vstars Chapter 71 Death Dust
Chapter 71 Death Dust
You stare at the more than twenty missed calls from Xia Li on your phone and fall into deep thought.
Shirley knows you don't use your phone much, but she hasn't contacted you using your origami cranes either, so you guess it's just her routine check-in.
Having just emerged from the alleyway of his own masterpiece, the Eastern Sinner scrolled through his phone screen, which was shimmering with a complex expression.
Besides the missed calls, Shirley also sent you several text messages. Such as:
When are you going back to the inn? Are you alright? It seems a bit late today... [worried emoji] [worried emoji]
"I'm sorry I called you so many times, but I really just wanted to know if you were okay > <"
"You don't have to reply to me, hope you have fun! [Happy emoji] [Colorful pull-tab emoji] [Party emoji]"
"■■■! Are you really alright?;;"
……
Your expression subtly changed as you looked at the last text message.
Ugh... such a strong attack of guilt...
The image of the nagging yet endearing little princess from hell is vividly portrayed in the text message.
Not knowing what expression to adopt, you stare at the text message on your phone, your face shifting repeatedly.
For some reason, Shirley Morningstar's text messages, which didn't explicitly mention anything but were all urging you to return to the inn, gave you a subtle illusion and a sense of guilt that your departure had made her a left-behind child.
Standing at the alley entrance, the Eastern Sinner tucked his cell phone, which he used primarily for communication, into his sleeve, then waved his hand dismissively.
Her once slightly imposing black clothes faded and transformed into her most frequently worn white shirt. A blood-red jade pendant swayed below her slender waist.
The gentle swaying of the jade pendant carried a subtle ambiguity, seemingly unaware that her fluid change of clothes was actually quite eye-catching. Her eyelids drooped, and she casually snapped her fingers into the air.
"...I fucking told you, all those idiot humans on the Grim Reaper's list must be eliminated this week...!"
"..."
"Uh? Miss?? Why are you answering the phone at this hour?"
As you snap your fingers, a black, portal-like circular frame appears before you.
Hey, of course you also know how to summon a portal, such a useful and convenient skill...
However, most of the time you just use it as a communication tool.
After thinking this to yourself, you, who only seemed to enjoy acting, shrugged at someone.
Before I saw you, the person on the other end of the call, whom I had inexplicably answered, sounded incredibly arrogant. But when they recognized you, the gruff male voice on the other end suddenly became embarrassed.
"...Good evening, Auster."
Before the other person speaks, you politely greet the person on the other side of the small communication door.
It was a demon dressed in a black robe, carrying a scythe, and wearing a skull mask that looked like it had been dug up from someone's grave.
That was the epitome of the Grim Reaper in Western countries.
After you spoke to the other person, the skull mask on their face twisted into an expression that looked like they were "shy".
Good evening, Miss ■■■.
The other person reached out and pinched a non-existent hat on their head, then bowed to you like a gentleman.
His long cloak swayed lightly on the ground like a shadow, making him appear light and ethereal.
The one speaking to you now is Osdor, the god of death who is responsible for harvesting souls from a certain region of the human world.
He didn't have a surname, and even his given name was probably just something he picked up randomly for the sake of convenience.
Most of the time, the Grim Reapers are too lazy to take names, but in order to distinguish themselves from other Grim Reapers, they simply call each other Mary Number One and Two, Tom Number One and Two, and so on.
Those whose names, like Auster's, don't have a number after them are usually the heads of a certain region.
As for why the Grim Reapers seem to treat you well... it's mainly because you once helped them deal with a huge problem on Earth that could have brought them to their doom, and afterwards you also helped them rebuild order. So the Grim Reapers working on Earth are all quite nice to you.
The time corresponding to Hell is probably the turn of the person in front of you on duty, which is why the Grim Reaper you contacted in the human world is Osdor.
"I know you're all busy 24 hours a day, so how about I keep it short?"
Looking at the Grim Reaper in front of you, who was a skeleton and made a shy expression that was both inexplicably cute and a bit like a wronged child, you said this in a teasing tone.
“What? No, madam… cough, I mean, you should know that we Grim Reapers all like you, right? Miss ■■■.”
Osder, who seemed to have misunderstood you, immediately showed a surprised expression when you said that.
"If you're going to say that... even though we belong to hell too, it makes us look like bastards."
Perhaps because Osd's commotion was too flamboyant, the other Grim Reapers who heard your voice also came over at this time, as if they were just joining in on your fun.
Besides their names, the Grim Reapers can also be distinguished by the subtle differences in their skull masks.
After discovering that it was you, the Demon who had used such a luxurious method of communication as creating a portal for Osd, the Grim Reapers, who were just being scolded by Osd and were roughly a size smaller than Osd, immediately started discussing among themselves.
The chattering little creatures looked like a circle of crows surrounding Osd, which was rather adorable.
"Tom Four! Come quick! ■■■ is calling!"
"That's great! Is ■■■ coming to help us this time too?"
"If [the person in question] is willing, we can arrange the deaths of humans exactly according to the plot of that movie! I remember [the person in question] loved it the most..."
"■■■, do you want to come to the human world and play with us?"
……
Because the little Grim Reapers were so noisy and active, for a moment you almost mistook them for Ser Pensius's Egg Soldiers.
I wonder how Alastor dealt with them...
Feeling inexplicably melancholy, you just hope that the broadcasting demon, whose mind is a mystery, can be a little gentler on those little guys. After all, aside from being noisy and prone to doing more harm than good, they do have some use.
"No, little ones."
Faced with the enthusiasm of the Grim Reapers, and having other important matters to attend to recently, you politely declined the little guy's offer after careful consideration.
Perhaps because you refused so decisively, you soon heard a very long, regretful sound from the other end.
"...I'm always being asked to take care of the little one, and I have no choice but to."
Perhaps because of the calm expression on your face, and to cover up the immaturity of the young Grim Reapers, Osdor, as their mentor, spoke up first to explain.
"They won't be so noisy once they mature and become the new Grim Reapers... Go away! Have you completed the tasks I assigned you?! If the world's population explodes, none of you will escape! Get out of here!"
He shouted loudly at Osder, who was deliberately making a shooing gesture to the person next to him.
"I know... but I'm actually calling to find out how the things I ordered in the human world are coming along? Can I have them now?"
Knowing how difficult it is for Austen to take care of a child, you didn't say much, only asking a question in a patient tone.
"..."
"Oh! So that's what you're talking about!... Although we Grim Reapers aren't exactly reliable, you have to trust our abilities! After all, we are Grim Reapers, after all!"
When you bring up this topic, it seems that you finally realized that you called for something important. Austen was stunned for a moment, and then he raised his head and patted his chest confidently.
...You inexplicably feel as if you see a smug expression on the other person's skull face.
"A fresh corpse, alcohol, and some women's items, right?"
Like a character from an animated film, Osder pulled out a long list from somewhere and even put on a pair of glasses in a very professional manner.
After looking through the list in his hand, he solemnly placed the roll of list in front of you, as if to let you see what was written on it.
"...Okay, I know you've all done a great job, but besides that, there's something else I need you to investigate for me."
Feeling like you've fallen back into the cycle of raising kids after seeing off your four children, you quickly stopped the other person's performative personality, your tone becoming serious.
"I ran into a group of kidnappers today. They have Death Dust."
"..."
"...What!? This is fucking..."
Faced with your direct and to-the-point question, it's clear that Auster was about to exclaim in surprise, "How is this possible?"
However, although Death Dust is a contraband like most human items, if you think about it carefully, given that they can use contraband as everyday items, it's not surprising that some members of the Death Slayers might sell Death Dust to sinners...
After all, hell is a rotten place where anything can happen.
"I hope you can help me find out who bought Death Dust. I just need you to give me a name."
"As for which Grim Reaper sold the Death Dust to someone else—whether to settle it privately or report it to your superiors, you can decide for yourselves."
"I said before that I would take care of you for selling Death Dust without permission," he said in a nonchalant tone.
"As for this guy who uses Death Dust... I'll handle him."
The wrath of sinners in the East is always silent.
But just hearing her say that, Auster could feel a chill running straight to the top of his head.
Although ■■■ always appears harmless, rational, and gentle, some Grim Reapers are so easily deceived by her appearance.
However, most old Death Gods would never forget how this sinner from the East once crushed a hellish evil spirit wreaking havoc on the human world with a single hand.
Most of the time, the Grim Reapers are only responsible for maintaining the order of life and death. These little Grim Reapers who work are like dispensable parts in a gear. So even if it is just a sinner lord who has lost control in the human world, he can cause them a lot of trouble.
The main reason why most Grim Reapers of their rank like ■■■ is that ■■■ can freely travel between the human world and hell, and is willing to clean up their messes.
For that alone, ■■■ is already a superman among the Grim Reapers.
Moreover, they would bring food to them, and some Grim Reapers were even willing to sell their souls to them.
...However, the prerequisite is that ■■■ wants it.
After all, Osd has never seen ■■■ enslave the soul of any demon.