Ordinary People (1)

Lantie City. The city library. The women's restroom. Inside a stall. A girl jerked her head back, opening dreamy, enchanting emerald eyes, her lips parted slightly as though she could not breathe. An invisible soul descended from the void, gradually returning to her body. She gasped raggedly several times. Ignoring the sweat drenching her forehead, she immediately pulled out a phone with a cracked screen and tapped rapidly. "Balance: 3,501.3" Close banking app. Reopen. Enter passcode again. The page refreshed. "Balance: 3,501.3" Cupping the phone in both hands, the girl pressed her lips tightly together. Only after a long moment did she gently wipe the corner of her eye. She took a few silent breaths, opened the stall door quietly, washed her hands, and hurried out of the restroom. Returning to the book circulation room, she hurriedly said to her colleague beside her: "I have an urgent errand to run outside. I'll be right back." Her colleague was a balding, middle-aged man sitting there scrolling through his phone. He said absently, "The supervisors might come by in a bit, and you still dare to run off?" "I promise I'll be back right away," Luosha said, and immediately left. The middle-aged man gave a displeased grunt. Once she was gone, he immediately opened his computer and sent a message to the supervisor in charge: "Luosha slipped away again." "Young people these days... when it comes to doing work, honestly, sigh, it's hard to say." Luosha knew nothing of this. As she reached the library entrance, her pace suddenly slowed, and she finally stopped. Wait. She had money now. Not the four credits an hour from working part-time as a restaurant waitress. Nor the meager 150 credits a month from the library. It was 3,500 credits! 3,500! Now that she had so many credits— Instead of taking time off work to make a special trip herself, she would be better off choosing home delivery. Her colleague loved to tattle, after all. If the leadership kept having a bad impression of her, there would be trouble. The library's pay was meager, but she still didn't want to lose this job. Home delivery it was. She wanted to keep this job! Then again, that young man was truly generous. Even within the cult, hardly anyone could give her a sum of money like this. Only when she first joined had she received the one hundred credits promised in the initiation gospel. It had been spent in the blink of an eye. From then on, however, she had to face malicious people every single day. It had been agonizingly difficult to avoid them. Had she not been promoted to Flesh Assistant on her third day after joining, her fate would have been unspeakable! They didn't just devour people—they even wanted her soul! When promoted to Flesh Assistant, she had received another five hundred credits. Soon afterward, her direct superior had taken away 480 credits under all sorts of pretexts. If she could have, she would have defended that money with her life. Yet... Given the circumstances back then, she had to hand it over if she wanted to stay alive. If only she had known better than to join the Black Tide Cult. In total, she had only received 120 credits. The price was becoming a cultist linked to the Ether! Her past regrets vanished completely today. That person had given her 3,500 credits! Luosha let out a soft sigh. Standing right there on the steps of the library's front entrance, she took out her phone and opened a memo titled "Things to Complete Before Dying." She scanned it to the very bottom. In truth, she had long memorized it to her bones, but now that she could actually fulfill it, she grew anxious and fretful, terrified of making a mistake. Read it once more. Silently recite it once. Check it again. All right, nothing would go wrong. Let's begin! First, she opened a shopping and delivery app, tapping swiftly to place an order. Next, she transferred a sum of credits directly to the orphanage online. She herself had gone out to find work and make a living, but there were still many children who were on the verge of having nothing to eat every day because the orphanage hadn't been able to raise donations lately. All of this took 1,500 credits. There were still 2,000 credits left! Winter was approaching; she needed to buy padded clothes and winter quilts for everyone, as well as pay the heating fees. Last year, because payments were in arrears, the heat had been cut off. Fortunately, spring was not far off at the time, so only seven people froze to death. This would cover the fees for two full years. Luosha's fingers tapped rapidly. Good, the heating fees were settled too. Next item. The orphanage's grandmother was critically ill. Pay directly online to ensure her hospital bed and medicine supply would not run into issues in the near future. Where else was money needed? Her phone screen was cracked, and sometimes the display glitched, making it hard to see clearly. ...Never mind, wait a bit longer. Luosha stared blankly at her bank card balance. Actually, it was enough. And... Could she have a proper meal tonight? It was so wonderful to have money. The things that needed doing had been taken care of in just a few minutes. In merely these few minutes, everyone's winter would become completely different, and Grandma would receive timely treatment. Did meeting that young man mean her luck was finally turning around? Luosha suddenly saw an elderly man carrying a heavy sack, huffing and puffing as he entered the library. "Are you here to return books, sir? Let me help you." Luosha quickly stepped forward. "Thank you. Young people these days are truly wonderful," the old man said with relief, offering praise. Accompanying the old man to the entrance of the circulation room, Luosha saw her colleague exaggeratingly telling two supervisors something: "She ran off again, sirs. I'm not tattling, but—" The balding middle-aged man's voice abruptly cut off. The two supervisors turned to look. "Oh? Elder Sun, what brings you here?" "Elder Sun, if you had just said the word, we would have come to your home to collect the books. How could we trouble you to make the trip in person?" The two supervisors hurriedly said. "It's fine. Your service is excellent. This young lady helped carry the books inside for me. I'm very grateful," the old man said with a smile. The two supervisors looked at Luosha. Holding the bulky bundle of books, Luosha stood dazed. Did her luck really turn? Half an hour later. Her phone rang. Luosha looked at it, stood up, and said, "I'm stepping out for a moment." She left in a hurry. Her male colleague raised his phone and secretly snapped a picture of her back. After waiting a few minutes, he sent it to the supervisors: "She really left, sirs. I truly wasn't lying to you." Five minutes later. At the library entrance, Luosha received what she had ordered. Delightedly returning toward the library, she made soft calling noises in the bushes outside the building. Soon enough, a tabby cat timidly poked its head out of the grass, wide-eyed, meowing at Luosha. It was a female cat, its belly swollen and sagging low, swaying slightly. She was about to give birth. "Xiao Hua, come with me. I'll find you a safe place." Luosha opened the package. It was a brand-new cat carrier backpack, perfect for taking her away. The tabby was remarkably intelligent and often fed by her; with a soft glance at her, the cat proactively crawled into the carrier. "Wait a little longer, I'm almost off work—I'll find you a good place right away where you can stay without worry," Luosha said earnestly. Hearing this, the tabby gave a few soft meows, curled up inside the carrier, and squinted its eyes. The corners of Luosha's mouth curved slightly. She picked up her phone and dialed a number: "Xiao Jie, could you come over for a moment? Take my cat back to the orphanage. She's about to give birth, so be careful." "Okay, I'll be right there," a boy's voice replied. Just after hanging up, her phone rang again. "Hello?" "Luosha, did you leave, or are you still at work?" "Reporting, supervisor, I've been at work the whole time." "Is that so? Come to my office right now." "Understood." Luosha hoisted the cat carrier onto her back and left. Before long, she returned to the break room, settled Xiao Hua first, and then went straight to the supervisor's office. Inside the office, the door opened. The two supervisors and several mid-level cadres all looked toward her. Everyone wore different expressions. Startled by such a grand assembly, Luosha couldn't help asking: "Supervisors, what is this regarding?" The supervisor glanced at his watch. From the time he called to her arrival, less than three minutes had passed. If she had truly skipped work and slipped away, she couldn't have arrived so quickly. "The evaluations for research and service are being revealed today. These are the reader ratings for each of us. The system is about to announce them, so please join us as a representative of the frontline staff to take a look," the supervisor said. An operator tapped a few keys on a computer. The projector screen immediately began loading the overall evaluations for this year. The very first name that appeared was Luosha! "The one with the most research papers and achievements is Luosha," someone said with deep meaning. Right after, the top name on the second chart appeared as well. "Still Luosha. It seems she is proactive and enthusiastic in her work, leaving a wonderful impression on the readers." "We've also seen her work performance today with our own eyes," the supervisor chimed in appropriately. "I can only say our evaluation system has no flaws. She is exceptionally talented and well deserves this ranking." "Please, Luosha, say a few words to everyone." Applause. Nothing but applause. Luosha was stunned. What kind of day was today...? Winning first place in one category earned a year-end bonus of one hundred credits. Double first place— Two hundred credits! "Thank you, everyone—" Luosha stood up. Just as she spoke, her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen, murmured an "Excuse me," and hurriedly left the room. "Hello?" "Grandma, please rest easy in the hospital. I just got a bonus on my end." "No need to call, and don't feel bad at all. I'm still in a meeting; I'll visit you later." She hung up. Just as she was about to return to the conference room, an inexplicable sensation suddenly rippled through her. Someone was summoning her from the dimension of the Ether! Who? Apart from the Great Being, who could possess such power? Luosha quickly darted into the women's restroom, shut the stall door, braced both hands against the door panel, and her eyes suddenly went blank as she looked up toward the ceiling. Her soul surged into the void, piercing through dimensions in an instant to arrive in a chamber constructed of flesh and blood. Inside the room, from the floor beneath her feet to the walls and up to the vaulted ceiling, densely packed human faces covered every surface. Most of these faces had lost their color, reduced to an ashen gray, and some had even lost their facial features, leaving behind only blank visages. Yet inside a row of neat, illuminated display cases rested a few exceptionally vivid faces. These faces bore distinct markings that represented their status and achievements. The moment Luosha arrived, she grasped the situation. Dropping to one knee and bowing her head, she said respectfully: "Assistant Archivist of the Flesh Archive, Luosha, greets the Cardinal." Opposite her, a young girl in a white dress stood quietly. Two files of blood-armored warriors stood solemnly on either flank, guarding the girl. The girl inspected the displays of the archive, lightly stepping upon one human face after another as she slowly walked a circle around Luosha. "A trainee assistant archivist, opening the Book of Flesh today... Who granted you that authority?" the girl asked casually. Luosha trembled all over. The Cardinal using this tone usually meant someone was about to die. Yet... The things she had to do before dying were already finished. It was fine. "Reporting to the Cardinal, I was originally at work and never presumed to wield the Book of Flesh. I was merely summoned suddenly by the Great Being, who commanded that I must descend," Luosha said. "Why you of all people?" the girl asked. "Everyone else was occupied; only I was idle," Luosha said. Hearing this, the girl said nothing. She merely kept her head down, lightly crushing the human faces beneath her feet. Crack. Crack. Like faces molded from clay, seven or eight were shattered underfoot in succession. These were human soul contracts that had fallen out of favor with the Great Being. Once broken, the person died. Luosha turned pale, trembling uncontrollably, on the verge of vomiting. One of the knights spoke up: "The Book of Flesh was inspected just now. According to the records, all three archive members had descended today; there truly was no one else available." "So that's how it is," the girl laughed. "It seems our business is quite brisk. That's a good thing." She seemed to cheer up, patting Luosha's shoulder. "What did you think of his looks?" His... looks? Luosha stood stunned for several seconds before catching on. She said hurriedly, "Lord Cardinal, I was only focused on completing the judgment. Since the Great Being was also coming personally to confirm, I was too nervous to look at him. I don't know what he looks like." The girl giggled, her voice clear and melodious. Her tone became intimate yet earnest: "Oh, Luosha, you truly live up to being a trainee." "Listen well, though." "That fellow took part in a ritual I presided over and should have died. But through oversights on various fronts, he played dead and escaped with his life." "What a despicable wretch." "Yes, Lord Cardinal. I only descended following the Great Will and had no idea who he was. Next time, I will surely treat him as an enemy," Luosha hurriedly explained. "I believe you." The girl patted her cheek, pressing with increasing force before delivering a sharp slap. "He's just an ordinary person who struck immense luck. And as for you—you're so incompetent, wandering around in a daze every day, so of course you wouldn't know the cult's secrets." "That's why you completed a judgment like that and let him survive." He was... An ordinary person who struck immense luck? Paying no heed to the burning sting on her face, Luosha tried hard to recall the young man's clean, handsome features and the Great Being's judgment. The Great Being had said: "It seems it wasn't your fault." "There is no mistake in this judgment." There was no mistake in the judgment. He wasn't in the wrong either. He had even obtained that higher-order Ritual Fire. He had even... Known at first glance that she needed money. And a ritual presided over by you personally failed to kill him. Just as you claim, in your eyes, he's merely an ordinary person who struck immense luck? Fire ignited in the girl's hand, pointed straight at Luosha's head. "Last words?" the girl said. Luosha took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said: "May my soul serve the Great Master for eternity." "No, I mean—do you have anything else to say regarding the mortal world, anything you need us to look after? This is your final chance," the girl said, a glint of mockery flitting through her eyes. "Nothing. I joined the cult solely to dedicate my soul to the Master. Please send me to the Master's side," Luosha said devoutly. Saying nothing more, she dropped to both knees, tilted her head back, and quietly waited for the ritual to descend. Yet... This time, it was the girl's turn to show a contemplative look. To utter such words in the face of certain death earned her at least a reputation for piety. Moreover, this fool truly knew nothing. She had descended upon being summoned and carried out the Great Being's will. If she killed her just like this... In the off chance the Great Being grew curious, didn't devour her soul immediately, and saw through what had happened... That would be troublesome. Better to find another pretext later and execute her fair and square. The girl suddenly lost interest. "Just teasing you. Look at that gloomy face of yours, not scared at all. You're no fun." The girl skipped along as she walked outward, saying, "Oh, Luosha, you're just an ordinary person too. You only struck immense luck to awaken a talent for linking to the Ether. The day your talent fades will be the day you die." "You'll have it slightly better than him, though. Once I finish up in a bit, I'll go reap his soul." With that, she waved her hand without turning back. Luosha felt a tremendous force surge toward her. With a gentle push, it ejected her from the Ether. In the women's restroom. Luosha snapped her eyes open. "Hah... hah..." She gasped for breath, looking lost, carefully turning over everything that had just occurred. The Cardinal wanted to kill him? To kill that young man? Her phone rang. It was Xiao Jie. Luosha quickly ran out, grabbed the cat carrier from the office, and brought it to the library entrance. A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy was waiting by the door. "This one?" "Yes. Take her back to the orphanage and find a place to keep her—she's about to give birth." "Got it. When are you coming back, Sister Shasha?" "When I have time. I've taken care of the food expenses for all of you recently, so remember to go back to eat. Don't eat random things outside; it's unhygienic." "Understood, Sister Shasha." The boy smiled at her and walked away holding the cat carrier. Luosha stood at the library entrance, staring blankly after the boy's retreating figure until he disappeared into the crowd. In truth... She had accomplished everything she wanted to do. Back then, she had joined the Black Tide Cult precisely to achieve these things. Only, with the passage of time, it had all become more and more impossible, an irreversible descent. Yet today... Luosha pursed her lips slightly and suddenly made a decision. She took out her phone, opened online banking, located the transfer record, and copied his account number. Transfer. 1 credit. She didn't have his phone number, but as long as it was a transfer, she could attach a message. Luosha rapidly entered her transfer passcode and typed a line: "The Cardinal wants to kill you." Having written it, she canceled it. Initiate transfer again: 0.1 credits. That saved 0.9 credits, which could be put to other uses. Tap send. The transfer did not succeed! Luosha stared at the "Under Review" prompt on the screen, momentarily at a loss. Only then did she remember that her transfers had been far too frequent today. It would probably take a little time. Not too long. It would make it in time. At this thought, Luosha let out a sigh of relief. "You're just an ordinary person too... The day your talent fades will be the day you die." "You'll have it slightly better than him, though. I'll go reap his soul right now." Those had been the Cardinal's exact words. So in her eyes, she was so utterly insignificant, liable to die at any moment. If that was the case... She might as well lend that young man a hand. He was an ordinary person too. In doing this, she could consider it a final expression of gratitude before death for helping her fulfill all her wishes. An ordinary person's life no longer held any regrets.