Plundering the Dao of the Immortal Journey - Chapter 20: Three Questions

I see dead people.But hey, it’s the zombie apocalypse, everyone is seeing dead people, including a blind girl. It’s not like I am that special.For a while, I thought I was going to be Cinderella, complete with the cruel stepfamily and the little mice for helpers. But instead of mice, I got demons from hell with a taste for chaos.Then again, there is nothing wrong with a little chaos in the middle of the apocalypse. It’s what makes life worth living.Unfortunately for others, they don’t quite see it that way. You see, I have a gift. One that isn’t exactly mine, but I can use it however I see fit.My gift is granting wishes.I'm a genie without a bottle, but it would be nice if people appreciated me more. All the humans ask for is the same thing… more food here, shelter there, kill these people, torture those. And I do it all, for a small price.I don’t ask for money or food, I can get that on my own. No, I want favors, souls, something that means everything for the other person. And they give it to me. Their momentary desire worth their long term happiness.But by the time they discover that, I’m long gone, already moved on to my next… client.I know I look young, starvation and abuse will do that to a girl. Humans tell me that I shouldn’t be wandering out there alone. Some try to help me… most don’t. But whoever said I was by myself? Just because others couldn’t see them didn’t mean my demons ever left. I still hear their voices in my head, whispering words of encouragement and love. For them, I’d do anything. Kill anyone. Destroy anything.After all, life is just a game, right? Those still alive at the end of the day were the lucky ones. Those who died were not. Everything is just a game of chance, all a human has to do is roll the dice.My only word of advice is to be careful what you wish for… you just might get it.My name is Hattie, welcome to my world.Would you like a cup of tea?

“Primum non nocere.”

What if you could live your life over again, with all the knowledge of your failures?For Raghav Roi, this isn't a fantasy; it's a shocking, second reality.In the year 2035, at the age of 42, his life ended abruptly with a heart attack while watching a cricket match—a bitter end for a man whose own dreams of cricketing glory dissolved into a life of mediocrity and regret.He closes his eyes in a sterile hospital room, only to reopen them in his childhood bedroom in Chhaygaon, India.The year is 2005. He is twelve years old again, his body weak and unathletic, but his mind is armed with thirty years of future knowledge and a singular, burning purpose: to not waste this miracle.His second chance comes with a mysterious guide. A holographic interface that only he can see declares the activation of the [World's Greatest Cricket System].Few Years Later:Newspaper Front Headlines:[ The Youngest Player in World Tournament][The Record Breaker — ROI ]

Mason was a mercenary, until the day he died on a mission after being betrayed by his unit.