Chapter 71: The Person in the Bag
Chapter 71: The Person in the Bag
Chapter 71: The One in the Bag
Early the next morning, Xiao Luo woke up with panda-like dark circles under her eyes.
After half a night of mental gymnastics, she carefully cross-checked the information revealed in the post from the newcomers' forum:
The OP had mentioned that all the classmates present were majoring in folklore/religion/philosophy—which lined up perfectly with the newly established School of Religion and Philosophy at University A;
The OP mentioned that the lecturer was compelled and beguiled by mysterious forces, leading a group of students to conduct research in the mountains—in Xiao Luo’s gradually resurfacing memories, Junior Yi had also disappeared for a few days and later returned, saying he had gone on a research expedition with his professor, which matched;
The OP’s description of Classmate E—enigmatic, standoffish, usually quiet but reliable—also aligned with Xiao Luo’s impression of Yi Fengchu…
Xiao Luo even noticed that the OP had written in Chinese, and from the additional information revealed in their offhand comments, they were also a Third Dimension local, tightening the net further.
And when Xiao Luo connected Yi Fengchu with Mr. Narrator, she realized that some of the deity’s displayed personality traits actually had uncanny parallels with Junior Yi…
Could this be the proverbial family resemblance?
“Yikes—could it be that Junior Yi really has some mysterious hidden identity?”
If this speculation held, could it explain Mr. Narrator’s conspicuously warm attitude toward her?
Through pure happenstance, she had already become acquainted with the bloodline He valued…
Even after sleepwalking through her morning ablutions at the sink, Xiao Luo remained still reeling from shock and confusion.
When she entered the living room, the deity’s avatar was already sitting leisurely on the sofa, holding a mysteriously materialized newspaper and reading quietly.
Today, He had reined in His silvery aura and was dressed in a white shirt and black suit befitting His “father” persona. His collar was impeccably knotted with a pure black tie, and his cuffs and hem were perfectly straightened, not a crease in sight—almost as if He had a touch of a perfectionist streak.
Apart from His face, which remained shrouded as if behind frosted glass, His attire and demeanor resembled that of a proper gentleman enjoying a leisurely morning.
Xiao Luo’s mind was transported back to last night’s scene, and her gaze was drawn magnetically toward the entrance.
The black umbrella once held by the deity now hung cleanly on the coat rack by the door, the strange gold-red bloodstains miraculously vanished.
Xiao Luo couldn't catch a whiff of blood in the air—likely the umbrella had already been cleaned…
Wait, did Mr. Narrator clean it Himself?
The question popped into her mind but was quickly dismissed, as she couldn’t possibly associate such a down-to-earth chore with a deity.
*‘But the obsessive neatness and cleanliness do remind me of Junior Yi—no, no, it’s not right to say a father resembles his son, that’s putting the cart before the horse!’*
*‘Wait, what am I even thinking?’*
*‘Maybe it’s the lack of sleep making my thoughts scatter… I need to focus!’*
Rubbing her sleep-deprived head, Xiao Luo envied the avatar’s ability to function without rest as she slowly gathered her scattered wits.
A glance at the clock showed 7:26—cutting it close for her punctual self, who preferred arriving early to class.
So she bade a respectful good morning to the deity’s avatar, grabbed a few slices of bread and a bottle of milk from the kitchen, hastily shouldered her backpack, and prepared to leave.
But just as she pushed open the door, a gentle voice arrested her departure from behind: “Wait.”
She immediately turned and stood straight. “Please go ahead—is there something You need me to do?”
The avatar nodded slightly. “Given that I’m currently using your ‘father’s’ identity, I cannot leave this area for now. So I’d like you to assist me in a new experiment.”
Xiao Luo nodded solemnly. “I’ll follow Your instructions to the letter.”
Seemingly pleased by her obedience, the avatar’s tone held a note of playful approval. “Look down.”
Xiao Luo immediately lowered her head and saw a black satchel placed by the door, distended with mysterious cargo.
“I’d like you to try taking this to school,” He added after a pause, “If you find that it cannot cross the boundary between the residential area and the road, simply set it down and go to school alone.”
“Understood.”
With that, Xiao Luo picked up the satchel and left.
Of course, she was itching with curiosity—what could the deity have specifically asked her to carry?
Was it some reality-bending artifact, or a divine object imbued with His power?
…Surely it wasn’t the grisly trophies of whatever creature the avatar had killed last night, handed to her for disposal?
As these thoughts played ping-pong in her head, Xiao Luo had traversed the residential area and stepped onto the path leading to school before she knew it.
“Good, no issues with crossing the boundary like the avatar mentioned. Everything’s going smoothly.”
Muttering to herself, Xiao Luo’s spirits lifted slightly after completing this small task, and her steps quickened as she soon reached the park.
Out of habit, she glanced over the fence toward the park, which was still under renovation.
Based on her experience, most anomalies on this route occurred during the evening commute—shadowy stalkers, inexplicably appearing alternate paths, and children inviting passersby to play in the park.
This morning, however, everything seemed normal under the sunlight.
The cartoon elephant-shaped slide was covered in a layer of dust, while the red swing swayed slightly in the breeze, its oxidized links moaning piteously.
“So this is the place… where a group of mysterious children might appear in the evening?”
The voice was reedy and childlike, like that of a young child whose vocal cords hadn’t fully developed, carrying an unmistakable innocence.
At first, Xiao Luo failed to register the oddity and nodded naturally in response. “Yeah, they’d persistently coax people to climb the fence and play with them…”
Mid-sentence, she froze, realizing the problem—
Who was talking to her?
Jumped a mile, she followed the sound and realized it was coming from the satchel in her hand.
“Y-You…” Xiao Luo stammered in shock before barely managing to force out through clenched teeth, “M-May I ask who You are?”
She had only been joking earlier—was there really some victim Mr. Narrator had just killed inside the bag?
“It’s me.”
An airy titter came from the satchel, followed by a riddling response. “The one who told you to carry the bag was ‘me,’ and the one inside the bag is also me.”
Xiao Luo’s mental gears ground to a halt for a moment, leaving her speechless.
After a pause, she finally deciphered the meaning and whispered in disbelief, “Y-You… You’re also Mr. Narrator?!”
Now that she thought about it, the tone of speech did sound like Mr. Narrator!
But the voice was so drastically different—bell-like and juvenile—that she hadn’t recognized it at first…
Inside the black shoulder bag, the tiny clone that had taken the place of the "little sister": "..."
The word "also" was so presumptuous.
As if the Narrator were some kind of creature or a species—though, given His current state of constant cellular division, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
But the tiny clone merely silently complained inwardly before struggling to roll several dozen degrees, adjusting its position in the bag to make itself more comfortable in this unfamiliar round shape.
When she realized what was really inside the bag, Xiao Luo grew even more nervous. The previously light shoulder bag now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making her unsure how to hold it properly.
"Y-you, are you comfortable in there?" she asked anxiously. "Is the height I’m holding the bag at, the force I’m using, and the movement as I walk... all acceptable to you?"
The tiny clone was Yi Fengchu’s second clone in this scenario. For convenience, He had temporarily called Himself "Xiao Feng." With a calm tone, Xiao Feng replied, "It doesn’t matter whether I’m satisfied or not. Right now, I’m basically using your ‘little sister’s’ identity and body—no limbs, no facial features, just a sphere of flesh."
"Don’t worry, you won’t have to keep carrying me. This situation won’t last long. I’m already growing limbs that will make movement easier."
Xiao Luo didn’t know what to say.
The thought that she was holding a living sphere of flesh containing part of Mr. Narrator’s consciousness made her scalp prickle with goosebumps.
—This was a human’s instinctive revulsion toward things that defied all logic and nature. But Mr. Narrator didn’t seem to share this reaction.
He always seemed to adapt effortlessly to any role—whether as a "father" or a "little sister" in the form of a ball. He accepted it all with complete ease, even conversing with her from the perspective of something stuffed into a bag, like a victim in some murder case...
Now, Xiao Luo was starting to believe that His claim of "loving drama and performance" might actually be true.
This god might truly treat countless worlds as stages and the fates of all living beings as roles, immersing Himself in the observation and participation of one "play" after another.
With a blank face, Xiao Luo carefully carried the bag containing the deity into school, doing her best to steady her breathing and movements to ensure a smooth journey.
*‘If word got out that I once transported a deity, I’d be light-years ahead of players at my level...’*
So thought Xiao Luo.
At the school gate, many children around Xiao Luo’s age were chatting and laughing as they entered. But they all shared one common trait—they had no faces.
Since Luo Shengle couldn’t possibly remember the faces of so many schoolmates, the school setting had left the background NPCs faceless.
Even if Xiao Luo tried interacting with them, these children would only respond in the most basic ways, like nodding or greeting.
Only her classmates and a few teachers had the privilege of possessing distinct faces and simple names, looking almost human.
Well... at least they looked more human than the one currently in her bag.
Familiar with the route, Xiao Luo found her classroom building. The nerve-wracking walk had left her exhausted, so she decisively chose the elevator over the stairs.
"Ding—"
The elevator arrived. The metal doors slowly opened before her, revealing an empty car.
Just as she was about to step inside, the deity in the bag spoke.
"Stop." "Is the elevator before you the correct one?"