Chapter 1 The Excited Newbie

Hao Ren curiously examined the small, silver-white device in his hand, his heart filled with excitement and confusion.

It was a device only the size of his palm, with a silvery-white metallic luster. Yet, it didn't feel cold to the touch, but warm and smooth, unlike common metals on Earth. The device was a perfect hexagon, only a few centimeters thick at its thickest point. On its surface, blue and white light flowed and pulsed slowly, as if a living thing was breathing. Hao Ren curiously stroked the surface of this "metal plate," and the hexagonal area in the center immediately lit up. Then, a holographic image suddenly appeared in the air – startling him!

Hao Ren barely managed to avoid throwing away his first month's paycheck. He gripped the metal plate, staring fixedly at the holographic image above it. The image showed a blue, cross-shaped emblem composed of four crystals slowly rotating against a chaotic black background. Below the projection was a line of Chinese characters: Space-Time Administration – en35 Node – World Az655 – Universal Data Terminal. Current operator authenticated. Device standby.

"Full Chinese interface, idiot-proof operation, even a newbie can master it," said Raven 12345, pointing a finger at the "data terminal" in Hao Ren's hand, drawing his attention. "Here's your job description, an introduction to the Imperial Space-Time Administration, and basic Imperial intelligence. There's also information about the macro-world, space-time channels, world-gate codes, authorization procedures, supply distribution lists, support request agreements, and other things you need to learn. It's too much trouble for me to explain all this, so you can read it yourself. Take your time to learn, and after you've memorized all this… well, you should have completed the first stage of your apprenticeship, and then you can enter the second stage…"

Hao Ren was immediately filled with pessimism about his future life. Heaven help him, he had finally graduated from school, and now it felt like he was back in his student days?!

"What's this? How do I use this thing?" Hao Ren temporarily put aside the possible misery of his future studies and curiously pointed at the blue cross emblem on the holographic image. Although he didn't know what it was, he felt it must be very important – because Raven 12345's mansion often displayed this blue emblem, and even some of the magical servants bore this symbol. He reached out and poked at the holographic image a couple of times, but his fingers passed right through it. It wasn't like he could control it by touching the image.

Raven 12345's expression suddenly became extremely serious, startling Hao Ren. He couldn't imagine that this irresponsible and abnormal "goddess" could have such a solemn moment. Raven 12345 stared into Hao Ren's eyes, as if trying to pierce her thoughts directly into his brain: "This is the emblem of the Xi Ling military, the symbol of the Empire, the mark of the Xi Ling civilization. It represents the Empire. You're a newbie, so you probably don't understand the significance of this mark yet, but just remember that it is extraordinary. In the entire void, countless races live under the protection of this emblem, and countless warriors fight under its guidance."

Hao Ren listened in a daze. Raven, seeing this, slapped her forehead: "Hey, why am I telling you this so early? Anyway, just remember that no matter how dangerous the place you go to, no matter how complex the situation you encounter, as long as you see this emblem, you've found family, understand?"

Hao Ren understood this time, nodding vigorously: "Then how do I use this thing?"

"Just put your hand on any of the prism faces and control it with your mind. It will automatically judge your confirmation command, so there won't be any misoperations," Raven guided Hao Ren on how to start the small device. "Of course, you might need some time to get used to it at first, since it reacts very quickly and is almost as intelligent as you are, so it will automatically do some things for you. Sometimes you might mistakenly think you've messed something up, but it's okay. Now, try starting the main system and tell it that you're a newbie."

Hao Ren listened with wide eyes, his mind only repeating one sentence: Wow, this is high-tech!

"Didn't you say the Xi Ling apostles were gods? How come gods use such high-tech gadgets… are gods on a technology path?" Hao Ren muttered, focusing his attention awkwardly to communicate with the "metal plate" in his hand. Raven 12345 answered his question: "Is there a difference between technology and magic? The Xi Ling pantheon has been developing both routes from the beginning, using whatever works best. They're all tools to control the present world. If you threw this thing in your hand to some uncivilized civilization, it would be a divine artifact. But come to think of it, I'm not very good at these technological products. I prefer mystical creations, but unfortunately, you can't use those."

Hao Ren couldn't be bothered to listen to what Raven 12345 was saying, because he had successfully started the little data terminal!

A series of images flashed quickly on the holographic projection, appearing chaotic, but Hao Ren didn't feel lost or unable to understand at all. The speed at which these images refreshed and switched perfectly matched his comprehension. It seemed that the data terminal could scan the human brain and then push new information based on the brain's real-time working state. Hao Ren's eyes moved quickly across the holographic image. The most important information he needed was always right in the center of his vision, and whenever he wanted to know something new, he didn't even have to give any specific commands. The images on the holographic projection would switch accordingly, allowing him to obtain new information in the most efficient way possible. At first, Hao Ren thought he probably couldn't handle such an advanced device, but he quickly realized something: for a civilization so powerful that it could walk sideways in the multiverse, creating a simple and easy-to-use gadget was not a problem at all, just like humans could create a feeding machine that even chimpanzees and pet dogs could use. When technology reaches perfection, its use becomes simpler and simpler. Complex things are all packaged in places that the user can't see.

For example, Hao Ren was sure that if he disassembled the small device in his hand, probably no one on Earth could put it back together…

"This… what does 'request support' mean?" Hao Ren suddenly saw a very concerning word in a series of quickly refreshing information. Without him giving any command, the item that aroused his curiosity automatically stopped in the center of his vision. Then, a large amount of accompanying pictures and video information appeared on the holographic image: various images that looked like weapons and equipment, soldiers in formation, charts that he couldn't understand for the time being, all neatly arranged in front of him. However, all of these things were gray.

"You thought the inspector was a lone ranger? That all you have to do is take care of the abnormal creatures freeloading off your home?" Raven 12345 shrugged. "You'll know when you become a full member. The work that inspectors usually handle is complex. What if I sent you to Centaurus to quell a rebellion? What if I sent you to the Scorpion Tail Nebula for military mediation? That's when requesting support and armed protocols come in handy. You can choose these things when you're about to be beaten to death – of course, they all require corresponding permissions, and permissions require various strict assessments. We can't give killing things to a mentally unstable recruit, even though those things are basically harmless civilian goods in our eyes… well, civilian goods thrown at your planet are still enough to cause four or five ice ages."

Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat. Although he hadn't had time to finish reading the "Inspector's Handbook" and the "Space-Time Administration's Work Outline," he heard something very serious from Raven 12345's words… this job seemed to be life-threatening!

Hao Ren opened his mouth: "I now…"

"Can't resign," Raven 12345 chuckled. "Even if you die, your soul will still be on my attendance sheet. I'll give you a new body, and you'll have to continue working. It's not easy for me to recruit a new employee. You think you can run away?"

Hao Ren: "…"

"Don't make that face," Raven 12345 teleported to Hao Ren's side in an instant, startling him, and then patted him on the shoulder. "I never bluff. You'll soon know that this is an opportunity that ordinary people can only dream of. As long as you don't do anything stupid, you can basically live to… well, a long time. After all, inspectors aren't military personnel. There aren't so many big battles that you auxiliary police have to go to every day."

Hao Ren tried to speak several times, but was choked back by this charismatic white-haired witch. In the end, he could only force a smile and stuff the data terminal into his pocket. There were too many things to look at, and it was obviously not realistic to look at them here. He decided to go home and study them slowly.

"Then let's talk about that nightmare," Hao Ren said resignedly, sitting down on the chair. "I think you're hiding something from me. I'm honest, but that doesn't mean you can bully me at will. You should at least tell me more so I can sleep peacefully."

Raven 12345 glanced at Hao Ren and finally sighed helplessly: "Okay, okay, you're also a stubborn person. Then I'll tell you some of what I can say."