Chapter 108: The Journey Beyond the Bureau
š Act I: A Door Opens
Ne Job was cataloguing scrolls when Twinkle buzzed urgently.
A door appeared in the Grand Hall ā shimmering, pulsing, and unfamiliar.
Ao Bing frowned. "That's not a Bureau door."
Taiyi Zhenren muttered, "Unprofessional."
Lord Xian appeared, grave.
> "Interns, the Mask of Misrule has fled into the mortal world. You must follow. The Bureau's miracles are at risk."
---
š§ Act II: The Villains' Plot
The Bureau of Misrule had escaped through the door.
Their plan: corrupt mortal hopes and fears, twisting everyday miracles into chaos.
- Laughter turned into mockery.
- Patience turned into stagnation.
- Courage turned into recklessness.
Ao Bing grinned nervously. "We're going outside!"
Taiyi Zhenren frowned. "Dangerous."
Ne Job whispered, "We must protect the mortal world."
Twinkle pulsed softly.
---
š Act III: The Mortal World
The interns stepped through the door.
They found themselves in a bustling town ā children laughing, merchants shouting, bells ringing.
But something was wrong.
Laughter sounded cruel.
Patience felt heavy.
Courage seemed reckless.
Ao Bing stumbled.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted the confusion.
Glimmer cried softly.
Ne Job whispered, "The Mask of Misrule is here."
Twinkle hummed faintly.
---
š§µ Act IV: The Confrontation
The Mask of Misrule appeared in the marketplace.
His cracked mask shimmered with cruel laughter.
He hissed:
> "Mortals are easy to corrupt. Their miracles are fragile."
Ao Bing hurled thunderfruit sparks.
Taiyi Zhenren annotated his tricks.
Glimmer giggled, distracting him.
Ne Job unrolled Miracle #370-S ā the Siege of the Bureau.
The scroll pulsed.
Unity resonated.
The marketplace glowed.
Mortals felt hope again.
The Mask faltered.
His disguise cracked further.
---
š Act V: The Resolution
The Mask fled into the shadows.
His voice echoed:
> "You may win today. But masks always return."
Ao Bing tossed confetti.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted the silence.
Glimmer hugged Ne Job.
Twinkle hummed triumphantly.
Lord Xian's voice echoed through the door:
> "Intern Ne Job, you have defended the mortal world against the Mask of Misrule. Well done."
---
š Epilogue: A New Registry Entry
The next morning, a new entry appeared in the Miracle Registry:
> Miracle #380-J: The Journey Beyond the Bureau
> Status: Defended, triumphant, unresolved.
> Effect: Teaches that miracles must be protected in every world. Activated through courage and unity.
Ne Job added a note:
> "Some miracles are not confined to the Bureau. They live wherever hope is needed."
Twinkle hummed.
And somewhere in the mortal world, shadows lingered ā but the interns were ready.