Afterlife Department

Stable World, Afterlife Department.

The sea of clouds are heavily surrounding the entire glass-walled building of the Afterlife Department today, making their surroundings look obscure. Some of the grim reapers on their way to their offices or on their way to report almost tripped in the hallways and some even fell off the stairs.

Inside one of the offices which is in one of the floors of the Afterlife Department, only the tap of the keyboard can be heard as Huo Ling makes his report about Normal World 101 and Zhuo Xia, his soul assignment.

"That was splendidly done. Good job for successfully ferrying a soul." Yi Bing told Huo Ling as he sips his coffee while he tapped on the screen of his tablet as he read the Afterlife Forum – a social media website where both ghosts and grim reapers can create threads to spread information, and also gossip.

Huo Ling didn't answer. But, the speed of the keyboard tapping can be heard.

"Supposedly, after you have become a grim reaper, your rank should be of a trainee." Yi Bing spoke as he read through the comments before he jump to read another thread. "But, since I have accepted you as a disciple, your rank upgraded to that of a junior grim reaper." He said.

"Is there any difference?" Huo Ling asked.

"There is." Yi Bing answered. "Aside from the name, the trainees aren't able to ferry souls until they have become junior grim reapers. The trainees can only assist in ferrying souls." he explained. "But, we are fair, since death is fair, and so should the afterlife be because life wasn't fair. So, the trainees who have assisted in ferrying souls are able to earn points, too. They have a certain threshold so they can become a junior grim reaper, which will make them able to ferry a soul." He told him.

"I see…" Huo Ling muttered.

"Of course, there are exceptions like you." Yi Bing continued. "This is another way to promote a trainee to a junior grim reaper: potential." He said. "Still, someone who wanted to promote someone should be able to convince the higher-ups. And, of course, this someone who is being promoted should also convince everyone, practically, with his performance." He explained.

"Fair, indeed." Huo Ling nodded in agreement.

"En. I never had a disciple before, and so me making you my disciple was a great fanfare. After all, I have lived for more than a thousand years…" Yi Bing muttered. "I have never been mistaken and it proved me right. You indeed have a great potential, so it is justifiable for you to become a junior grim reaper." He told Huo Ling.

"Thanks." Huo Ling said.

"You're welcome." Yi Bing replied. "Although there have been many accidents during your first soul assignments, finally, you have successfully ferried a soul. And you also helped with the previous cases…" he looked at Huo Ling who has his back on him. "For you to be promoted to a senior grim reaper, you have to ferry nine hundred and ninety-nine souls. But, of course, you are just starting, so this isn't needed to be hurried. For now, you should check on the points that you have earned." He told him.

"Yes." Huo Ling nodded and opened his communicator.

"You should have earned plenty of points… aside from your points of being successful in your ferrying, which is considered to be your reward, there is also points given if the soul was satisfied with your performance and has given you a high rating." Yi Bing said. "As for this, the soul can also choose you to ferry it again in his next reincarnation, establishing you as its assigned grim reaper if it wants you to ferry it throughout its whole reincarnation cycle or cycles." He explained.

"Won't I be able to have other soul assignments if this happens?" Huo Ling asked.

"No." Yi Bing answered. "The system has become flexible. As soon as you have been established as a soul's assigned grim reaper, you will have a record of its entire reincarnation cycle before it enters its second reincarnation cycle. So, you will know when to fetch it and ferry it to its next reincarnation." He explained.

"I see…" Huo Ling now understood. "This is indeed good." He said.

Yi Bing nodded. "Of course. Right now, Zhuo Xia, along with the souls of Huai Sen's four disciples, is currently resting in the Afterlife Department because their souls were injured by the Soul-Trapping sword. You can talk with Zhuo Xia when he wakes up if he wants to establish you as his grim reaper." He told Huo Ling.

"En. I will." Huo Ling nodded.

"As for the other points… because you have helped other grim reapers who are in the same world, you are given points for this, too, as your merits. Of course, the points will be higher if the other grim reapers will praise you." Yi Bing said. "So, other grim reapers would have their social circles and would go in groups so they can earn more points this way after they ferry souls." he told him.

"Like Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai?" Huo Ling said.

"Yeah. They weren't in a group just because of their codes being coincidental." Yi Bing laughed when he read Huo Ling's mind.

"Oh…" Huo Ling muttered as he resumed making his report.

Yi Bing placed the tablet on his table and rested his chin on his palm as he looked at Huo Ling's back. "Won't you tell me how much points you have earned? Excluding points from Zhuo Xia's favorability since he is still unconscious and so can't rate you, you should have earned more than a hundred points, right?" he asked. "One hundred fifty… this isn't bad. You can have a meal in the City of the Dead for three weeks buying an average meal." He told him.

Huo Ling didn't speak.

"So, how much points do you have now?" Yi Bing asked. "Let me tell you something. Being an apprentice naturally has its own advantages. Aside from having someone to teach you more than what the Afterlife Department teaches the trainees during their training, your master can also give you points in exchange of something, like a reward after giving you a task." He told him.

Huo Ling didn't answer.

Yi Bing's brows raised. "What? You think I am poor? Let me tell you – " he said as he leaned on hsis wivel chair and crossed his arms over his chest. " – I am the richest grim reaper, even richer than Gu Shi who is the chief of the Afterlife Department." He told him.

Huo Ling finally spoke. "Can you…" he said.

"'can I'?" Yi Bing asked.

"Can you… please shut the fck up?!" Huo Ling finally snapped as he turned to glare at Yi Bing. But, his eyes are unfocused. "My eyes hurt so much after executing that spell to release those souls… if not for my communicator not warning me about my condition in danger, including blindness, I would have fcking went straight to the infirmary already as soon as we have returned in the Stable World!" he said as he pinched the space between his brows. "Look! I can barely see the words on my report right now, while you – " he said as he gnashed his teeth in anger. " – you are noisier than a parrot!" he told him. 𝘧𝚛𝗲𝘦𝚠𝙚𝙗𝙣o𝙫𝗲𝚕.𝐜o𝓂

Yi Bing looked at him, stunned.

"And… why did you suddenly turned so chatty today?" Huo Ling asked as his eyes narrowed in suspicion while he looked at Yi Bing's direction. "If not for you making me cast that spell, I wouldn't become half-blind right now!" he said and wailed.

The originally silent and peaceful office now turned to like that of a children's playground with so much noise.

Yi Bing was flustered and he immediately rose from his seat. "You… your eyes hurt?!" he exclaimed as he cupped Huo Ling's face to make him face him before he checked Huo Ling's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he asked, mad, as he looked at Huo Ling's unfocused gaze. "How do you feel right now? What can you see right now?" he anxiously asked.

"A little light and vague images… everything is a blur as if my eyes were wrapped with filter." Huo Ling honestly answered.

"How can you still write your report then?!" Yi Bing asked.

"I memorize the keyboard." Huo Ling answered. "Though, there should be some typo… of course, I won't send it to you right now." He said.

Yi Bing helplessly sighed. "The report need not to be hurried. There are even some grim reapers who pass their reports half a year after they have ferried that soul." He said. "Also, your soul assignment is currently unconscious, so your report has to wait yet until your soul assignment wakes up, and then send it to the Pathway of the Clouds." He told him.

"En. I understand." Huo Ling answered.

"Come. I'll take you to Hai Ba." Yi Bing said a she pulled him up.. "You have to meet him yet, right?" he said.