"UDI? What kind of organization is that? Sounds pretty formidable," Rokuro's mention of the organization's name piqued Chen Yu's interest. He knew that the school Rokuro graduated from in Japan wasn't considered particularly prestigious, and his field of study related to clinical healing wasn't something typically associated with research institutions. It would be difficult for a non-prestigious, fresh graduate like him to be hired by such places, so Chen Yu was curious what kind of job he had found.
"UDI stands for Unnatural Death Investigation," Rokuro scratched the back of his head somewhat sheepishly, finding it incredible himself that he landed the job. Still, he explained to his few good friends what kind of job it was, "The main task of UDI is to perform autopsies on all bodies from unnatural deaths, to analyze and investigate the true cause of death. My job is to assist with record-keeping, meaning I'm responsible for photographing and documenting during the autopsy by the forensic pathologists."
"So it's work related to forensic science? Wow, Mr. Kube, you really did find a job that the professor dislikes the most! I have a feeling he's going to be quite upset when he finds out," after hearing Rokuro's explanation and thinking of his own professor who taught clinical medicine, Chen Yu felt a deep sympathy for Rokuro.
Rokuro's expression also dimmed for a moment upon hearing Chen Yu's words and he shook his head reluctantly, "Dad always thinks that being a doctor should be about saving and helping the injured. If he finds out I'm working in forensics... he would probably say..."
"No matter how much you study a corpse, you can't bring the dead back to life," Chen Yu almost instinctively finished Rokuro's sentence. While he deeply respected Professor Kube's dedication to academic research, he had to admit that at times, such a stubborn character was very unlikable in everyday life.
Moreover, being a Necromancer, Chen Yu's actual job revolved around studying corpses to bring the dead back to life. Although it can't strictly be termed revival, the ultimate goal of necromancy is to achieve immortality of the soul. In the case of an immortal soul, the physical death doesn't signify the end of life - it is just the beginning of a new journey.
But obviously, Chen Yu wouldn't discuss necromancy with Rokuro, much less with Professor Kube. Therefore, regarding the problems Rokuro would face, all Chen Yu could do was offer no solution, at most he could try to mediate during any disputes that might arise between Professor Kube and Rokuro.
Fathers know their children best, just as no one understands a father better than his son. Rokuro obviously knew what his father would think of his job but still, determined to step out of his father's shadow, he was steadfast in his resolve, "I'll just keep it from Dad for a while. Chen-san, can I ask you not to tell him about this for the time being?"
"Of course, who else but your fellow junior?" Chen Yu didn't want to get involved in other people's family affairs, so when Rokuro asked, he naturally agreed, "Since you've found a job, you have to work hard, Mr. Kube. I believe that once you achieve results in this field, the professor's view of you will change as well."
"Yes, I'll do my best! Thank you, Chen-san!" Rokuro nodded vigorously, his face brightening with Chen Yu's encouragement.
At Rokuro's thanks, Chen Yu just gave an easy smile and raised his glass, "Then let's toast to Mr. Kube finally finding a job! If you have any problems at work, feel free to ask me anytime."
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After finishing the meal with Kube Rokuro, Chen Yu took the subway back to the apartment he rented.
Since he was studying in Tokyo, and considering the exorbitant housing prices there, it was clearly impossible for Chen Yu to buy a house in Tokyo. Even the apartment he rented was the cheapest kind: one where someone had died, where ghosts were rumored to haunt, next to a graveyard, and so infamous that nobody would inquire about it—a haunted house.
Such dwellings were obviously a big no-no for ordinary people, after all, no regular person would have any interest in living in a place that was plagued with ghostly disturbances every other day. The landlord would be thankful just to rent these out; not to mention worrying about rent, even the customary Japanese rental gift could be waived. By renting such a place, Chen Yu had naturally saved quite a bit of money.
Of course, for a necromancer, whether it was a haunted house or an infamous house, Chen Yu only worried about the absence of ghosts, not the actual presence of them.
Ghosts meant that negative energy existed, which not only supported the existence of demonic creatures but was also a main source of power for necromancers. Necromancers draw negative energy through a unique meditation technique and convert it into their own necromantic power. This was the primary way for a necromancer to increase their strength. It was also why Chen Yu, having caught a lonely ghost in the wild graveyard and using it as the core to gather enough negative energy, was able to officially become a necromancer.
"I'm home." Opening the door to his place, Chen Yu took off his shoes at the entrance, walked into the room, and placed his backpack on the dining table. He took a pack of salmon he had just bought from the convenience store out of the bag and placed it in front of a black cat that had sprung from the darkness: "You've worked hard today, Audis."
The black cat sniffed the salmon offered in front of it and looked up at Chen Yu with a hint of dissatisfaction, suddenly speaking human language, "Salmon from the convenience store discount again, meow? Can't you buy something fresh? And I don't even like salmon, meow."
Even though it expressed such distaste, the black cat named Audis didn't hesitate to take a bite of the salmon, savoring its dinner with evident relish.
Audis was a stray cat Chen Yu had picked up on the street when he moved in here. At that time, Audis was covered in wounds from fights with other strays and was close to death. It was Chen Yu who brought it home and saved it using necromancy healing spells.
Perhaps it stayed with Chen Yu because he had saved its life; Chen Yu, wanting to keep a pet, naturally didn't drive it away. He not only gave it the name Audis but also transformed it with necromancy spells, turning it from an ordinary black cat into a speaking magic pet. When Chen Yu went out, Audis took on the responsibility of looking after the house.
Chen Yu patted the head of his magic pet with a somewhat helpless expression and explained, "I happened to pass by the convenience store and saw the salmon on discount, so I bought it for you. As for the fresh horse mackerel, they were sold out today. I'll buy it for you next time, okay?"
"You've said that many times already, meow!" Audis complained with dissatisfaction but was still full of anticipation for the horse mackerel that Chen Yu had promised.