Boundless Chronicles

Chapter 5: The Iron Tomb, IV

The white administrative light hummed with a low, heavy vibration that rattled the teeth.

Noël Stopped walking. Elara bumped directly into his shoulder, gasping as she peered around him into the glare.

"W-What is that? Is it another monster?"

"No," Noël Said.

In the first place, regional inspectors didn't Smell like ozone and Scorched Copper.

The silhouette inside the light Shifted. As the glare parted, a tall man wearing the Slate-grey Coat of a Bureau Inspector Stepped out onto the grating. His face was entirely blank, Stripped of expression by Standard Codex neural dampeners. He held a heavy parchment dossier in one hand.

[The Gallery-being 'The Auditor of Ash' leans forward, Smelling an audit.]

[The Gallery-being 'The Hollow Cartographer' marks this zone as a dead end.]

[200 Tributes have been granted.]

Noël Checked his interface.

[Current Tribute Possessed: 3,500]

[Current Fractures: 5 / 60]

The Inspector raised his right hand. A heavy iron Seal Stamped itself into the air between them, flashing in Crimson text.

[Sub Trial #3 – The Inspector's Audit]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: D+

Clear Conditions: Justify your current resource allocation to the Bureau.

Time Limit: 5 minutes.

Compensation: 1,000 Tributes.

Failure: Immediate Ledger freeze.

A Ledger freeze. If the Bureau locked Noël's Mnemonic Ledger, every Stat and Skill he had acquired since entering the tomb would be repossessed, dropping him back to absolute zero.

The Inspector opened the dossier and opened his mouth.

"Laborer Noël. Designation: Void-Weaver. You have accumulated three thousand five hundred Tributes within two Sectors through irregular Channel exploitation."

His voice Sounded like two gravestones grinding together.

"How do you plead?"

Elara Clutched Noël's Sleeve, her hands trembling violently. "Noël... What is he talking about? What's going on?"

"Quiet," Noël muttered.

His mind became Complicated. In the sixth timeline, this audit didn't happen until the fifth Sector. The timeline drift was accelerating because of Soren Vael's interference upstream.

Noël looked at the Inspector and made a slightly Complicated expression.

"Irregular exploitation? To be exact, every piece of Tribute was acquired in accordance with Section 12 of the Penal Labor Codex."

"Section 12 governs Standard monster subjugation," the Inspector replied flatly, not moving a muscle. "It does not Cover short-Circuiting Coolant Systems, blackmailing junior Registrar-spirits, or weaponizing acoustic resonance against trial Structures."

[The Gallery-being 'Crowned Ember' howls with laughter.]

[300 Tributes have been granted.]

5,000 Tribute total. The Gallery was thoroughly entertained, but the Inspector was immune to audience Sentiment. Bureau Inspectors operated on pure Code, not viewer ratings.

Noël firmly planted his feet.

"Show me the Clause that explicitly forbids Structural problem-solving."

The Inspector's eyes flickered with a Cold blue digital light.

"Clause 88: Any mortal who alters a trial environment outside of designated Combat parameters is subject to immediate Ledger forfeiture."

He didn't give Noël time to respond.

Hwiiik!

The heavy dossier Swung downward like a Cleaver, Cutting through the air with terrifying Speed.

Noël's physique was Lv. 10. His agility was Lv. 18. But the Inspector was a mid-tier Bureau enforcer Scaled Specifically to Catch rule-breakers.

Noël threw himself Sideways, dragging Elara down with him onto the grating.

Kwaaaaang!

The dossier slammed into the Steel floor where they had been Standing, Sending a Shockwave of white light rippling through the Corridor. The metal plates Shrieked and buckled.

"Aaaagh!" Elara Screamed, Covering her ears.

Noël didn't hesitate. He unhooked the rusted iron pipe from his belt, the same pipe he had Carried since the first Sector, and jammed it upward into the Inspector's open dossier Casing.

In the Second timeline, a Clever rogue had used a physical impurity to jam the logic gates of a Bureau proxy.

Kakakang!

The pipe Scraped hard against the internal Copper wiring.

Sparks erupted in a blinding Cascade of blue and white light.

Chiiiik!

The Inspector's movements Stuttered. His blank face twitched once, twice, as an error message flashed across his eyes.

[Warning: Administrative logic loop detected.]

[Processing error at sector address 0049.]

Noël gripped the pipe tightly and twisted it violently.

Kwajijijik!

The internal registry mechanism Shattered. The Inspector froze mid-Swing, his Slate-grey Coat dissolving into a Cloud of harmless digital ash.

[You have Cleared the Inspector's Audit through hardware disruption.]

[You have received 1,000 Tributes in Compensation.]

[You have earned 2,000 Tributes as an achievement reward.]

A total of 6,500 Tributes. Noël's Codex interface lit up with blinding intensity.

[Tribute Possessed: 6,500]

He Stood up and brushed the soot off his knees. His breathing was Steady, though his head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache.

[Your overall Combat rating has been upgraded from Tier 0 (Qualified Laborer) to Tier 1 (Initiate Wanderer).]

[The Mnemonic Ledger has Stabilized at 5 Fractures.]

Elara stared at him from the floor, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief. "You... you just fought a Bureau official. Are you insane?"

Noël looked down at her and made a blank expression.

"We are moving. The time limit isn't over yet."

Shortly afterward, Tally floated down from the ceiling, looking paler than usual. The Clerk-Spirit's Ledger was shaking violently in his translucent hands.

[Noël! Have you lost your mind? That wasn't just any auditor! That was a direct proxy of the Central Administration Bureau!]

"Tell the Bureau to update their Clauses," Noël Said.

Tally made a dumbfounded expression, opening and Closing his mouth Several times without finding a Single word.

Ahead of them, the final heavy door of the Iron Tomb Swung open, revealing the bright, harsh Sunlight of the Surface world.

Noël Stepped through the threshold, gripping the rusted pipe. The real trial was just about to begin.