Chapter 1395: Chapter 1237: Seizing the Underworld Division! (Part 2)
"As long as I have a job, work makes me happy."
"..."
Sure, you’re happy, but I’m damn not happy!
Having been dumbfounded by the Graveyard Dominator’s phrase "work makes me happy," the unlucky middle-aged man with the misfortune of working for a dominator-level workaholic finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and said through clenched teeth:
"Lyle... that’s a bit much to say, no matter how you slice it, work is still work, and you..."
"No, this is not just any work."
Looking at the operational model and sketchy framework of the entire branch of the underworld that he painstakingly sorted out over two months, the Graveyard Dominator, with a hint of intoxication in his eyes, murmured:
"This is an unprecedented concept, an art of death."
"???
"Haven’t you noticed? Lord Food God’s arrangement of the entire branch of the underworld embodies a philosophy different from everyone else’s. He is gradually breaking everyone’s preconceived notions of death."
With dry, bony fingertips gently stroking the somewhat coarse papers of the dossier, the Graveyard Dominator couldn’t help but sigh:
"The end, fear, withering, decay, stripping everything of its existence, the ultimate punishment for the living... these are almost all shared perceptions of death among sentient beings, no matter what race or plane they are in, the understanding of death is entirely the same.
Although death is an inescapable part of the world, and without the presence and correction of death, everything would head towards a larger collapse, it is vehemently resisted and excluded by all life, remaining tangential to all roots.
Yet in this place, everything becomes different!"
Glancing outside the door, the Graveyard Dominator, with eyes full of emotion, said to the middle-aged man, who was somewhat bewildered:
"Even the dominator of death roots sees death only as a ’necessary end’, but Lord Food God truly embraces the presence of death, attempting to reintegrate it with other roots.
In his view, death might be like falling leaves, not the decay and elimination of life, but a stage that the living must go through, a prelude to nurturing the next life, the beginning of another great adventure.
Perhaps in the understanding of death, Lord Food God has it more correct."
"..."
Wow, this young man... this old guy, why does he suddenly start flattering?
After listening to the long-winded speech of the Graveyard Dominator in bewilderment, the vice judge, who just wanted to get off work early, smacked his lips. He was about to chime in with a few words of allegiance to the underworld branch when suddenly he heard a somewhat familiar voice from outside the door, sounding like...
"You’re too kind."
Having listened to the sigh of the Graveyard Dominator from outside, Leon, knowing he had likely been discovered, took the initiative to push the door open and walk in, cautiously glancing in the direction of the "dried-up old man."
"When arranging the underworld branch, I just thought that since the Realm of the Dead exists, it must have its reasons. While it might not be ideal, it shouldn’t be entirely dismissed, so I made some small adjustments according to my own ideas. I didn’t really think that much into it."
"That makes it all the more remarkable."
Seeing that Leon, who came in, didn’t immediately lash out or shout angrily, the Graveyard Dominator couldn’t help but secretly let out a sigh of relief. He then spread a smile across his lips:
"When I first came over here, I thought this chaotic world of death was a contamination and desecration of death, which should exist independently of everything else, an inviolable absolute pure land.
However, reality has told me that my thoughts were wrong. Death is intrinsically a part of the world, and trying to separate it out is laughable, like taking fish out of water.
And Lord Food God, who isn’t even deceased, but simply relying on some kind of almost instinctual feeling, has achieved more than me, the Graveyard Dominator, setting up a branch of the underworld that’s truly opened my eyes, and it is indeed admirable."
"Um... you’re overpraising..."
Before coming to meet the Graveyard Dominator, Leon had prepared a vast number of countermeasures in advance, anticipating nearly every possibility, yet he didn’t anticipate that instead of a confrontation, he’d end up receiving rounds of praise.
Feeling somewhat out of place, after exchanging a few polite words, having completed a harmonious round of mutual back-patting, Leon, not quite grasping the Graveyard Dominator’s intention, decisively abandoned further pleasantries and opted to cut to the chase:
"Lord Graveyard Dominator, may I ask what’s your intention for suddenly visiting the living realm and joining the underworld branch for an investigation?"
"I wouldn’t say intention."
Although working in the underworld branch for a while had given him a much-improved impression of Leon, having once witnessed the fate of the Dream Resting Master, and seeing Leon’s ways, worrying that he might not be as easygoing as he seemed, the Graveyard Dominator cautiously opened his mouth:
"I just discovered that the death root has been... affected, subtly shifting, no longer as pure as it once was, even beginning to lean towards the underworld branch, so I wanted to come over to investigate the situation a bit.
Lord Food God, as a root remnant, you should know how significant it is for us when our roots are compromised, right?"
Indeed, this was the attitude the Graveyard Dominator should have.
Upon hearing the Graveyard Dominator’s rhetorical question and looking at his bluish, dry face, Leon’s back couldn’t help but tense slightly, knowing that the most troublesome situation had indeed emerged.
The earlier compliments and sighs, even if not false, were at most just the opening act of this negotiation, with the real issue inevitably centering around the roots.
No matter how nicely the Graveyard Dominator phrased it, he was ultimately a root remnant, deeply tied to the death roots, which were absolutely inviolable to him.
At present, the underworld branch he had established disrupted the originally pure death root, causing a certain level of "contamination," even subtly suggesting that "death’s orthodoxy resides in the underworld," something the Graveyard Dominator surely could not accept.
So after what seemed like a warm opening, the Graveyard Dominator, who had irreconcilable differences with him, would likely make demands, either asking to hand over the underworld branch or straightforwardly demanding to "eliminate" the influence, thus...
"So?"
Taking a deep breath, Leon, ready for a negotiation breakdown leading to action, squinted and asked:
"What do you ultimately intend to do?"
"I plan to move the Graveyard over."
It’s over! He actually plans to move... Huh? What are you planning to do?!?!
"Lord Food God, this is my plan."
Afraid that the ’violent’, ’ruthless’, ’crafty and suspicious’ Leon might doubt his motives, the Graveyard Dominator brushed away the already somewhat dumbfounded vice judge to the side, stood up, and faced Leon, explaining with a serious look:
"Though the death represented by your underworld branch isn’t quite pure, in terms of utilizing the death root, it surpasses my Graveyard.
Compared to the painful and inefficient approach of the Graveyard, the arrangements and handling of the deceased in the underworld branch are already quite mature, so I hope to move the entire Graveyard over and gradually transfer the deceased accepted by the Graveyard to the underworld branch.
My Graveyard is currently responsible for receiving all the deceased from the Old Soil. If, after a trial, the underworld branch is capable of taking over this role, I hope we could completely integrate both, and I would serve as the director of this unified underworld branch."
"?!!!"
"Of course, even if I become the director of the underworld branch, you would still be the one truly in control of it. The integrated underworld branch could still be bound by the clearing bureau’s constraints.
Although the cooperation centers around you, as the director of the underworld branch, I need to have a degree of advisory authority and, when you have major measures, you need to inform and consult me..."
After briefly outlining some of his demands, seeing Leon’s expressionless (mainly because he didn’t know what expression to make) face, the Graveyard Dominator slightly clenched his fist and nervously proposed:
"Regarding the root issue... I think we don’t necessarily need to be adversaries. We can completely call that donkey over and, under its witness, conduct an exchange, mutually consolidating the roots of life and death.
Moreover, as the proposer of this cooperation and as a price for utilizing the existing structure of the underworld branch, I’m willing to pay a bit extra -- offering two parts of the death roots from the Graveyard in exchange for one part of the ’living’ roots from the real world. What do you think?"
"..."
"Three parts!"
Seeing Leon, silent across from him, the Graveyard Dominator bit his lip and, after some hesitation, raised three skinny fingers.
"Three for one! That’s the final line, really can’t do more!"
