Afterlife Department

"No… this isn't right." Huo Ling muttered.

They looked at him. "If they know that person will die, then why don't they just save that person and not go to such lengths to find Lin Weng and have him revive them after they die?" he asked.

Hearing what he said, Bai Liu and Wu Yi realized it. "That's right." They nodded in agreement. "Would anyone just look on if they saw a person dying?" they asked.

"Yes, you are right." Lin Jin nodded. "But, it is because it isn't a person that they want to revive." He told them.

"… huh?" they looked at him. "'not a person'…? A ghost?" they asked. "But, isn't Lin Weng's power…?" they muttered.

"Yes… Lin Weng's power is reviving the dead only shortly after they died. But, this…" Lin Jin sighed. "They must have found a way to cover up the shortcoming of Lin Weng's power." He told them.

"Who is it that they want to revive?" Yi Bing asked.

Lin Jin turned to him. "A powerful being that exists only in children's tales – " he answered. " – Zero." He said.

…

Somewhere, Lin Weng looked at the dark clouds in the sky that made the atmosphere even gloomier.

"Why are they still after me…?" he muttered, asking himself. "I already told them that I can't save anyone, no matter what kind of being they are." He heaved a sigh as he looked at his hands. Then, his gaze fell on the red marks around his wrist.

He was working in the company when the Dawn of Light suddenly approached him and told him that they needed him to revive a god. 'god'? That is just children's fairytale! Why do they believe in it! And, this 'Zero' isn't really a god, but a –

…

Lin residence.

"A 'monster'?" Huo Ling, Bai Liu and Wu Yi muttered when they heard what Lin Jin said.

Lin Jin nodded in affirmation. "Yes. A monster that is used to scare children." He spoke. "But, it actually has no name since the beginning and was just referred to as a 'monster' by the parents to scare their naughty and disobedient children." He explained.

"Then, where did this name 'Zero' come from?" they asked.

Every time Yi Bing heard the word 'Zero', his brow twitched since he remembers Lord Zero, or who was Huo Ling formerly as, both an archangel and a grim reaper. But, since Lin Jin said that this 'Zero' is a monster, he inwardly sighed in relief and recovered his expression. He was just thinking too much.

Huo Ling couldn't have gone in this world before… right?

Lin Jin didn't immediately answered. "When the word 'dawn' was spoken, what comes to your minds?" he asked them back.

"'dawn'… it couldn't be – " they looked at him. " – 'beginning'?" they asked.

Lin Jin smiled. "It was never 'one' that was the first. It was 'zero'." He said as he sipped his drink.

Their heart thumped loudly against their chest, especially Yi Bing. Zero… wasn't their codes in the Afterlife Department also starts at zero? They thought as they looked at each other. This… is just a coincidence, right? They added as they clenched their fists.

Fortunately, Lin Jin didn't notice anything and he continued. "The Dawn of Light actually has existed since my grandfather's time." he spoke. "You have heard that the exorcists have experienced a life and death situation, right? And that was how they gained powers?" he asked.

"Yes." they answered. This was what Hao Baiyun told them.

"The founder of the Dawn of Light was actually friends with my grandfather." Lin Jin spoke. "One time, he, my grandfather and their other friends went on a school vacation. A snowstorm suddenly hit the area where they went." He said. "Only the two of them were alive." He looked at them.

Their eyes widened in shock. "So, they have survived and gained powers?" they said.

"It couldn't be called 'power'." Lin Jin spoke. "Because it doesn't come from them. Instead, they borrow it." He told them.

"'borrow'?" they muttered.

"To this being that they call 'god'." Lin Jin answered.

"What?!" they exclaimed.

"After he and my grandfather returned, they talked about this 'god'. They actually have seen this god when they 'died', and this 'god' saved them." Lin Jin explained. "They also said that this 'god' gifted them 'power' for them to use in this new life of theirs." He said.

"What the…" their faces are filled with disbelief. 'have seen when they died'? Doesn't this referring to them – grim reapers?! They thought with widened eyes. "A 'god'? They don't dare to! They aren't gods. They are grim reapers!

Wait, no, this shouldn't be what they are concerned of. They thought as they looked at each other with their gazes speaking. If what Lin Jin is saying true, then, doesn't this mean that a grim reaper didn't harvest the souls of Lin Jin's grandfather and the founder of the Dawn of Light? This is breaking the rules! And one rule is that only the dead can see the grim reaper, never the living. It is because the living will die if they would see the grim reaper, and the grim reaper would harvest another soul.

But, this grim reaper saved the two people. He broke the rule. Who is this 'Zero'? They thought in bewilderment. They didn't notice that Yi Bing is coldly sweating.

'Zero'… a grim reaper… Yi Bing thought. It couldn't be Huo Ling, right? He clenched his fists. Huo Ling was lord Zero before, as the first grim reaper. But, there was no record of him as a grim reaper anywhere, thus no one knows how he was as a grim reaper, especially Yi Bing who followed after him and replaced him as the first grim reaper.

Lin Jin naturally doesn't know the grim reapers' complicated thoughts and he only thought their expressions as a shock due to what he told them. "Unbelievable, right?" he spoke. "Humans shouldn't possess power aside from their knowledge. But, the power of the exorcists exist. It is supernatural, and there are also the ghosts…" he said.

"Then, this friend of your grandfather founded the Dawn of Light after that?" Huo Ling asked.

Lin Jin nodded. "He gathered people who also have life and death experience and the Dawn of Light was created." He said. "My grandfather was his co-founder. He believed that the Dawn of Light exist to worship Zero, expressing their gratitude towards him. But…" he stopped.

"Your grandfather didn't expect for his friend's worship to go beyond his expectations?" Yi Bing asked.

Lin Jin nodded. "That's right. He… wanted to revive Zero." He told him. "It was because their 'god' never appeared again." He said. "They realized that their 'god' disappeared later because they can't find any more people who lived after they almost died. Thus, he thought that their 'god' died." He explained.

They all fell silent. As supernatural beings, they know that gods, although immortal, can also 'die'. But, a god's death is different. They disappear, after there was no one longer that has faith in them. So, gods grants the wishes of their believers in order for them to continue to live. Their power comes from their believers' faith.

So, it wasn't that surprising to them that Zero 'died' and that the founder of the Dawn of Light believed so. But, they also know that there isn't a god in this world. Only ghosts.

"How exactly are they going to revive Zero?" they asked.

"I have told you before that Zero was thought of as a monster before, right?" Lin Jin asked.

They nodded.

"They thought that Zero manifested from people's fear, so they plan to have the ghosts scare the people and collect everyone's fear for Zero to manifest." Lin Jin explained. "Then, there is also Lin Weng's power." He sighed.

"Did Lin Weng inherit his power from his parents?" Wu Yi asked. "If he did, then shouldn't you also have a power? After all, either one of his parents should be your sibling…" he said as he looked at Lin Jin.

"Who said I am Lin Weng's biological uncle?" Lin Jin asked back, making them taken aback.

"You aren't?!" they exclaimed.

"Or else? Lin Weng has a power while I don't have. Let us say that powers can also be inherited through genes, then I also should have one since I am his father's or mother's brother." Lin Jin smiled.

"Then, who is Lin Weng's parent? Why was he with you?" Yi Bing asked.

"His mother entrusted him to me." Lin Jin answered.

"His mother?" they were surprised.

"Lin Weng came from a family of exorcists." Lin Jin spoke. "His great-grandfather is the founder of the Dawn of Light, Fang Bo." He told them.

Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets – literally. "WHAT?!" their jaws dropped in shock.

Lin Weng is the great-grandson of the founder?! Then, doesn't this mean that Lin Weng is the future heir of the Dawn of Light?!