling a fluffy doll from the belt of its mascot costume before launching into an enthusiastic sales pitch.

The girls actually bought into the recommendation, cheerfully scanned to pay, then left smiling, carrying, hugging, or clutching their dolls...

Are we still a law enforcement agency?

Why does this feel more like a shop selling doll merchandise? Ron was feeling rather disoriented when a voice beside him sighed.

"Well? Didn't I tell you Woof Woof Officer was popular?"

At some point, the visibly exhausted Xia Zhi had already walked over to his side.

"It's had a milestone-level effect on improving the image of our District D Central Patrol Bureau."

Ron had not noticed any improvement to its image, but in terms of generating revenue, it really had had a milestone-level effect.

Ron nodded in agreement and entered the Patrol Bureau with Xia Zhi.

As they entered the elevator, the familiar GG lit up inside. Ron skillfully ignored it and looked at Xia Zhi.

"Sister Xia Zhi, is there any chance with the corpse job?"

Xia Zhi sounded helpless. "Do you really want to deal with corpses that badly?"

"Of course!" Ron replied without hesitation. "If you can make me a Gravekeeper or a Corpse Person, I'll do anything!"

Xia Zhi felt rather frustrated. Ron was certainly a genius, and strong enough too, but why did he insist on joining the forensics department? Anyone could tell that it would affect his normal field assignments later!

Seeing the earnest look in Ron's eyes, she could only sigh.

"It's not like I'd make you do anything. It's just that work involving corpses has requirements. The forensics department is indeed short-handed right now, but you don't even have certification."

That was true.

Only then did Ron notice this blind spot.

Jobs like Gravekeeper probably had no real threshold. Ordinary people could take them on whenever they wanted, and no one would refuse a Superpowered like him.

But Corpse Person was different. An occupation that involved handling corpses needed professional certification no matter what. Within the Patrol Bureau, he might even have to assist with case assessments. As a high school graduate who had just finished the College Entrance Exam, he definitely could not obtain that job through standard procedures.

Ron still refused to give up.

"What about part-time work? The kind where I don't get paid. Would that work?"

"You can't ask me about that—"

As Xia Zhi spoke, the elevator doors opened, and she led Ron out.

"I can take you to the forensics department later. You can talk to Doctor Lin, the department head, about whatever you want to do. Right now—

"The most important thing is for you to meet the director with me."

"No matter how many part-time jobs you want, you have to join our C-112 team first—"

True enough. No matter how badly he wanted to find work in the forensics department, he had to complete his onboarding first.

Ron silently followed Xia Zhi to the director's office.

Knock, knock, knock.

Xia Zhi knocked softly on the door, and a listless male voice soon came from inside.

"Come in—"

They pushed open the door. The director's office was as plainly furnished as ever. A young man with graying hair sat behind the desk, the dark circles under his eyes painfully obvious as he yawned repeatedly.

Seeing them enter, he stretched and stood up.

"This is the new agent you're planning to invite with your captain's Authority? If I remember correctly, this should be your last application opportunity, right?"

As the young director spoke, his gaze shifted toward Ron. His eyes suddenly froze, and he was visibly stunned.

After a moment, he said blankly:

"...The top scorer of this year's College Entrance Exam? Xia Zhi, you actually have connections like this?"

"If he weren't the top scorer, I wouldn't have been willing to use my last captain's Authority."

The corners of Xia Zhi's lips visibly curled upward. Clearly, using Ron to stun the director gave her a secret sense of satisfaction.

"What do you think, Director? He's more than qualified to become a member of our District D Central Patrol Bureau, right?"

"More than qualified."

The young director rubbed his brow and looked at Ron, his tone somewhat weary.

"Heavenly Hearing Media—will they agree?"

It was one thing for him to know I was the top scorer of the College Entrance Exam, but he even knew about Heavenly Hearing Media's investment in me?

Ron was surprised, but he quickly understood.

Well, he was the director of the District D Central Patrol Bureau. Even in a slum like District D, that had to be a sufficiently high position...

For a big shot like him, learning about a megacorporation's recent investment plans would not be difficult—after all, Heavenly Hearing Media had not concealed its investment in Ron.

In fact, considering that Ron had a chance to obtain Prometheus Authority in the future, they were even preparing to build momentum for him once it was confirmed that he could become Lv.5, tying him to Heavenly Hearing Media's war chariot in the court of public opinion.

Ron nodded and said earnestly:

"The contract I signed with Heavenly Hearing Media places almost no restrictions on my personal freedom. They don't mind me taking part in any work, even positions at other megacorporations."

"Patrol Bureau work naturally isn't among the positions prohibited by the contract."

Then what was there left to say?

No contractual conflict, no restrictions, and a top-tier Superpowered destined to become Lv.4 in the future, perhaps even Lv.5—

Only a fool would reject a new agent like this!

The hesitation on the young director's face immediately vanished, replaced by a hearty smile.

"Then welcome to the District D Central Patrol Bureau—Artemis!"

A light screen popped up before the director in response. Ron was slightly stunned, then immediately realized what it was.

Artemis—one of Ideal City Central Intelligent Brain's twelve sectors?

Since Artemis was controlled by the Patrol Bureau, did that mean one of those eleven Lv.5s was within the Patrol Bureau system—

Would he have a chance to meet that person in the future?

Ron fell into thought as the young director opened the Patrol Bureau's Intelligent Brain system and called for Artemis's Authority support, immediately entering Ron into the Patrol Bureau agent roster.

"All right, your Authority information has been entered, and you've been added directly to C-112. Just wait for Logistics to finish your credentials and deliver them." While waiting for the credentials, he began praising Ron again. "When I gave you the Good Citizen Medal before, I already thought you were a genius. I never expected that once the winds and clouds gathered, you'd turn into a dragon and easily take first place in the College Entrance Exam."

Ron instinctively replied:

"Just luck, just luck. You became the director of the District D Central Patrol Bureau at such a young age. Now that's what you call exceptional—"

The two began exchanging commercial compliments. Before long, another Logistics agent came upstairs and delivered Ron's work ID.

Ron accepted it. The work ID was a badge bearing his identification photo and name, and it felt heavy in his hand.

"Here. Don't forget to wear it on your chest during missions. From now on, you're a Discipline Patrol officer, with law enforcement Authority in District D."

As the young director spoke, he pointed to Xia Zhi beside him.

"Captain Xia Zhi will show you around later and introduce the work of our Patrol Bureau—"

Then he turned to Xia Zhi. "Don't forget to take him to get equipment. Apply directly with his work ID, and Logistics will deliver it to you."

"I won't forget. Let's go!"

Xia Zhi waved and led Ron away at a brisk pace.

Soon, Xia Zhi brought him to Logistics, where he collected two sets of pure black work uniforms and a law enforcement recorder for him.

The Patrol Bureau uniforms were quite good. The fabric was smooth, breathable, and remarkably tough, with obvious protective properties.

Ron had never seen uniforms like these before. Even back in District B, when Kevin had bought out an entire clothing store for him, Ron did not remember seeing clothes that were both so light and so durable.

Perhaps it was special technology exclusive to the Patrol Bureau?

Military-grade gear really was far more advanced than civilian goods. Ron sighed inwardly, then followed Xia Zhi around the District D Central Patrol Bureau and gained a basic understanding of each department's responsibilities.

Only after she had explained almost everything did she lead Ron toward the forensics department, sighing helplessly.

"Normally, I should be taking you to meet your seniors now—the other members of C-112—but they've all taken leave and gone home—"

Xia Zhi shrugged as she spoke. "Yesterday's case kept us busy all night. When the director announced dismissal this morning, everyone went straight home to sleep. I'm the only one still awake because of you."

"Fortunately, because of yesterday's case, the entire C-112 team has two days off. The higher-ups won't assign us any missions. As for missions, points, and team matters, I can explain them later."

She yawned. "Right now, I'll take you to meet Doctor Lin in forensics, then I'm going home to sleep. Whether you can convince her and actually become some kind of Gravekeeper or Corpse Person is up to you."

Although Ron, like Xia Zhi, had not slept all night, he did not feel sleepy at all.

With his current loss-of-control level, how could he sleep?

To digest the Potion, Ron wished he could stay awake every second while doing both Gravekeeper and Corpse Person work, speedrunning the Potion's digestion—

But reality was obviously not that simple.

"Corpse work? No, no, no. How could we possibly let a child who has never studied this handle such work?"

Doctor Lin, who looked tired, had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and appeared to be in her forties, sternly refused Ron's request.

"Although the forensics department is indeed short-handed, we are nowhere near the point of letting a high school student who knows nothing come assist us."

"Is there really no way at all?" Ron still refused to give up. "Even if you just let me observe, I can learn on the spot. It would be fine if you let me try doing a little of the work!"

Seeing the exceptionally sincere look in Ron's eyes, Doctor Lin finally sighed helplessly.

"No. Before you obtain professional certification, I cannot agree to let an unrelated person like you enter the autopsy room, nor can I let you do any corpse work."

"However," she continued, changing the subject, "if you only want to be a 'Gravekeeper'—I have no objections."

"The morgue where corpses are stored is downstairs. Recently, all bodies related to the cases have been properly kept there."

"The elderly security guard on duty today suddenly quit. I was supposed to fill in for him, but after staying up all night, I was given two days off. I have no reason not to rest—"

As she spoke, she took out a key and handed it to Ron.

"Fill in for us and guard the underground morgue. No problem?"

Of course there was no problem.

Even though he could not play Corpse Person and directly begin digesting the Sequence Eight Potion, Ron was already satisfied to be able to play Gravekeeper.

You had to eat one bite at a time. Digesting the Gravekeeper Potion first better suited the gradual advancement philosophy of the Potion Sequence. Although Ron was only taking a part-time job as the underground morgue's guard and was not a pure Gravekeeper, it still counted, more or less, as playing a Gravekeeper—

After all, the handbook's explanation of the Acting Method said that one had to act, understand, and then become—

Who could say that acting imperfectly did not count as acting?

He took the key from Doctor Lin. Both she and Xia Zhi had clearly been exhausted by yesterday's case, and after casually saying goodbye, they hurried away.

Ron was happy to have some peace and quiet. He wandered around inside the Patrol Bureau a little longer, ate a casual meal, and then came to the first basement level.

The underground area of the Patrol Bureau was very quiet. Perhaps because of the underground morgue, Ron even felt an inexplicable chill down there.

He opened the underground morgue's guard room. The previous elderly guard had quit without even cleaning up much. His glass thermos was still on the desk, and Ron had no idea what had made him leave in such a hurry.

Ron tidied up the guard room a little. The moment he sat down and officially began work as the underground morgue's guard, a crisp notification sounded beside his ear:

["Setting: Acting Method" is dissolving the magical contamination contained within "Occupation: Gravekeeper."]

["Setting: Beyonder Loss of Control" is therefore reducing the loss-of-control level—]

[Loss of Control -0.01%]

It really worked!

Ron looked at the handbook excitedly, but the decrease in loss of control only appeared once every ten minutes or so. It was merely being shaved away bit by bit like water wearing down stone, and there was no telling when it would finally reach zero.

If this was how it worked, would I have to keep this part-time morgue guard job until the end of time? Was my acting not correct enough?

Could it be that I needed to do something more "Gravekeeper-like" to speed up the Potion's digestion?

Ron fell into thought, but exhaustion surged over him like a tide, making him unable to suppress a yawn.

After going too long without rest, once a person settled into such a peaceful environment, drowsiness would naturally creep in.

For the moment, he couldn't figure out how to properly play the role of a "Gravekeeper." He might as well take a short nap and rest; perhaps when he woke up, the answer would come to him.

Thinking this, Ron lay facedown on the desk in the guard room and fell into a deep sleep.

Who knew how long had passed when hurried footsteps suddenly rang out, jolting Ron awake.

He instinctively checked his phone and discovered that he had slept for quite a while. It was already nine at night.

What was going on? Who would come to the underground morgue at this hour?

Ron cautiously shifted behind the door, leaving only one eye exposed as he looked toward where the footsteps were coming from.

He heard a somewhat timid voice sound out not far away:

"B-Boss, this is the Patrol Bureau. Is it really okay to come to the Patrol Bureau to steal corpses?"

"What's the problem? The higher-ups already found a way to drive off all the patrol agents who could patrol this place. There's practically no danger at all."

Another impatient voice rang out. "If you're scared, then hurry up and get lost. That's one less person I have to split the money with."

Hearing this exchange, Ron immediately perked up.

Stealing corpses? Splitting the money?

Did that make them grave robbers?

The moment he thought of their profession, Ron couldn't help but feel something stir within him.

The Acting Method was the act of portraying and understanding what a Potion symbolized, with the goal of truly drawing close to and becoming that concept—then, if he stopped these two "grave robbers," wouldn't he become more like a true "Gravekeeper," further deepening his portrayal of a Gravekeeper?

At least at this moment, stopping the "grave robbers" was undoubtedly a duty a "Gravekeeper" ought to perform.

There was no difference between that and temporarily becoming a real Gravekeeper!

At that thought, his gaze instantly sharpened as he looked at the approaching pair, one fat and one thin.

What a stroke of luck. An opportunity to digest the [Gravekeeper] Potion had come right to him!