I! Cleaner!-Chapter 994 - 913: Sentimental Skins + Modernization

What is this...?

Looking at the deceased souls staggering forward in the gray mist filled with the aura of death, gazing into the thick fog to catch glimpses of the immense gateway behind it, the man with an axe embedded in the back of his head... the male soul stood frozen on the spot.

Dead? Am I already dead?!

He tried to recall the memories left before his death, remembering the enchanting singing voice, and the sudden whistle of the wind behind his ears, the man finally confirmed his current predicament and couldn't help but feel a wave of despair wash over him.

I must really be dead...

After the royal ship of the Kingdom of Saio was towed away some time ago, the area around the Sea of Shrouded Moon became a haven for sirens, and passing sailors often went mad from their songs, jumping ship and swimming towards the reefs to their deaths.

So he took on an assignment from his superior, bringing the "Mute Music Box" to drive away the siren colony. But halfway through the task, the ship's first mate went mad first, grabbing the big axe meant for cutting cables and started swinging it around wildly, right when he was distracted in manipulating the music box...

Damn it! Did I just die like that?

Resisting the pull of the Gate of the Deceased with a soul far superior in quality to ordinary souls, the man with the axe in his head couldn't help but hug his head, shouting with unwillingness in his eyes,

How could this happen? I was once a level two Cleaner who had gone through the promotion assessment with the Food God and returned alive! Yet I got chopped to death like this? And in such a stupid way? I... I...

"Hey you over there! What are you doing?"

Noticing this peculiar existence, within the two lines of black and white souls outside the Gate of the Deceased, a soul each walked out quickly, equipped with shackles, and rushed over briskly, reprimanding harshly: 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Get in quickly! The souls of the deceased cannot linger outside!"

"Move, move, move! Don't block the people behind! Otherwise, we'll have to lock you up!"

"..."

No... who are they again?

Looking at the strange souls in front of him wearing peculiar tall hats, holding clubs and shackles urging him to enter the Gate of the Deceased, the man's mind went a bit blank, then he asked, somewhat dumbfounded:

"Who are you guys? Didn't the Gate of the Deceased get managed by the Food God?"

This guy actually knows the Food God... is he a deceased Cleaner?

After listening to the man's curious inquiry, the attitude of the black and white souls softened slightly, then, seemingly a bit awkward as if unaccustomed, introduced themselves stiffly:

"We are Black... um... Temporarily Black and Temporarily White... I don't know why we're called this, but that's just what we're called. Currently, there's no Overlord of the Dead Realm guarding Ghost Gate, so we've been asked to maintain order here."

"Ghost Gate?"

"It's the former Gate of the Deceased."

Considering that the axe-head man was a Cleaner, the "Temporarily White" whose face was flaking white chalk explained softly, then pointed to the Gate of the Deceased shrouded in gray mist in the distance.

"Look, isn't it written up there?"

"?"

Following the pale finger of "Temporarily White" towards the Gate of the Deceased, the axe-head man couldn't help but gape with a bewildered look.

An enormous archway built of stone pillars had replaced the originally separated Gate of the Deceased, standing at this boundary between life and death.

And in the center of this strange structure of blue bricks, black tiles, and flying eaves on four corners, a gigantic rectangular plaque was nailed, with strange symbols that were probably supposed to be letters on it, emanating a faintly unsettling red glow.

"Those three symbols mean..."

"Ghost Gate, isn't there a translation below?"

There's a translation?

Momentarily stunned by the black and white soul's words, the axe-head man quickly squinted to look and verified that underneath the three symbols, indeed, there was a corresponding translation. However, before he could take a closer look, the two souls gave him a shove and urged somewhat impatiently:

"Hurry up, hurry up, you've stayed long enough already, even as a Cleaner you can't just block the way, quickly go in and register!"

"What? I still need to register even after dying?"

"Why are you asking me? This is what your Cleaning Bureau's Food... ahem... this is set by the higher-ups, we're just following orders... Hurry up, hurry up! Go register quickly, then you need to head to Huangquan Road."

"Huangquan Road... isn't it the No Return Path?"

"It's painted yellow now."

"What?!"

"Ah no!"

The "Temporarily White", who had just let slip, hurriedly corrected himself:

"Well... according to what was said above, the name No Return Path doesn't sound auspicious, and though the path is still there, it doesn't hold its original function anymore, so they simply changed the name... Why do you have so many questions? Go on, move along!"

"..."

Though having a million questions in his heart, under the urgent prodding of the "Black and White Temporarily", the axe-head man could only quickly walk towards the greatly transformed Gate of the Deceased, picking up a form on a desk beside the door.

"Hello."

Smiling broadly, revealing eight shiny white teeth, the female soul behind the desk dressed in a black and white suit, a fairly good-looking woman, guided with a smile:

"Mr. Deceased, age, gender, address, cause of death... these mandatory fields need to be filled in first, even if you're illiterate you can rely on your soul's understanding to fill it out, this form only accepts the truth from the soul.

Additionally, the sections below—regrets in life, societal achievements, surviving family, special contributions—are optional. You can fill them if you want, or leave them blank if you don't.

However, it's recommended to fill them out if you can, as though they're optional, they may influence your post-death reemployment direction and related job benefits, even affecting your promotion speed in the relevant department."

"..."

Post-death reemployment... with the possibility of promotion? And benefits too? Is this still the Realm of the Dead? Where did you bring me?

Holding the extremely bizarre form in his hand, the axe-head man felt his axe almost unbefitting, and he asked in a dazed stupor:

"Your... your..."

"We are the Cleansing Bureau's branch in the Realm of the Dead, recently established, tentatively named the Underworld Bureau, with Lady Emma as the director... You can check the header, it has the Cleansing Bureau's logo."

"..."

After looking at the dung... Sacred Scarab on the header, the axe-head man finally closed his mouth, then exclaimed with wide-eyed shock:

"Has the bureau... already taken over the entire Realm of the Dead?"

The bureau?

Having caught on to this key term astutely, the female soul in the suit couldn't help but squint her eyes slightly, her smile becoming even warmer, and then she actively spoke:

"Esteemed Mr. Deceased, if you were a Cleaner during your lifetime, that counts as a level three special contribution, and after filling the form, you can take the fast track, directly heading to the Hall of Judgment to receive the Judges' verdict."

"Judgment? Did I commit a crime?"

"Sir, judgment isn't necessarily for crimes, it can also be for merits."

Quickly glanced at the memo board next to the desk, reviewing the work procedures set by the new Overlord of the Realm of the Dead, the female soul explained slightly enviously:

"According to the rules set... if you accumulated substantial merit during your career as a Cleaner, you would receive corresponding compensation in the Realm of the Dead.

If your work was sufficiently diligent, your accumulated merit significant enough, and having no outrageous crimes, with your soul and body meeting the standards, you might even be arranged to undergo the resurrection process, live to 150, and come back then."

"Ah?!!!"