Suddenly, a strange ripple of air spread through the police station room. Ling Shaomiao was leaning back in the chair, vigilance still visible in her eyes, her damp hair hanging behind her shoulders.
I'll need to take a proper bath again tomorrow, Ling Shaomiao thought to herself.
Suddenly, the sound of the door slowly opening echoed through the room. Though the light was dim, it seemed to hint at the presence of another kind of power.
Them…? Ling Shaomiao wondered inwardly.
In the distance, several shadowy figures entered the station. Their forms appeared blurred by the surrounding light, almost unreal. Their faces were indistinct, but their tall silhouettes, dark clothing, and the faint aura of shadow around them gave their presence a supernatural impression.
One Nighthawk stepped forward slowly and said,
"Miss, we have come to collect a detailed account of the incident from you. We have no other intention."
"We know what you witnessed was strange and dangerous," another one said, his voice seeming to fade slightly into the air. "Whatever you say will be reported to the Cathedral. All we need is the truth."
"The incident started in my own house," Ling Shaomiao said. "Suddenly, a strange, inhuman entity attacked me. From the sound it made, as far as I could guess… it seemed like a dog."
The Nighthawk member stepped slightly forward and gestured with his hand.
"A dog? Are you certain? We have never encountered something like this before."
Ling Shaomiao nodded slowly, her eyes cautious but firm.
"I'm certain. But it wasn't an ordinary dog. On its body… there was something like wings. And… I suspect a human might also be involved."
Another Nighthawk lowered his voice and asked,
"Something like wings? Are you saying it was a supernatural entity?"
Ling Shaomiao took a slow breath.
"Yes. It was beyond normal. I used every technique and bit of strength I had just to survive, but fighting it was not easy. And yes, what I saw is only my judgment but no human could do something like that."
Finally, one of the Nighthawks said,
"Alright. We'll document everything. We now have enough information. Get some rest. We'll send this report to the Cathedral."
They left, and silence once again settled over the room. Ling Shaomiao suddenly felt that something had been forgotten. Only the feeling remained.
Did they… scramble my memories? she asked herself.
At that very moment, a blue screen suddenly appeared
"Mission 1: Successful ."
As soon as she saw the screen, everything returned to her mind in a flash the attack, the struggle, the escape. Everything became clear again.
"Because I'm an ordinary person… they scrambled my memories," Ling Shaomiao said softly with a faint smile.
The silence lasted only a few moments. Then the blue screen suddenly began to change shape. Before her eyes, it slowly transformed into the figure of a small girl, about ten years old.
Ling Shaomiao stared in shock.
"What… is this?" she whispered.
In her previous six transmigrations, she had never felt the presence of any system. She had always simply awakened in a new body like a young girl. But this time… this form was different purposeful, like a symbol of reward.
"The reward for the first mission…" Ling Shaomiao murmured, slowly finding a strange new strength in her own voice.
The blue screen or rather the small holographic girl—stood quietly before her.
Suddenly, a shining disk appeared in front of Ling Shaomiao. It was circular, metallic in color, glowing faintly with golden light. Each section of the disk displayed different items: coins, several medicinal ingredients, a skill labeled Sewing, a pair of glasses, a long hooded coat, and a ring.
"Each spin will determine a reward," the small girl explained. "You may spin three times and receive three rewards."
"So that means I just spin it, and whatever it lands on becomes my reward," Ling Shaomiao said.
"Alright then… let's begin."
She spun the wheel for the first time with force. The disk began spinning rapidly, making a metallic friction sound in the air. The lamp's light reflected off each symbol as it blurred past.
After a few moments, the wheel stopped on the coin symbol.
The small girl said calmly,
"First reward: 100 pounds."
Ling Shaomiao's eyes lit up with excitement. Without wasting time, she spun the wheel again.
This time it stopped on the ring symbol.
"Second reward: A 20-meter Space Ring."
"A space ring… that means it can store items," Ling Shaomiao said.
"Yes," the girl replied. "Now spin for the third time."
Ling Shaomiao spun the wheel once more, calmly but firmly. After spinning for a while, the disk finally stopped.
The small girl announced,
"Third reward: Sewing and Designing Skill."
Ling Shaomiao smiled slightly. Sewing skill… that will definitely be useful. According to her current identity, she was a fashion designer. This ability would be very helpful.
Ling Shaomiao looked at the system with astonishment.
The small girl then said again,
"Accept the second mission."
Ling Shaomiao slowly read the words appearing on the screen:
"Rent Unit 13, Minsk Street."
Her face showed clear surprise.
"What…?"
Ling Shaomiao murmured slowly,
"Unit 15 was Klein's room. Now I have to rent Unit 13."
She thought silently, First I should go home and organize everything. Then I need to find out who owns Unit 13.
Perhaps she could obtain information from a real estate agency.
As these thoughts ran through her mind, exhaustion overtook her. Leaning back in the chair, Ling Shaomiao slowly fell asleep.
---
Morning sunlight fell across her face. Somewhere in the distance, a cuckoo was calling.
Ling Shaomiao slowly opened her eyes. Compared to the previous night, the police station felt much livelier now. Papers rustled, people talked—everything made the place feel awake again.
"Miss Nightshade, would you like tea or coffee?"
a young constable politely asked.
Ling Shaomiao thought for a moment before replying,
"Tea would be nice."
A short while later she finished the tea. The warmth spread through her body, and she felt much better than before.
Standing up, she said gratefully,
"Thank you all very much for keeping me safe."
She was about to leave the office when the duty officer stopped her.
"Wait, Miss Nightshade. Mr. Grey will accompany you."
A young constable stepped forward.
"I'm Grey Kit. Today it's my responsibility to ensure your safety."
After speaking, he put on a black coat over his uniform.
Then he smiled lightly and said,
"Shall we go?"
They bid farewell to the other officers.
Leaving the station, they hired a horse carriage and soon began heading toward Ling Shaomiao's house.
---
The carriage moved slowly through the quiet streets of West Borough. Morning sunlight filtered through the trees lining the road.
After some time, the carriage stopped in front of 17 Moonlit Crescent.
Ling Shaomiao stepped out and looked at the house. It seemed someone might have already come to investigate during the night.
Grey Kit looked around and asked,
"This is your house?"
Ling Shaomiao nodded.
"Yes, this is where I live."
The house had been legally registered in her name. The body she now occupied had been raised since childhood by an elderly woman, who had transferred the property to her before passing away.
She opened the door and entered.
Inside were a drawing room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a guest room, and two bathrooms.
Grey Kit stood near the door and said,
"You stay inside. I'll keep watch outside."
Ling Shaomiao shook her head.
"You don't need to stay outside. Please come in."
She invited him to sit on the sofa in the drawing room. Grey sat down.
As Ling Shaomiao walked toward the kitchen, she asked,
"Sir, do you like cookies?"
Grey smiled slightly.
"Yes, a little."
She brought some cookies, several fruits, and a glass of water and placed them on the table.
"I hope you like them," she said.
Grey nodded.
"You can call me by my name."
"Alright, Mr. Grey," Ling Shaomiao replied.
Then she said,
"Please sit here. I'll go wash up."
With that, she entered her room.
Inside, she noticed there were no traces of blood anymore. Everything looked normal. The Nighthawks had already cleaned everything. Besides, they had scrambled her memories earlier so she could remain calm.
She opened the wardrobe and took out a set of green clothes, then went to the bathroom.
After setting the clothes aside, she quickly took a bath. Within minutes, most of the exhaustion left her body. She felt relieved—the smell of blood was completely gone.
However, the wounds remained.
Standing before the mirror, she examined her back. Several injury marks were still there.
She gently wiped the wounds with a towel, then put on the green outfit—a long skirt decorated with light golden embroidery and a matching top.
She wrapped her wet hair in a towel over her head.
After a short while, she stepped out of the room.
Looking at Grey Kit sitting on the sofa, she asked,
"Are you feeling bored?"
Grey turned around.
He saw the girl in the green dress, her damp hair wrapped in a towel. She looked completely different from how she had looked the night before.
Ling Shaomiao spoke again,
"If you feel bored sitting inside, you can come up to the roof with me."
She was holding a bucket in her hand.
Grey Kit stood up and followed Ling Shaomiao upstairs toward the rooftop.