After an indefinite amount of time, she noticed that her surroundings had become eerily silent. Curious, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at the crowns of trees towering above her.
[Where am I?]
She sat up and looked around, trying to find some clues as to where she was. Finding none, she decided to walk around and see where the path would lead her.
The golden sunlight bathed everything in an orange hue. The path she walked along seemed to stretch on forever. Everything was tranquil, and there wasn't a soul in sight. If it weren't for the sounds of nature surrounding her, she would have thought that her very existence was nothing more than an illusion.
She could hear the cicadas, the chirping birds, and even the crisp sound of leaves crunching beneath her feet as she walked forward.
The walls of trees on both sides prevented her from seeing what lay beyond them, yet their branches allowed the golden sunlight to pass through, illuminating everything in the forest.
She had her doubts about what this path actually was, but decided to go along with it anyway.
The scenery, the path, and the silence gave her a solemn feeling.
How should she put it?
It made her want to reflect on her life.
She felt cheated and deeply unreconciled with how things had turned out. Her family didn't even know that their good sister was the one behind everything, yet somehow, she had managed to pin all the blame on her.
If all the grievances she had accumulated could materialize into words, she was afraid they would fill an entire book.
But what could she do?
She was dead. It was over.
They continued to live while she was already on her way to reincarnation. All she could do was lament that her life had been miserable and that she had been foolish beyond redemption.
If she wanted a fresh start, she could only learn to let go.
As they say, forgive not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.
She thought that made sense. She also knew that, deep down, she was desperate for that very peace.
When dusk finally came, her suspicions were confirmed.
As shadow-like entities gradually took shape in different parts of the forest and made their way toward the path, she finally understood where she was heading.
What surprised her was that she wasn't afraid.
If this had happened before, she might have freaked out. But realizing that these were her fellow ghosts, she gradually calmed down.
At least she wasn't alone.
These black, smoke-like entities were actually quite well-behaved. Some were tall, others short, and a few even floated faster than the rest.
It almost felt like walking through a park.
With that realization, she let her guard down and decided to enjoy her last "walk in the park."
So, when someone offered her a flyer, she accepted it out of reflex.
She stopped walking and examined the card in her hand.
A black card with a golden rose printed at its center immediately caught her attention.
[Aesthetically beautiful. Simple and elegant.]
She thought.
Her gaze shifted toward the person who had handed it to her. He was already quite far away and was still randomly distributing cards to the other ghosts.
Reading the contents on the other side, she couldn't help but twitch her brows.
This advertisement was rather harsh. She felt as though these questions had been specifically written for her.
Did you die a pathetic death?
Died without dignity and full of regrets?
Was your death specially tailored to spice up a Heavenly Being's life?
Are you unreconciled and seeking revenge?
Then loathe no more!
With the newly established Corrupt the Heavenly Being System, your vengeance is just one contract away!
Agree by simply placing a fragment of your consciousness into this card.
There was only one thing in those lines that truly caught her attention.
In fact, she thought the entire advertisement was fabricated. Vengeance, contracts, and corrupting Heavenly Beings sounded like gibberish straight out of a fairy tale.
Who would believe such nonsense?
Nonetheless, one particular detail sparked her curiosity.
[You can put a part of your consciousness into a card?]
She thought it was such a novel idea.
After all, when she was still alive, she had never heard of ghosts being capable of doing such a thing. Everything she had read or heard about ghosts involved haunting people by appearing before them or moving objects using their supernatural energy.
Now, this card was telling her that consciousness could be stored in inanimate objects.
She found the concept fascinating and was eager to try it.
She stared at the card in her hand, tilted her head, and pondered seriously.
[How do I do it?]
Gazing intently at the flyer held between her fingers, she tried to concentrate her consciousness onto the piece of paper.
She shut her eyes and chanted in her mind:
(Concentrate.)
(Concentrate.)
"I don't feel anything, though. Is it working?" she wondered aloud, her eyes still closed.
"What is?"
A low voice answered her.
She opened her eyes and glanced at the thing she was holding.
"This thing. The card says I can put my consciousness into it," she answered absentmindedly.
"Oh, there's no need for that, actually. You just need to have the desire to do so, and the card will activate automatically," the man answered.
She felt cheated.
This was the first time she had followed her whims without considering the consequences, only to discover that the whole thing was a fraud.
"I see. Thanks, any—"
As she raised her head to thank the person who had been patiently answering her nonsense, she was taken aback.
A man with long red hair and apathetic obsidian eyes met her gaze. He seemed rather entertained, judging by the smirk playing on his lips.
He sat behind a beautifully sculpted wooden table, resting his chin on his left hand while casually twirling a black quill pen in his right.
He exuded an aura of indifference, but when paired with such a handsome face, it became an entirely different kind of charm.
At least, that's what she thought.
"I know I look damn good, but you have to blink at least once," the man chuckled.
"I'm sorry. That was rude of me."
She hurriedly turned her face away and scanned the room she was currently in.
Inwardly, she couldn't believe she had teleported twice already.
Perhaps that was one of the perks of being a ghost, she concluded.
Seeing the contractor looking around in confusion, he couldn't help but enlighten her.
"My office," he said.
Looking back at him, she couldn't help but voice her questions.
"Why am I here? And..."
"Who are you?"
The man didn't answer her questions directly. Instead, he said,
"Take a seat first."
"No, I'm goo—"
Before she could finish, she found herself seated on a padded wooden chair that had magically appeared behind her.
She hadn't even had time to react.
Her dazed expression remained fixed on the handsome man before her, as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened.
"You are here to enter into an agreement and bind yourself to the 'Corrupt the Heavenly Being System.' As for who I am, just call me Mr. Huo."
"Now, let's talk about the contract."
He set the quill pen aside and directed his full attention toward her.
"Since you are our very first contractor, I will offer you a golden finger. Of course, it comes with a price, but the power of your golden finger will be equivalent to what you are willing to pay. I guarantee that it will be powerful enough to help you through your tasks."
Then he continued,
"By the way, your soul will be bound to the system once we finalize the deal."
Seeing how well-behaved the contractor was, his mood lifted considerably.
"So, just give me the contract with your signature, and I will stamp it. After that, we're done."
With a smile, he gently extended his hand toward her, clearly expecting her to hand over the form.
She blinked a couple of times before finally gathering the courage to ask:
"My what?"