She kept walking. And walking.
Above her, the sky slowly shifted from blue to orange, signalling that daylight would soon surrender to darkness. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her body. Regret began creeping into her heart. Maybe coming here had been a mistake.
'He told me the spider was here. But until now, I haven't encountered even one.'
She muttered to herself.
Scanning her surroundings carefully, she searched again. Even with her exceptional eyesight, she could not locate the spider she desired. This went completely against her personal motto:
'If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I must do it, I'll finish it quickly.'
Unfortunately, this time, she had no choice.
This was necessary for her research.
The streets of Sydney were crowded with people. Individuals of every race passed by white, black, and everything in between. This was Australia.
And she had come here for only one reason.
To search for the Atrax robustus in Sydney City, better known as the Sydney funnel-web spider. A creature whose venom could kill within fifteen minutes.
She dialled a number on her phone. It rang several times before someone finally answered.
"I'm having trouble finding it, Jones," she sighed.
"Well, I already told you it's a rare species," Jones replied calmly.
"Yes, I remember. But this is extremely frustrating. I really want to research that spider."
"Then keep searching."
"No, I was about to give up. Wait! I think I found it. I have to go."
Without waiting for his reply, she hung up and sprinted toward the spot where she had just caught sight of it. Excitement overwhelmed her. So much so that she failed to notice she was running straight toward the road.
A car sped toward her.
People nearby screamed.
"BANG!!!"
The impact was brutal.
She felt her body lift into the air… then crash heavily onto the ground.
Darkness swallowed her consciousness.
…
When she opened her eyes again, everything felt strangely light.
Too light.
She looked down at herself.
"What the heck is this?!!!! My body became transparent."
Slowly, she examined her surroundings.
It was the same place. The exact road where she had been hit.
And then, she saw her own body lying there.
"What?!!! This is so embarrassing… Of all the dignified ways to die, this is what I get? Exposed underwear in public? If I'm going to haunt someone, I'm starting with the driver." That was her first thought.
Her body had landed in a humiliating position. Her hips were tilted upward. Worse still, her skirt had ridden up, exposing her underwear. People were staring directly at her backside.
"Don't look!" she screamed.
But she was in a spirit state now.
No one could hear her.
She waited desperately for someone, anyone, to end this humiliation.
Finally, her silent prayer was answered. Paramedics arrived and covered her body before taking it away. After checking her vitals, they declared her dead.
"Now what? I'm dead. What am I supposed to do?" she muttered, scratching her head.
"Bai Xifeng, come with me."
A man dressed in black stood behind her. Not like in the movie Men In Black, okay, not that kind of black. He wore a long black robe similar to ritual garments. His face was pale and emotionless.
She assumed he was a grim reaper.
He simply lacked the large scythe.
Without asking questions, she quietly followed him.
The Grim Reaper opened a portal and gestured for her to enter.
Curiosity got the better of her.
She stepped inside.
What greeted her was beyond imagination.
Mountains rose majestically in the distance. Rivers flowed like silver ribbons. Flowers bloomed in vibrant colours. Even the animals radiated beauty. Everything looked fantastical, almost unreal.
It felt as though she had stepped straight into a fantasy world.
"Come here," the grim reaper called.
She snapped out of her awe and hurried after him.
He led her into a grand hall. Inside stood a stage. And on that stage stood a man.
Half of his face was concealed behind a mask. Even so, it was obvious that he was extraordinarily handsome.
"Bai Xifeng died at the age of twenty-five. Cause of death: hit by a car…" he began, reading from a record that detailed her entire life from infancy to her final moment.
She listened quietly.
"Creating poison is wrong," another voice echoed.
She turned to the left side of the hall. A man sat at a table there.
"But she used the money to treat animals," another voice countered from the right.
The two argued back and forth.
The handsome man in the centre remained silent.
Finally, he spoke.
"I will send you somewhere. Once there, do whatever you wish."
She wondered if this was the King of Yama.
Shouldn't he look terrifying?
Why was he this handsome?
"Thank you for saying I'm handsome," he replied smoothly.
She stared at the handsome man. "So he can read minds. Interesting. That means hierarchy here is high-level spiritual authority. Noted."
"Do you prefer me like this?" The handsome man asked.
Before she could react, he transformed into a massive red figure.
Her eyes widened.
He had heard her thoughts.
"No, no. Keep the handsome version. If I'm already dead, at least let the afterlife be aesthetically pleasing," she quickly protested.
"Alright."
He reverted to his previous appearance.
"Now, follow that man," he instructed, pointing toward the earlier grim reaper.
The grim reaper guided her to an empty space and opened another portal.
"Go on."
She took a deep breath.
And stepped inside.
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***
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