The news that the black boxes weren't working traveled up through the ranks. Once the truly important figures received it, they issued orders.
For a time, the experts working hard to summon souls in the four imperial regions worked even harder.
"Shake the Soul-Summoning Banners a few more times."
"The master said we're not shaking hard enough or summoning enough things."
Some experts grumbled, "I grew over a hundred arms to shake them day and night, without rest."
"And now I have to shake even harder?"
"Are they forcing me to grow a thousand arms?"
"Why can't the great master show us a little consideration?"
The other experts sighed. "Bear with it. Finish summoning the souls as soon as possible and stockpile more strange things."
"Once the assignment's done, we can rest."
The expert smiled bitterly. "You said that on my last assignment, and the assignment before that."
"But every time an assignment ends, we have to start the next one immediately."
"Three thousand years. In these three thousand years, I haven't rested for a moment or gone home even once."
"In three thousand years, my wife has borne me three thousand descendants."
"I haven't seen a single one."
"I don't even know whether they'll recognize me when I go back!"
The expert leading the team consoled him. "It's only been three thousand years. I haven't been home in nine thousand!"
"For nine thousand years, I've led teams rushing day and night from one assignment to another, building one forbidden zone after another."
"But I've never rested."
"You'll get used to it."
The expert hesitated, then asked curiously, "Wait, big brother, that isn't right. I remember you didn't have anyone under you when we first arrived."
"Could you have been doing all the assignments yourself before?"
The other experts were