Warm Hearted Manager

Alan was teleported back to the cemetery before he started his life as a Reaper 'I didn't expect to be back here so soon…' He thought with slight regret as he did not like this place much. It was too gloomy and dark for his liking. He much preferred a lighter tone of colours and more vibrant environment, full of life.

The table and chair remained in the center, but something was different. Alan tried to squint, realising that unlike before, the man or God of Death wasn't the one sitting on the chair. This time, there was a fiery red-haired woman,her hair was literally on fire, sitting crossed legged with huge melons on her chest with the biggest frown, filled with anger, directed at Alan.

Alan felt immense danger from this woman, he did not know why he felt so much hate from her, and wondered if they had met before.

He slowly and cautiously walked over to the woman, admiring her fiery hair. "Um...hello. My name is Alan, newly appointed Reaper. Where did the boss go?"

The woman continued to look at Alan and clicked her tongue "Tch, you think you 're so important to be under Death? Are you fucking braindead, you twat!" The woman began barraging Alan with insults.

"I know who you are, yet you couldn't take the time to learn about your manager? What? You think just because Death hired you, you're some bigshot that answers to no one, HUH?" The longer the woman talked to Alan, the louder her voice got that Alan wanted to cover his nonexistent ears but didn't, in fear she would roast him in fire instead of verbally.

After a minute of letting her anger out, the woman then proceeded to say, "What do you want? It's not even been a day since you became a Reaper and you already have a problem? Fucking useless." The woman murmured the last words, but Alan heard it regardless.

' What the hell is her problem…' Alan was getting annoyed by the woman in front of him and did not have a good impression of her. 'This woman is my superior? This job just wants me to suffer…' Alan lamented as he looked at the woman, carefully considering his reply.

"I am sorry. I am still trying to understand my job. I feel like we got off the wrong foot. What is your name? Though you know, my name is Alan, let's get along." Alan extended his bony hand to her, hoping for a handshake, to start a new beginning with his superior.

Seeing Alan's gesture, the woman became more furious "My name is Beth! You better remember that, Alan." She gripped his hand, squeezing his bones till they started to crack from the pressure as her hand ignited in fire, burning Alan's along with it.

"URGH!!!" Alan could only scream in pain and as he tried to back off, but couldn't. Her monstrous grip trapped his hand. Alan could feel his very bones breaking apart as pain coursed throughout and the fire seething in the cracks, melting the inner parts of his hand 'How am I feeling pain! I have no nerves!!!' He wondered to himself as he dropped to his knees from the pain.

Beth stood up and looked down at Alan "Surprised you can feel pain? Of course you can! How else would trash Reapers like you be punished otherwise, huh?"

"You haven't even accomplished your first task of three from dailies! It's been over 6 hours! You're a complete joke. How the hell were you hired by Death!" she said with disgust in her voice as Alan was withering in pain.

"Stop that!" Alan grabbed her wrist with his free hand and activated soul Transfer

[Soul Transfer Activated]

Alan's hand glowed a light blue around Beth's wrist.

Seeing Alan's intent, Beth grew more angry as she gripped tighter and her fire burnt Alan at an increasing rate "You dare attack your superiors!"

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resists completely]

"Urgh! Stop that!" Alan tried to increase his power output by focusing on the energy he felt around his hand, wanting to get it stronger.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

The system prompt once again rang through his mind but Alan didn't care and continued to ignore it as he tried to strengthen his skill on her.

*Crack*

Alan's cracking bones sounded through the cemetery as Beth noticed Alan wasn't turning off his skill " You're still trying? I was going to let you off with some damage, but attacking your superior is forbidden! I can perish your soul for such a crime!" Her fire burnt more brightly as it began to slowly spread through his arm, causing Alan more pain.

[System detects User's life in danger. System suggests User to deactivate skill]

Alan ignored the system and continued to focus on it, hoping to increase its intensity against this demon. The light blue colour darkened ever so slightly, but it was still not enough.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

The fire had spread to Alan's right arm completely, making Alan's body tremble from the pain but also from fear of burning out of existence.

'No...I can't...perish…' Alan weakly thought as he continued to focus his skill on her wrist, making the light blue glow darker.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

Alan's shoulders burned as it spread down to his chest "What did you expect to happen? You 're too weak to stand up to me." Beth got even more pissed off at Alan's blatant disrespect to the rules. She expected him to deactivate his skill the moment she mentioned that his soul would get perished by attacking a superior. If he did, she thought to let him off and actually hear out his problem, but seeing his actions just made her feel like her thoughts about him were correct 'Arrogant, too arrogant! All because Death hired him!'.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

Alan wouldn't stop trying to use his skill. Before, his skill was a light blue that was barely visible, but now the blue was very apparent, but still not completely dark. It would be considered a massive improvement for a Grim Reaper to gain, especially on their first day on the job, but sadly, it was still not enough.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

The fire already covered his entire body except his skull and his left hand, which was producing the skill Soul Transfer. But, slowly, the fire was enveloping the hand, which once enveloped, would forcefully shut down the skill.

*Crack*

*Crack*

Alan's whole body was cracking from the heat, as even his cloak burned from Beth's flames.

[User's life is in parallel. User will perish!]

'He is still trying…' Beth expected Alan to give up by now but he wouldn't, which made her original plan of disciplining him to now his soul being in danger from perishing by her fire "Give up!" She shouted at the now silent Alan. After a while, he stopped groaning or screaming in pain from the fire.

If it wasn't for the fact he was an undead now, Beth would have thought he actually died from his silence.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

The system continued ringing at the soundless Alan.

'Can't...perish…' is all Alan thought about. His mind was completely broken from the pain and cracking of his entire body, it's a miracle he didn't drop his skill and his body with only the arm held by Beth being up.

[Soul Transfer is ineffective, fire elemental demon soul resits completely]

[System overrides User's will, System forcefully deactivates Soul Transfer.]

Suddenly, all of Alan's efforts on his skill were slowly dissipating as the darker shade of blue began to disappear from Alan's hand. Beth knew Alan didn't stop out of his own will but because of the system's fail safe to protect its user from danger if possible which infuriated her even more.

'After all that, he didn't give in to my power!' She screamed in her mind as her fire spread to his skull, 'Fuck it, I don't care.' She was prepared to burn Alan's soul completely.