Death... and me

Somewhere in the middle of a gloomy world, an incessant number of large queues could be seen moving towards a ridiculously large building in the distance. The construct was so enormous that it wasn't possible to see where it started or ended on both sides.

Inside that building, there was a nigh-infinite amount of counters, one for each one of the queues outside. As for the ones operating it, they were Spirits. Not only them, but the ones in the queue were also Spirits. Or, to be more specific, Death Spirits.

On the top of the building, several words written in an unknown language could be seen. It didn't matter from where you looked. You could definitely see them. However, for those Death Spirits, reading those letters was simple.

The Universal Transition Organization!

This was the organization that Death was part of before meeting Rean. Death, or Roan, was just one of the countless Death Spirits that guided the souls of the dead to the Path of Reincarnation.

In the middle of these Death Spirits, there was a particular one that seemed to be restless. However, the other Death Spirits around him seemed to ignore it since it wasn't their problem.

"Next!"

The Death Spirit on the counter called the Death Spirit at the front before passing him some kind of small crystal. That Death Spirit absorbed the crystal and immediately disappeared right after.

"Next!"

Another Death Spirit did the same thing and also disappeared.

This situation continued for quite some time until the restless Death Spirit arrived at the counter as well.

"Hmm? What's wrong with you? Your Spirit seems to be in chaos, Tera."

If Rean was here, he would definitely be able to recognize this Death Spirit. Although the shapes were different, that cold behavior was simply too easy to identify. This was Rean's Death, Roan.

"Sigh... Haru, let me ask you something. How long has it been since you saw me last time?"

Tera. That was the name Death went by in the Universal Transition Organization. Roan had never told anyone about it since he didn't feel like it to start with. Even when his 'parents' gave him his name in the cultivation world, he thought nothing of it. At that time, why should a noble Death Spirit like him retort some humans' decision? In the end, Roan simply didn't care.

"Uh... What the hell are you talking about? Didn't you come here to take your next job just 55 years ago? How come you've forgotten already?"

Tera, or Roan, couldn't help but agree with him.

"Indeed, it has been just 55 years... the decades I spent in the other half feels like it has never existed. This also just so happened to be the time I was about to finish my last jobs on Planet VWT19832. Considering that I'm here now, that means I sent all the souls there to the Reincarnation Path without issues, right?"

Haru found Tera's behavior strange.

"Errr... let me check... Yes, you already all sent the Souls into the Reincarnation Path as required. Tera, are you fine?  It has been more than 15000 years since you took your last time off. Considering your ranking and the time you spent working, it wouldn't be a problem to give you a break for a few centuries."

Haru's words made Tera feel even worse, though. Tera, or Roan, had already checked his job list. There, he had all the souls he had to send into the Path of Reincarnation. Tera recognized all of them without any issues. They were, without a doubt, the souls he sent into the Path of Reincarnation.

However, there was one missing. Rean's name! It wasn't there anymore. It was as if Rean's name had never been there to start with. Not only that, the time simply didn't match. He spent over two decades in the cultivation world. Also, he didn't even know how long he stayed in the Reincarnation Path, which definitely added to the time number. However, what he was seeing at the moment was that almost no time had passed at all. No more than a few Earth hours had gone by since he went to Earth... or so it seemed.

'Just what is happening here?'

When Roan woke up, he was already in the middle of the queue, waiting for his time to take the next list of souls. Everything was the same, the Death Spirits around him, the organization in the distance, the Death Spirit behind the counter he always used...

'I'm sure I started the Rank Five Bloodline Trial and used Kentucky's Soul Power to go through it. However, I appeared here soon after. Not only that, but I even remember sending the rest of the souls on Planet VWT19832 list into the Reincarnation Path, which shouldn't have happened. After all, I was sent into the Reincarnation Path before I ended the rest of the list.'

Roan continued to ponder.

'Is this part of the Bloodline Trial? However, everything is way too real. The organization, the Death Spirits, everything... Am I really in the middle of the trial, or has everything I've experienced so far in the cultivation world a lie?'

Haru noticed that Tera went silent, so he called his attention once again.

"Hey, Tera. It seems like you have too much in your head at the moment. You always refuse when I tell you to take your break. This time, I'll have to force you to take it."

Roan was taken aback and was just about to refuse when a light shined in front of him out of nowhere. It quickly enveloped Roan's Death Spirit before he disappeared from the organization.

When Roan reappeared again, he was somewhere completely different. The gloomy world had completely disappeared. Instead, a lush world of green could be seen now. Everything looked perfect. The sky, the Earth, the view... It was as if this was a paradise.

Roan also saw many, many Death Spirits running around, doing their own things.

"Fuck you, Haru! I hate this place!"

Most of the Death Spirits liked to be here. It helped them clear their minds, making them ready for the next thousands of years of work. However, there were some exceptions to this rule, and Roan was one of them. He had never been the type to relax and enjoy to start with, so this calm life made him feel as bored as ever. That's why Roan rarely took breaks because he didn't want to be sent to these 'paradises' at all. If anything, Roan felt even more annoyed every time he appeared here.

"Sigh... whatever. I should spend my time thinking about a solution. It's not like I can't leave anyway. It's just that I never have a place in mind I want to go to either."

Roan then began to move around as he pondered about his issue.

'If this is related to the Bloodline Trial, there must be something it wants me to do. This world must be something made through my memories. However, since I never paid attention to the paradises, this place was created based on what I think it is. That meant that coming to this place might be part of the issue. But why? Why would I be sent here out of nowhere?'

Suddenly, Roan heard a voice from behind him.

"Tera! Is that really you?"

Roan quickly looked around and saw another Death Spirit there.

"Instructor Kafan..."

When Roan was 'born,' Kafan was the first Death Spirit he had ever seen. He was also the one who trained him as a Death Spirit before he began to work alone. Of course, Kafan didn't train Roan alone. Roan was just one of the many Death Spirits that Kafan was in charge of back in his training days.

"It's really you! Hahaha! Long time no see, huh? But... I thought you didn't like paradises."

Roan sighed before nodding.

"I don't. Haru... errr... Haru is the Death Spirit I usually talk to when I take jobs. Anyway, he misunderstood my condition and thought I needed a break. Before I could say anything, he sent me here."

Kafan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hahaha! I can see why you seem so annoyed now. Nevertheless, I'm happy to see you if anything. After all, you're my best pupil even to this day."

Roan faintly smiled as he nodded. Roan wasn't much different back when he worked as a Death Spirit. He had very few friends, if you could even call them friends at all. Maybe calling them acquaintances would be a better way of putting it. Still, if there was someone he was somewhat close with, it would be Instructor Kafan, who taught him everything. After all, it wasn't like Death Spirits knew what they exactly had to do when they were born.

"Fake or not, it isn't too bad to see you again, instructor."

Roan respected Kafan since he always put everything into his works. He was known for his excellence in teaching, and Roan gained a lot from him. It's just that Roan wasn't very fond of Kafan's bright personality.

"Instructor, who is this Death Spirit?"

Roan then noticed many Death Spirits behind Kafan. They were all newborn ones, definitely not over a hundred years old.

"Oh, this is Tera... Errr... You won't find his registration through this name. Look for a Death Spirit Q2MK09257LB later when you go back. For now, you just need to know that he is a Rank 9 Death Spirit."

*WOW!*

All the new Death Spirits felt amazed by those worlds. Roan wasn't lying back then when he said that his position in the organization was quite high. A Rank 9 Death Spirit was definitely an incredible achievement.

Roan was somewhat happy to see Kafan even though he didn't like his personality that much. He decided that he might as well talk to him a little before going back to his plans.

However, just as he was about to say something, he heard a crying voice.

*Sniff, Sniff...*