Seeing her draw a spear, the approaching group immediately hit the brakes.
"Huh?! An enemy?"
Yui panicked at the sight. Was this an enemy?
Nakamura Yuri frowned. Something was definitely off.
As they got closer, they noticed the girl in front of them was a little different. A blazing aura radiated from her.
"Who are you?" Yuri calmed herself and stared at Hu Tao with wary eyes, raising her gun.
"Don't panic, don't panic. I'm here to deal with your situation. You've all died, you know? Your world has now connected to another. So once that was discovered, I got sent over. I'm here to handle things."
"Ahem! I'm Hu Tao, the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and also a partner of the Underworld."
Hu Tao beamed as she introduced herself.
These people no, these spirits were fantastic.
She could feel how special each one of them was.
So instead of letting them reincarnate, how about letting them transform? Maybe she could make them her employees?
Wouldn't that be even better?
Chapter 492: You Can Even Reincarnate as a Goblin
The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor needed some fresh blood, and the people standing before Hu Tao seemed like excellent candidates. As long as they had physical bodies, that would be enough.
Everyone present was stunned by Hu Tao's words.
"Huh? Are you joking?"
Clearly, no one believed her.
"I'm not joking at all. This is all true! Come on, Prometheus, show them!"
Seeing their disbelief, Hu Tao immediately called for Prometheus to give a demonstration.
Following her command, a subsystem of the terminal activated, and Prometheus's figure appeared before them.
Witnessing this with their own eyes, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. With Prometheus's AI explanation and Hu Tao displaying some supernatural powers, they were all finally convinced.
For a moment, no one could remain calm.
"The explanation is done. Now, let's handle your situations. Anyone who wishes to reincarnate, step forward!"
"Of course, if you don't want to reincarnate, that's fine too. I can turn you into undead, and you can continue living in another world."
"Besides that, you also have the option to be resurrected."
"I'm quite easy to talk to."
"Once revived, you'll be able to live freely, just like before."
"Oh, and if you're worried about where to go, I'm hiring too."
"I run a funeral business."
"We specialize in sending people off."
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has grown quite large now. Even the Underworld is full of my people."
"If you work with me, the pay is excellent."
Hu Tao chattered away enthusiastically, trying to sell them on the idea.
The crowd was dumbfounded. Many were simply overwhelmed.
Now they were being told they could be resurrected? Shocked!
The revelation left everyone stunned.
"Resurrection, reincarnation... Is this really possible?"
Nakamura Yuri stared at Hu Tao intently.
"Of course! It's nothing difficult! If anyone wants to reincarnate, I can guide their soul right now! Painless and safe, straight to paradise!"
After speaking, Hu Tao patted her nonexistent chest with pride. This was her area of expertise.
But her words left everyone even more silent.
Reincarnation giving up current memories and starting anew?
That, many people were reluctant to accept.
Everyone exchanged uncertain glances.
"So what kinds of beings can we reincarnate into?" someone finally asked.
Hu Tao began listing possibilities.
"Right now, we're working with vampires, so you could reincarnate as vampire ninjas or demons."
"If you're talented, the Celestial Realm may even take you."
"Beyond that, you could become goblins and such."
"We've got plenty of races to choose from."
"If you're into the bizarre, even reincarnating as a slime is fine."
"There's a very powerful slime on our side, said to be a reincarnator."
"The only tricky one is becoming human again."
"Because in that world, once you die, you can't reincarnate as a human again. You must pick another race."
"There are even some rare species you can choose. I recommend those."
"Due to their rarity, they're highly welcomed. It's a way to repopulate."
"But not many people want to become another species."
"Even after death, most people prefer to become a ghost."
"Ghosts are pretty much like ordinary people, really."
Hu Tao patiently explained everything to them.
Listening to her, everyone began to feel that what she said made sense.
Yes, they had all been human, and continuing life as another species was hard to accept for many.
If there were no other options, maybe they'd accept it.
But since there were choices, they didn't want to give up being human.
Even though other species had advantages, Hu Tao hadn't mentioned something else:
Even if you wanted to reincarnate as another species, you needed the qualifications.
Not everyone could reincarnate.
Ninety-nine percent of the dead would be sent to reincarnate traditionally.
The people in front of her were rare exceptions. They were good kids.
"Do we really have to do this?"
"Does everyone have to reincarnate or transform?"
"Can't we just remain like this forever?"
Nakamura Yuri couldn't help but ask.
Was this truly necessary?
She understood now that resistance was futile.
If someone more powerful came, they'd be crushed like ants.
This world was nearly destroyed earlier. It was probably because it had connected to another world.
"Yes! Absolutely!"
"And honestly... you guys won't last much longer like this."
"If this world weren't special, you would've been forcibly reincarnated by now."
"Or if you let go of your regrets, you'd disappear on your own and reincarnate."
Hu Tao tilted her head and looked at her seriously.
She understood their situation well.
Staying as they were was unrealistic unless they became a ghost-type race.
Like Yuyuko, for example.
Otherwise, these people would eventually vanish.
That's probably why Takumi sent her.
"Alright... then, have you seen someone who already left?"
"A silver-haired girl, to be specific."
Nakamura Yuri seemed to accept the situation but still had something to ask.
What happened to the student council president who had vanished?
They had visited the place where Kanade Tachibana used to live, but found nothing unusual. She had simply disappeared.
"That girl? She reincarnated as an angel."
"Apparently, she had great potential, so once she arrived on our side, she was sent to the Celestial Realm and became an angel."
Hu Tao immediately understood who she meant.
That girl she briefly met before. Takumi had mentioned her.
Now she was officially an angel.
The others were stunned.
"She became an angel?"
Wow!
Although everyone used to call Kanade an angel...
She hadn't actually been one.
But now well, she really was.
"She was truly kind and had the personality for it."
Hu Tao had no objections to Kanade becoming an angel. In fact, she thought it was great.
Even from their brief meeting, Hu Tao could tell how kind she was.
Becoming an angel suited her perfectly.
She'd once met someone named Ayane who was also a natural fit for becoming an angel.
So, really, there was nothing surprising.
If people like them weren't suited for angelhood, then who was?
Chapter 493: What Does a Ghost Taste Like?
Hu Tao's work was progressing smoothly.
After the members of the Afterlife Battlefront understood the situation, they all made their decisions. None of them chose to reincarnate or be reborn. Instead, they decided to become a part of the Undead race.
They didn't want to forget everything they had now.
Hu Tao wasn't surprised by their decision. She immediately began helping them with the process. She was also skilled in reincarnation techniques. After all, she had been studying it for... well, quite a while. So she was quite proficient.
When it came to things related to the undead, Hu Tao picked it up easily. It was almost effortless for her. Even Shiki praised her as a super genius.
Although she hadn't had much hands-on practice before, the name Hu Tao itself was a guarantee of reliability. That's why helping them reincarnate into the Undead went off without a hitch.
While she hadn't done it many times, Hu Tao succeeded without a doubt.
After reincarnating, there was no visible change in their appearances. However, in essence, they were no longer human.
If they wished, they could now do things like phase through walls, like actual ghosts.
After completing everything, Hu Tao nodded in satisfaction.
Then she took out her terminal and called out, "Prometheus, how do I get back now?"
She had no idea how to return! Takumi had brought her here, but now she had to figure out how to get back on her own.
"Contacting the main body," Prometheus replied.
Shortly after Prometheus's voice echoed, a space rift appeared in front of Hu Tao.
"Please have everyone leave this place immediately. This world is no longer safe and could be destroyed at any time."
Prometheus's cold voice rang out.
The spatial passageway was opened by Prometheus. With the power of the End, she naturally had the ability to open such portals.
She also reminded everyone present: this world was no longer safe. They needed to evacuate.
Although this world was now connected to Takumi's world, the lack of any real security in such a small pocket dimension made it highly dangerous.
There was always a risk of annihilation. Even someone like Hu Tao could destroy this fragile space.
Furthermore, these people had now become part of the Undead race. Staying here any longer could lead to the world's destruction.
Since they had been reborn, they were now capable of absorbing Honkai energy. That alone would make them stronger and stronger. Eventually, this tiny world wouldn't be able to withstand their growth.
Rather than calling it a small world, it was more like leftover scraps from a bigger one.
That was why Prometheus insisted that they must leave.
In short: they couldn't stay here any longer.
Hu Tao nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, this world is dangerous. It could be destroyed at any moment."
"So let's all leave together."
"As for your belongings, forget them. Once we arrive, I'll get new ones for you."
"Prometheus, tell Takumi to open the portal to my home. I'm bringing them back with me."
Hu Tao assumed this space tunnel had been opened by Takumi, so she gave the command.
However, Prometheus corrected her.
"This portal wasn't opened by Lord Takumi. It was opened by me."
Nonsense! This wasn't Takumi's doingit was hers.
Hu Tao was shocked. "You can do that too? Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Surprised!
Her bracelet could even open spatial passages?
Still, Prometheus didn't respond. The view beyond the space rift shiftedit now showed the backyard of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Seeing that, and realizing Prometheus wasn't going to explain, Hu Tao stopped asking.
She began instructing everyone to prepare to leave.
Hu Tao escorted the group back to her Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Upon arrival, several Mecha-Kai robots appeared.
When Hu Tao saw the machines, she knew exactly what they were here for. So she quickly explained to everyone.
They were here to help process identity registrations.
The moment they heard this, everyone was shocked.
Soon after, they each received a terminal and began entering their identity information.
Once they finished, the Mecha-Kai vanished. Their only job was issuing ID cards.
Hu Tao had seen this often, so she wasn't fazed.
After they left, she sat down with the group to chat.
Anyone who wanted to stay and work for her was welcome. If not, they were free to attend school.
Many who came to Takumi's world chose between those two paths. Some started working immediately, while others went to school to learn magic.
Though education wasn't free anymore, the fees were affordable.
Even with part-time jobs, students could pay off the tuition.
In fact, residents who bought homes and settled in Takumi's world didn't need to pay tuition at all. They just had to cover textbook feesnothing major.
Among those present, many were students.
Some weren't interested in going back to school. Several girls chose to work at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
A few boys also stayed.
Yes, they would be in charge of carrying coffins.
Now that she had recruited so many new assistants, Hu Tao was delighted.
She could finally open a branch store of the Funeral Parlor.
After some training, she would send them off to other cities.
In Takumi's world, Hu Tao had a dream:
To expand Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to every city in Takumi's worldor rather, every world connected to his.
She wanted to become the funeral tycoon of Takumi's universe!
In the future, no one would be able to ignore Wangsheng Funeral Parlor when someone died.
She even imagined that one day, she'd open a branch in space.
Grinning at the thought, Hu Tao pulled out her terminal and messaged Takumi.
She told him everything had been settled, and she'd even recruited a few new staff.
At that moment, Takumi was at home.
Upon reading Hu Tao's message, he was speechless.
She really knew how to seize the moment.
Still, it didn't matter. Those people were doing fine under Hu Tao's care.
Besides, they were already dead and didn't want to be reborn as other races.
Now, they were just like Yuyuko's kin.
And that was fine.
Any race would do.
Thinking about this, Takumi grew curious.
What does a ghost taste like?
Maybe I should go ask Yuyuko?
For a moment, Takumi fell into deep thought.
Chapter 494: How Could a Ghost Catch a Cold?
Takumi's mind began to wander into strange thoughts.
Meanwhile, the moment he thought about Yuyuko, she suddenly sneezed while dining in the Gourmet World. She was startledwhat just happened? Could it be ghosts could catch a cold?
Shocking.
"Hmm? Yuyuko, what's wrong?" Yakumo Yukari looked at Yuyuko in confusion. Ghosts catching colds? That shouldn't be possible, right?
"No... nothing. Must be someone thinking about me," Yuyuko replied.
Ghosts didn't catch colds. So, someone must be missing her.
Hearing this, Yukari's face filled with question marks.
Someone missing her? Who?
"Maybe it's Hu Tao talking about me! I promised to treat her to some food, remember? Yukari, let's quickly pack up and head back."
