Chapter 3
In this world, there are many different churches, both big and small, but having visited those places, she found them to be just ordinary religions, realms that were far beyond her reach given her social standing.
It seemed she had truly crossed over into an ordinary parallel world devoid of any extraordinary beings, and it was a rough start at that.
No wonder her predecessor had taken her own life; this kind of pressure was not something an average person could bear.
“I’m heading out.”
Dinner ended in silence. Li Qi finished her meal, reminded Xia Er to lock the doors and windows, and then left for her night shift, with the real end of her workday not coming until one in the morning.
At this moment, both Li Qi and Xia Er were lost in their own thoughts, each trying to figure out a way forward.
In the living room, only Xia Er remained, sitting on the sofa, staring at the cold fireplace in front of her, her fingers rubbing the surface of an ancient silver pocket watch, feeling the tick of the second hand beneath her fingertips.
Graduation was just around the corner... If she could get into the police department in Beilun City, she would at least have some means of self-protection. But how could she ensure that the troublemaker Ai An wouldn’t disrupt her graduation ceremony?
“Caw!”
A loud caw from a crow outside startled Xia Er, causing her to flinch and instinctively tighten her grip on the pocket watch.
“Ugh...”
A sharp pain shot through her right thumb. She looked down to see a tiny cut on the thumb that had been rubbing the second hand, blood seeping from the wound and dripping onto the watch face.
Under Xia Er’s gaze, that drop of blood seemed to come alive, flowing along the intricate patterns on the watch face, gradually soaking the entire surface.
“Tick—”
The sound of the second hand ticking exploded in Xia Er’s mind, making her momentarily dizzy.
No way? Blood binding? How cliché!
Everything in front of Xia Er began to blur, and she felt her consciousness sinking into a black void.
Within this dark space of awareness, a silver-white screen lit up, flashing with Chinese characters that Xia Er hadn’t seen in ages.
「Binding the holder...」
「Destiny activation successful...」
「Detecting transferable items... None」
「Detecting destiny points... None」
「First simulation, the system grants 30 destiny points. Please use them wisely.」
After a series of flashes, only three options remained before Xia Er.
「Future: 2Day (June 19, Year 741, 18:27) (Cost: 10 destiny points)」
「Past: 300Day (August 20, Year 740, 12:00) (Cost: 100 destiny points)」
「Old Days: ***, ***Day (Cost: 10,000 destiny points)」
「Note: Choosing Future allows you to simulate the future, choosing Past lets you simulate the past, and choosing Old Days lets you experience a segment of ***. Please choose wisely... It seems you can only select the first one, haha^」
The sight before Xia Er left her frozen in place. After a long moment, she finally snapped back to reality, re-examining the silver-white text before her.
This is... a system?
Only one option...
“Future?”
The word slipped from Xia Er’s lips.
If this really is a golden finger... I have to see how it works.
After making her choice, the silver-white text shattered and twisted, transforming into a rapidly spinning silver pocket watch.
The watch grew larger in Xia Er’s vision, then exploded, enveloping her in a wave of intense dizziness.
...
The blinding white light gradually faded, and the warm scent of wood was replaced by the heavy, sour smell of acid rain mixed with dust.
Before Xia Er appeared a glowing screen.
「Future」
「June 19, Year 741, 18:28」
「Countdown - 23:59:59」
The patter of rain washed away the date displayed on the screen before Xia Er.
Around her, there were no signs of buildings; she had somehow found herself outside, the fine rain soaking her dress.
Looking down, Xia Er saw the black robe she was wearing and the graduation certificate tied with a white ribbon in her hand.
A graduation certificate? Isn’t that something you only receive at the graduation ceremony the day after tomorrow?
Xia Er’s eyes widened. She quickly opened the certificate to check, and there it was—her name, along with her photo.
This was definitely her graduation certificate... The graduation date was June 19, Year 741...
“This is... two days from now?”
Xia Er looked up and quickly recognized her surroundings.
She was on the road leading into Zhongta Alley, facing the way home.
Knowing her personality, she must have already gone to request a recommendation letter from the police department after receiving her diploma, right?
Xia Er jogged to a nearby awning, rummaging through her pocket until she pulled out a letter wrapped in oil paper. Seeing the envelope, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed she had graduated safely and obtained the recommendation letter for the police department... just as she had planned.
She needed to hurry and share this good news with her sister, urging her to quit her job so they could rent a place near the police station together.
With a light heart, Xia Er ran toward home, not even minding the mud splashing onto the hem of her dress. After living in Beilun for three years, she had long since adapted to the frequent rain.
“Dong—dong—”
The dinner bell rang, signaling the factories that it was time to let the workers go for their meal. Accompanied by the chimes, Xia Er wandered through the streets until she slowed down as she turned a corner.
At the entrance of Building 44, a crowd had gathered, murmuring and commenting on the scene inside.
“Xia Er’s here!”
Someone shouted, and the crowd turned to look at her, parting to make way.
At the center of the gathering lay four or five figures, blood mingling with the rainwater and the black gravel beneath them.
Lying on the outer edge was Ai Er, sprawled on his back, his white shirt soaked in blood. His throat had been slashed open by a sharp weapon, and his stomach was cut open, intestines spilling out, his eyes wide with terror in his final moments.
Next to him was a shorter boy, his throat precisely cut. He clutched at his neck with both hands, but blood continued to spurt out as his body convulsed in its death throes.
Behind these bodies, leaning against the blood-stained white steps at the entrance was a figure, holding a sharp knife, her right eye embedded in a silver-gray hilt, her face frozen in a terrifying grimace.
A handful of bloodied flowers scattered around her, and on the steps lay an overturned cream cake, a sugar plaque reading “Congratulations on your graduation, Xia Er~” embedded in it. The rain washed over it, melting the red syrup that flowed down like blood.
“Dong!”
It felt as if a hammer had struck Xia Er’s skull, her earlier lighthearted mood plummeting in an instant.
The cold rain hit her face, but her eyes felt as if they were being scorched by the sun.
What... happened?
“Over there... it’s the Black Water Gang!”
“Quick, run... young lady, you should get out of here too.”
The arrival of a group sent the surrounding residents scattering in panic.
In an instant, the street that had been filled with onlookers was now deserted, not a single person daring to stay.
“Six thirty-one... why is the timing off?”
“Click—”
An old man’s voice came from behind Xia Er.
With the crisp sound of a hammer being pulled back, the metal barrel of a gun was aimed at the red-haired girl in front of him.
Is this a dream...
Coldness began to spread from Xia Er’s heart to her feet and forehead. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the figure on the steps, and the cold rain couldn’t wash away the horrific scene before her.
What had happened? Why... had it come to this?
“Bang—!”
With the sound of a revolver firing, a sharp pain shot through the back of Xia Er’s head, and the world before her was enveloped in a blinding silver light.
When the light faded again, the cold rain had disappeared, and the familiar scent of the old fireplace and toasted bread lingered in her nostrils. She looked at the silver-white screen before her, her hands and feet icy.
...
「Reality」
「June 17, Year 741」
「Evaluation: You ran a bit two days from now, honing your running skills. Since this is your first simulation, there’s a consolation prize... Don’t look so serious!」
「But the bad stuff hasn’t happened yet, right?」
「Reward: Destiny points *1, 【Agility Lv.1】」
「Destiny points: 21」
Table of Contents
