Chapter 2
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Chapter 2: The Dying Person
Wang Xiao, twenty years old, was not a student.
He was a dying person.
Since the dawn of the new era, under the relentless oppression of extraordinary beasts and various monsters, the average human lifespan has drastically diminished, and the duration of education has naturally been curtailed.
In Hope City, universal education ceases at the age of fourteen, after which individuals are funneled into various streams and divisions, aiming to achieve a perfect "release permit" by the ages of eighteen to twenty.
Extensive surveys, talent assessments, and specialized accelerated training ensure that, even with a population reduced to mere millions, all sectors can still maintain a sufficient supply of personnel.
Wang Xiao underwent medical training, though this was not a professional medical education. Instead, it was a streamlined system designed to sustain operations amidst a personnel shortage.
In essence, with the assistance of professional instruments, Wang Xiao could perform many tasks typically reserved for doctors, yet he could hardly be considered a true doctor.
This young man, who had only gained a bit of weight due to the stress of graduation, was plunged into utter despair upon hearing of his father’s death in battle.
It happened during a small beast tide two days prior, as commonplace as the daily tides in Seaside cities.
A young man named Lin Qingliu had died under mysterious circumstances, though Wang Xiao was entirely unaware of this.
But another piece of news shattered his psychological defenses.
Wang Xiao’s father, a soldier tasked with city defense, had perished, just like countless others he knew or didn’t know, during a routine attack.
Overwhelmed by grief and anger, Wang Xiao made the most irrational decision—
He chose to enlist in the army.
However, reality proved far heavier than he had anticipated. Just when he thought he had nothing left to lose, an unsatisfactory medical report was presented to him, revealing otherwise.
Wang Xiao couldn’t comprehend how, at just twenty years old and only slightly overweight, there could be something so large inside him.
In any case, due to basic humanitarian considerations, this terminally ill patient with only three months to live was neither accepted into the army nor provided with any treatment.
In an era where human lifespans have drastically shortened, the majority of people do not live long enough to reach the average age for tumors to appear, and medical resources are equally scarce, never favoring an ordinary individual like him.
Wang Xiao abandoned any hope of treatment and withdrew all his remaining savings. His father’s compensation was still in the approval process, but he no longer cared.
The world would not miss one person like him. He planned to eat well, sleep well, and then bid farewell to the world.
This was Wang Xiao’s plan for his final twenty-four hours of life.
On his way home, Wang Xiao stumbled upon a newly opened mental health clinic. This was not unusual in itself, but for Wang Xiao at that moment, it felt different.
The building housing the clinic was quite old, yet the interior decor appeared fresh, creating an eerie juxtaposition of newness and age.
Moreover, the flickering, glaring LED sign at the entrance caught Wang Xiao’s attention with its bizarre contrast, reminiscent of certain hair salons that dabble in side businesses.
Even someone who had never experienced mental health issues should know that calmly planning one’s own suicide is not indicative of mental well-being.
Thus, driven by some last-ditch survival instinct, Wang Xiao entered and encountered a doctor in a white coat who appeared to be around his age.
Wang Xiao himself was uncertain about what he truly wanted. Perhaps he had genuinely lost hope; he shared many things with the doctor but never mentioned his desire to end his life after the next time he woke up.
The young psychologist discerned his troubled and conflicted heart and employed words of comfort that Wang Xiao had never heard before, but to little avail.
Just as Wang Xiao was about to rise and leave, the psychologist abruptly shifted the conversation toward religious beliefs.
“Such things were debunked before the new era began, right…”
Wang Xiao felt exasperated hearing such antiquated notions. Did he really have a face that made him an easy target for deception?
Although the doctor’s theory carried a hint of novelty, it merely shifted the dirt from neck-level to the chest, offering no fundamental change.
Yet the psychologist clearly thought otherwise, as he earnestly explained:
"Often, people aren’t oblivious to the falseness of such things; they simply seek a fitting solace.
"Besides, isn’t this the new era now…"
With a cheeky grin, the psychologist quipped:
"Superheroes have emerged, so why can’t gods exist?"
Though Wang Xiao was inclined to refuse, his innate curiosity and a touch of pity for the gullible ultimately led him to purchase the "Luxury Baptism Package" for two thousand information coins.
According to the psychologist, the baptism symbolized rebirth, a farewell to the past, and the dawn of a new life.
Wang Xiao feigned agreement, half-expecting to witness some high-tech marvel. Instead, the rather frail-looking psychologist wobbled in, carrying a large red plastic basin brimming with water.
The fool was none other than myself!
The dying Wang Xiao chose not to argue with this increasingly dubious figure, instead resigning himself to cooperate.
Yet, as he complied, the psychologist seemed to exude a certain devoutness; even his white coat appeared to shimmer like a golden robe under the flickering, dim light.
Before Wang Xiao could ponder this, he felt his neck being seized and was plunged into the water.
Just as the water began to fill his ears, the last words he heard were:
"The greatness of God needs no explanation."
As he listened to an unfamiliar prayer, Wang Xiao’s consciousness wavered momentarily before clarity returned, and then…
Then the blasted ritual was over, and his two thousand coins were gone!
The psychologist sure knew how to make quick money!
I ought to learn this in my next life!
The fleeting daze Wang Xiao had experienced vanished entirely with the loss of his two thousand information coins. He sighed and stepped out of the mental health clinic, which wasn’t far from his home.
"I’m back."
He murmured softly as he opened the door and entered the dark room.
He had come to terms with being the sole occupant of the house, yet the habits ingrained over the years remained unchanged.
Before his mother’s passing, he would always return home with a vibrant declaration of "I’m back," as if the entire building needed to hear it.
After her death, that customary greeting lost some of its vigor, gaining instead a sense of solemnity.
Now, following his father’s demise, it sufficed that he could hear his own greeting.
After his usual nightly routine, Wang Xiao lay down on his bed as he had countless times before. With one last glance at the familiar ceiling, he firmly closed his eyes, embracing his final rest.
His consciousness gradually faded, and in a haze, he felt as though he had entered another realm. A wave of familiarity washed over Wang Xiao.
Where had he felt this before?
Wang Xiao’s mind stirred, yet he remained in his current state.
At last, he found the answer—
The baptism! During the baptism, he had experienced this familiar sensation in a daze.
With this epiphany, Wang Xiao’s consciousness descended into the deep sea.
