1. Oversight Does Not Knock
Oversight arrived without sound.
No footsteps.
No doors opening.
No dramatic lighting.
One moment, the Archive corridor existed.
The next, it was being observed.
Ne Job felt it first—like someone reading his browser history in real time.
"…Why do I suddenly feel guilty for things I haven't done yet?"
Yue froze. "Don't move."
Qi-Yun stopped walking.
That was when the shadows rearranged themselves into straight lines.
2. The Overseer Manifests (Minimalist, Maximum Threat)
A figure stepped out of negative space.
No robe. No aura. No ornamentation.
Just a tall silhouette outlined in clean white margins, as if reality itself had been neatly cropped around them.
A badge hovered near their shoulder:
OVERSIGHT
Division: Consistency
Rank: Unspecified (Higher Than Comfortable)
Ne Job squinted. "…You look like a terms-and-conditions page."
The figure tilted their head.
"That is not incorrect."
Yue inhaled sharply.
Qi-Yun bowed—not deeply, but precisely.
"Oversight."
3. Oversight Reviews the Intern (Silently, Which Is Worse)
Oversight's gaze fell on Ne Job.
Ne Job felt layers peel.
Not physically.
Conceptually.
His intern badge flickered.
His status tags jittered.
Somewhere, a warning chimed and immediately muted itself out of fear.
SCANNING…
– Authority Drift: Detected
– Clause Abuse: Confirmed
– System Hesitation: Increasing
– Probability of Cascade Failure: Rising
Ne Job swallowed. "…Am I… in trouble?"
Oversight did not answer.
Instead, they turned to Yue.
"You continue to enable."
Yue straightened. "He is under my supervision."
"Your supervision has failed to limit impact."
Yue's jaw clenched. "Or perhaps your metrics are outdated."
Oversight paused.
That pause lasted 0.7 seconds.
Which was an eternity.
4. Qi-Yun Speaks the Uncomfortable Truth
"He is not a bug," Qi-Yun said calmly. "He is feedback."
Oversight turned.
"Feedback is processed, not embodied."
Qi-Yun met their gaze evenly.
"Not when the system refuses to listen."
The Archive flickered.
Ne Job whispered, "…Did my mentor just sass Oversight?"
Yue hissed, "Yes. Pray."
5. Oversight Asks the Question It Hates Most
Oversight returned their attention to Ne Job.
"Active Variable," they said. "State your intent."
Ne Job froze.
Every instinct screamed say nothing.
But that had never worked before.
"I want…"
He hesitated.
"…rules to stop hurting people."
Silence.
"That is not a function," Oversight replied.
Ne Job's voice shook. "Then why do rules exist at all?"
The corridor warped slightly.
Qi-Yun closed his eyes.
Yue held her breath.
Oversight stared at Ne Job for a long, long time.
6. Temporary Judgment (The Worst Kind)
"At present," Oversight said, "you do not meet criteria for removal."
Ne Job sagged in relief.
"But—"
There it was.
"You exceed tolerance thresholds."
A symbol burned into the air between them:
OVERSIGHT FLAG APPLIED
Monitoring Level: Continuous
Intervention Authority: Pending
Yue swore under her breath.
Qi-Yun's expression hardened.
Ne Job blinked. "…Is that like probation?"
Oversight considered.
"Yes," they said. "If probation had teeth."
7. A Warning Disguised as Advice
Oversight leaned closer.
"Understand this," they said quietly. "You are not dangerous because you are powerful."
Ne Job nodded.
"You are dangerous," Oversight continued, "because the system listens to you."
Ne Job's throat tightened.
"If that continues," Oversight finished, "corrections will no longer be optional."
They stepped back.
The lines dissolved.
The corridor breathed again.
Oversight vanished.
8. Aftermath (Everyone Is Very Tired)
Ne Job sat down hard.
"…I think I just got noticed by God's HR department."
Yue sat beside him, shaking. "You were noticed by something older."
Qi-Yun looked down at Ne Job.
"From now on," he said, "everything you do will matter more."
Ne Job groaned. "That's the opposite of comforting."
Qi-Yun allowed a thin smile.
"Welcome to relevance."
Far above them, unseen processes adjusted.
Oversight did not act.
Not yet.
But it watched.
END OF CHAPTER 279