Ling Shaomiao had already finished giving nine boxes to the neighbors. Now she only had the last one—the tenth box.
She slowly looked at the final unit. The house was quiet like the others, the windows were closed, and there was no sound at the door.
Ling Shaomiao stepped forward and pressed the doorbell. She waited for a while… but no one came out. She thought to herself, "Maybe no one is home…"
So she decided to leave the box on the stool. She gently adjusted her glasses—pushed them up on her nose—then bent slightly to place the box of sweets and flowers.
At that exact moment—Creeeak… the sound of the door opening was heard.
Ling Shaomiao froze and raised her head to look at the person standing at the door.
A middle-aged woman, probably in her early forty , wearing a simple gown and her hair tied in a bun. Her hair was black and her eyes were calm. At first glance, she seemed like a quiet lady.
But… in the next moment, Ling Shaomiao's gaze fixed.
"No… wait…" Her heart began pounding.
Because through her glasses, she saw a strange symbol above the woman's head—a circular spiral like a clock, as if time itself was twisting. Below the symbol were clear letters—
Error Pathway
Sequence 4: Parasite
Ling Shaomiao's eyes suddenly went pale. A terrifying name surfaced in her mind.
She silently asked herself—"Is this… one of his clones…?" She did not speak the name.
Her hand unconsciously tightened. The air seemed to grow colder, and even in the calm morning, an invisible fear slowly surrounded her.
For a moment, a shadow of fear was clearly visible in Ling Shaomiao's eyes. But the next moment, she forced herself to calm down.
"Please… don't let him steal my thoughts…"
She slowly regulated her breathing and politely lowered her head, as if nothing unusual had happened. "Good morning," Ling Shaomiao said in a calm voice.
The middle aged women standing at the door stared at her with unwavering eyes. There was a strange depth in her gaze, as if she were trying to see into the heart of a person.
Ling Shaomiao slightly extended the box in her hands.
"I am Aria Nightshade," she said, putting as much natural politeness into her voice. "I am the new neighbor in this area. So I made some sweets for everyone."
Then she placed a few flowers beside the box. "I hope you will accept them."
The woman remained silent, staring at her for a few seconds.
Those few seconds felt like several minutes to Ling Shaomiao. Her mind rang with caution—speak carefully, think carefully.
Finally, the woman slowly smiled. There was a strange mystery hidden in that smile.
Ling Shaomiao silently exhaled with relief, but showed none of it outwardly.
The woman smiled gently. Though there was a smile at the corner of her lips, her eyes were strangely steady—observing, measuring.
"I've lived here for so many years," she said slowly, a hint of amusement in her voice, "but I've never seen a new neighbor give sweets to everyone on the very first day."
She glanced once at the paper box, then turned her gaze back to Ling Shaomiao.
Ling Shaomiao remained internally cautious but outwardly calm. She gave a light smile, as if this were completely normal.
"Actually," she said slowly, with a hint of humility in her tone, "in the place I lived before, this was customary. When a new person arrived, they gave small gifts to the neighbors—sweets, flowers, sometimes fruit."
She took a few fresh flowers from the basket and placed them beside the box.
"This makes it easier to start conversations with people," she added, "and it helps the new place feel like home quickly."
The woman remained silent for a moment. A faint curiosity flickered in her eyes, as if she were trying to discern something from Ling Shaomiao's words.
In that awkward silence, Ling Shaomiao politely bowed her head, "May I ask how I should address you, Mrs…?"
Ling Shaomiao slowly extended the box and flowers toward the woman. "I hope you will accept these," she said politely.
The woman stared at the box for a moment, as if observing the girl more than the contents. Then she reached out and accepted the sweets and flowers.
"My name is Clara Wilson," she said in a calm voice. "Thank you, Miss Nightshade."
Her voice carried politeness, but also a strange, mysterious steadiness.
Ling Shaomiao silently exhaled for a moment. At least the conversation had ended normally—that alone was a great relief.
She bowed politely. "Have a good day, Mrs. Wilson."
With that, Ling Shaomiao gave a light bow and slowly turned away.
A few steps later, she still felt as if someone's gaze was fixed on her from behind. Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
Unconsciously, she adjusted her glasses, so as not to see the frightening writing again. A thought ran through her mind—
"A Sequence 4 Parasite… my neighbor?"
She didn't look back. Instead, she increased her walking pace slightly. Only one thought was clear in her mind now—stay as far away from this neighbor as possible.
Ling Shaomiao slowly walked down the street. The basket in her hands was now nearly empty, but the weight of thoughts in her mind had grown heavier.
A sudden thought came to her mind—"If this really is one of Aman's parasites…?" She paused for a moment, then mentally calculated. "According to the novel… Klein has never met this woman."
This thought felt slightly strange to her.
If this woman really is a Sequence 4 Parasite of the Error Pathway, then her presence here is not abnormal—
But then the question arises, why is there no mention of this in the novel? Or…
This world isn't exactly the same as the story she imagined?
Ling Shaomiao slowly shook her head. "No… maybe I'm overthinking."
She opened the door to her room and went inside. The long morning seemed to suddenly end. She closed the door, exhaled a sigh of relief, and slowly sat down in her chair.
At that very moment, the familiar blue screen appeared again. Standing in the middle of the screen was the familiar little girl, her expression calm as before.
The girl spoke in a soft voice, "You have completed your task. Therefore, you will receive a reward." Along with her words, the large spinning wheel appeared in front of the screen again. The circular wheel was filled with the names of various prizes, with a red pointer in the center.
Ling Shaomiao stared for a moment, "Again this…" she muttered, and followed the same procedure to spin it.
The wheel spun rapidly. After a few seconds, it gradually slowed—
And finally stopped.
An object appeared on the screen. A white coat. Beneath the image were several lines of text—
Ability: Become invisible (No Beyonder can detect the wearer), thoughts cannot be stolen, no future prophecy will affect the wearer, the wearer appears as an ordinary human.
(It can change its color and texture, and when worn, can be completely invisible to anyone except the user.)
Usage method: Mentally focus on how you want to use it.
Ling Shaomiao finished reading the instructions.
"Please note," she said, "you must kill Aman's parasite within the next month."
Her body froze instantly. "What…?" She almost jumped up. "So… it really was one of Aman's clones?"
The girl on the screen answered without emotion, "Yes."
This single word seemed to make the air in the room heavier. Ling Shaomiao remained silent for a moment, then quickly asked another question—"Is… it stealing my thoughts?" Her voice now carried clear worry.
The little girl on the blue screen calmly replied, "It could only hear the thoughts of an ordinary human."
Ling Shaomiao frowned, "Ordinary human?"
The little girl on the blue screen remained silent for a moment, as if observing Ling Shaomiao's reaction. Then, in a calm voice, she began to explain—"There are still two souls in your body," the girl said.
"One is the original owner of this body—Aria Nightshade. And the other is you."
Ling Shaomiao furrowed her brows.
The girl continued, "However, calling them two separate souls is not entirely accurate. It's more like—two souls are partially merged together. A portion of your memories, feelings, and thoughts are intertwined."
A few seconds of silence fell over the room.
Then the girl added—"This is why it could only hear your upper thoughts."
Ling Shaomiao slowly said, "Upper thoughts…?"
"Yes," the girl calmly replied. "In a human mind there are usually two layers of thought. One is the immediate, natural thoughts—which people don't fully control themselves. The other is the deep thoughts—where your true analysis, doubts, and secret information reside."
She paused slightly, then said, "Since your soul and Aria Nightshade's soul are partially merged, the parasite could not enter the layer of your deep thoughts. It could only hear some ordinary, vague thoughts."
Ling Shaomiao slowly exhaled with reli.