Afterlife Department

Chapter 50 – Archangels

"Ha?" Yi Bing said as he looked at Qi Shan with his brows twitching in annoyance.

Qi Shan pressed his lips into a thin line. "… senior." He called, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment and he looked away.

"Oh." Yi Bing said, his expression turned better. "What is it that you want to ask?" he asked.

Qi Shan gritted his teeth and had to ask Yi Bing again. "I want to ask for your help." He said. "I want you to use your Wholeness." He told him..

Yi Bing fell silent and his face returned to his default expression – blank. "Why?" he asked.

"I want to control the public's opinion." Qi Shan said and didn't hesitate to tell Yi Bing of his plans.

"Can't your Connection do it?" Yi Bing asked.

"I can only control the people's actions, not their mind." Qi Shan said. Connection is one of his ability's skills. His ability is earth, and all that are connected to the soil, he can control. But, it is only limited to their actions. He can't control their mind. Thus, people would be conscious when he controls them.

Wholeness, on the other hand, is different. Yi Bing's skill is mind-control. When mind was controlled, the heart and body will follow. Thus, it is called 'Wholeness' since he can control the whole body. And this is what Qi Shan's targeting.

"Come on. This is a Special World." He continued. "We can affect the living here – just only limited and discreetly, since this world is advanced because of the abilities and no one knows what might happen." He explained. "As long as this world's fate – is ending, is followed." He added. What he meant is that, they can do anything but change Lei Shan's fate. Lei Shan should be this world's protagonist – the leader of the zombie ability users.

"What will I have in exchange?" Yi Bing finally conceded.

Great! Qi Shan suppressed his smile. "I won't annoy you for a month." He answered.

"We only see each other less than the fingers in my hands." Yi Bing said.

"Then, I'll avoid you for 30 times." Qi Shan answered.

"50."

"Deal!" Qi Shan immediately said.

Yi Bing nodded. "When do we start?" he asked.

"Tomorrow. I'll tell you the time." Qi Shan said and immediately left in case Yi Bing would change his mind.

Huo Ling watched as Qi Shan suddenly disappeared. Teleportation? He looked at Yi Bing. Yi Bing seemed to have read his gaze. "Teleportation is the basic skill of grim reapers." He said. "When we trained with our mortal body, I have left my lower body during my first try in teleporting."

Huo Ling tried to imagine it and his face darkened. It shouldn't be too bloody ba? He shook the image out of his head. Then, he stiffly wrote: what is Wholeness and Connection?

"Connection is an earth skill. Wholeness is my skill." Yi Bing answered and explained to him the use of the two skills. "As long as their body touches the soil, Qi Shan can control them." He said. "As for the Wholeness… it is my special skill."

Huo Ling waited for Yi Bing to continue. However, he didn't hear him speak further. When he turned, he saw Yi Bing's attention is elsewhere. He wanted to call him, but he remembered he cannot speak. He wanted to ask him more, but he knows he has to end his queries here. As time goes by, he found more about Yi Bing, but also more mysteries has piled up with it. Some of his confusions were cleared, and some of his questions were answered. But, he wanted to know more of him. Things that are related to him, he wanted to find out.

Huo Ling didn't realize he already is interested in Yi Bing and in the process of liking him. Meanwhile, Yi Bing was deeply thinking. He remembered that only a few people know about his special skill – Wholeness. Qi Shan was among them, since he accidentally saw him use it before in a moment of carelessness. It's not that he was hiding it, just that he finds it troublesome to use. Wholeness is highly lethal.

Connection and Wholeness are actually privileged skills. They are called 'privileged' since only 0001 to 0009 were given the skills of their own. Their codes – they signify their rank. Their rank is based on their potential and skills. These nine people – including him and Qi Shan, they are called the Nine Wings. They are archangels that serves the god. However, Yi Bing has been demoted while 0007 was punished.

Qi Shan is matured before. However, he fell in love with a human and tried to change the human's fate. He was found out and became a mortal after they took his wings and wiped out his memories. When he died as a mortal, he was taken to the Afterlife Department, but with the mindset of when he died. Thus, he acted as a brat towards Yi Bing. He became a completely different person. But, Yi Bing being tolerant of him was because they were former archangels that both has fallen. It's empathy.

Since one was demoted while the other one was punished, they were replaced by other archangels. Ling Shiyi was one of the replacements. However, since their rank cannot be changed because it has been permanent when you've reached the first nine ranks, thus his and Qi Shan's codes weren't changed. Qi Shan, who lost his memories of his previous life, thought the coding was random. Thus, he questioned why Yi Bing should be 0001. That was asked out of a rebellious phase.

Yi Bing remembered Qi Shan's tear mole. They said that you will have a tear mole if you lost an important someone. However, for archangels, it has a different meaning. It is a mark of shame. A mole stains an angel's pure body. The mole, for them, signifies you fell in love with a mortal, making you impure. Qi Shan can never remove this mark. Fortunately, the archangels never descend thus they cannot see them.

Yi Bing sighed and looked at his hand. Wholeness is dangerous. If he were to have an evil heart, he can harm – worse, kill, thousands of people. Thus, archangels shouldn't have an evil heart. If they'll have, they will be punished.

But, Wholeness is different. It has a higher caliber. Compared to Qi Shan's Connection, Connection can only control the physical body. The other Wings' special skill also has its limitations. But, it's never the same for Yi Bing – 0001. Wholeness can control the mind and the body of the ones he can control. However, it has a secret – it can control the soul.