Chen Le burst through the portal. The blue glow died out, and the scooter's wheels skidded to a halt at a strange outpost.
Not an empty parking lot, but a vast terminal lined with branching lanes. The roar of engines mixed with the pounding of hooves, the rattle of chains, and sparks spitting from exhausts burning blue. Dozens of couriers gathered there—some riding blazing superbikes, others steering golden-antlered stags pulling carriages, and even one weaving past in a boxy car plastered with pizza stickers.
Chen Le shot a quick glance at Lia, who walked calmly beside her horse. His brow furrowed, his voice half a whisper.
"So many other couriers…"
Her reply was short. "Different branches."
That alone was enough to fuel Chen Le's growing curiosity. This world was far bigger than just the first portal he'd stepped through.
A uniformed attendant approached. His face was blank, his smile thin and lifeless. A glowing hologram clipboard flickered in his hand.
"Your task this time: deliver the Living Figure."
Chen Le repeated the words in his head. Living Figure?
Immediately, a silly image popped up—limited-edition action figures, rare collectibles. But the thought crumbled fast.
The ground in front of them cracked open, spitting out two portals. From the first came the lower half of a human body—from waist to feet—wrapped tight in black cloth, standing stiff. From the second, an upper torso emerged—chest to shoulders—without a head, also wrapped in the same black fabric. Chen Le could clearly tell they belonged to a woman. The body parts moved on their own, disturbingly aware. The lower half hopped and opened a cargo pouch with its toes before slipping inside. The torso climbed up Lia's horse's legs with its hand, tugged open another pouch, and shoved itself in.
The air turned colder. Chen Le swallowed hard. It wasn't just strange—it was wrong. Those severed bodies were too alive to be corpses, yet too hollow to be human.
Before he could speak, his scooter rattled. The speedometer needle spun wildly, and a small crack split open in the panel. From it, a woman's head peeked out. Pale face, a smile too friendly—like a cashier greeting a customer.
"Hai hai, delivery man~"
The head fully emerged now—jet-black hair cascading down, stark against skin that almost glowed. Empty eyes rolled wildly, then locked dead onto Chen Le.
He flinched, stepping back half a pace, his grip slipping on the handlebars.
The attendant reached out, trying to shove the head into a cargo pouch. But the woman's voice cut sharp, shrill yet icy.
"No. Too cramped. I won't go in there."
Before his hand touched her, the head leapt on its own—smack!—sticking to the scooter's front panel. Her hair whipped around, strands wrapping the mirrors like living roots.
"I'll stay here," she murmured, as if the decision was final.
Chen Le froze, eyes darting between Lia—who only cast a brief glance—and the pale head now twisting toward him.
"You have something nice, don't you?" it asked suddenly.
Chen Le blinked, baffled. "Something… nice?"
The smile widened. "The good item. The one you're carrying in your pocket."
Chen Le stiffened. His memory jolted back to the strange eyeball he'd gotten from that crown-headed crocodile during his first mission. He hadn't even dared touch it again, yet this thing could clearly sense it.
[ Route has been selected. ]
[ Riders, please enter the portal. ]
[ Important Notice: The distance between Riders must not exceed 5 meters. If the distance is broken, the soul of the Living Figure will detach. Violation will result in punishment. ]
A cold wind swept the terminal as a new portal opened, sucking in the air around it.
Chen Le tightened his grip on the handlebars.
His body stiff, his ears still ringing with that last word from the system.
"…Punishment?" he whispered, barely audible.
Lia was already mounted on her horse, the cargo pouch holding the body parts shifting faintly. "Don't fall behind," she said flatly, eyes fixed on the light of the portal.
Meanwhile, the head stuck to Chen Le's scooter smiled again—smiled like it could taste the fear crawling through the air.
Chen Le stuck close behind Lia. They had just stepped out of the portal, and it was already night. A dark cobblestone road stretched ahead, dense forest pressing in on both sides.
[ Pickup Complete ]
[ Destination: Bloodveil Citadel ]
[ Customer: Lady Alvara Dureim ]
Chen Le's eyes widened slightly. "Whoa, that name sounds cool…"
The black-haired head suddenly hopped forward—smack!—clinging to the scooter's front panel, a thin smile on her pale face.
"Yeah. That's me."
Chen Le nearly swerved. "Hah?! So you're—"
"Don't talk too much," Lia cut him off sharply. She tugged her reins, keeping her horse at a steady pace. "Remember, the gap can't go over five meters."
Chen Le nodded quickly, twisting the throttle just enough to stay level with her.
The head turned back toward the road, her black hair moving on its own, wrapping around the scooter's mirrors to anchor her neck to the dashboard.