Ruby's eyes scanned the shops as she walked around. The crowd was thinning, but the shops were still open. She looked through the transparent shop walls, made from a special glass infused with a special chemical that made them solid yet clear, like mirrors but unbreakable.
These walls could turn off their transparency to display different images or ads.
Ruby's eyes widened when she saw the sky suddenly covered with red clouds and a huge red moon appearing.
The whole world was bathed in an eerie, creepy red light. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she gulped, the scene looking like something straight out of a horror graphic game.
The trees in the distance appeared even more sinister under the crimson glow. However, she felt a sigh of relief when she saw that there was still a crowd around. Crossing her fingers, she continued to look at the shops.
One display caught her eye: a phone, which in this world was called a "spectral communicator." Her eyes flashed with recognition from her original memory—she knew how expensive they were.
These spectral communicators had limited functions: just calling, a basic selfie mode, and a simple snake game. They weren't very developed yet.
There were also laptops, known as "ectoplasmic tablets," but they were even more expensive and only the wealthy could afford them.
She saw her chance! If she could buy a laptop, upgrade it, and develop her own business again...
Thinking of this, she spotted a bench nearby and sat down, lost in deep thought.
"Witch, where do you think you're sitting?" Suddenly, a ghost with a big belly came towards her. Seeing her gaze fixed on his belly, his red lips pouted.
"Don't you dare to stare at my precious egg," the ghost said angrily, covering his belly with his hands.
All the little biology Ruby knew flew out of her mind when she heard the word "egg."
"Egg?" she echoed, her voice full of confusion.
The ghost's face flushed as he looked at her. "Yes, my egg! Don't sit on this bench; it's reserved for Princess Belle."
As she looked at him, fragments of memories flooded her mind. She remembered that ghosts could get pregnant. Although they looked like men, their bodies were different. They had ovaries to produce and nurture eggs until they were ready to be laid, and a special egg-laying canal that only appeared during pregnancy.
The shock she felt was overwhelming. Not only that, but they also experienced periods, known as "heat," which occurred only three times a year.
However, when she saw his glare, Ruby said, "I thought it was a public bench," standing up. "There's no name written saying this bench is for Princess Belle."
"YOU DON'T KNOW? ARE YOU LIVING UNDER A ROCK OR WHAT?" The ghost's outburst drew a crowd. Whispers filled the air as more ghosts surrounded Ruby.
One witch stepped forward. She was tall and rough-looking, wearing an exquisite green robe. Though she wasn't particularly pretty, her presence was intimidating.
"Seeing a ghost alone, are you trying to take advantage of him?" she said coldly, walking towards Ruby with a commanding aura.
The crowd started murmuring.
"Yeah, nowadays it's hard for us ghosts. Some vicious witches take advantage when they see us alone."
"Yeah! There should be strict action against those types of witches."
"And she even dared to bother a pregnant ghost! Oh my god, the world is too cruel if we can't find some good witches."
Ruby looked at her and crowd without expression and sighed. "I hate it when people jump to conclusions without knowing anything."
The witch suddenly felt a strong aura emanate from Ruby, a presence that made her hesitate. She felt as if she had offended someone powerful. But looking at Ruby's dirty and poor clothes, she doubted Ruby held any high position.
"Don't make excuses," the witch said coldly. "I know witches like you who don't have any job and like to take advantage of ghosts."
The pregnant ghost shook his head vigorously. "No, no, she didn't do anything to me..."
"Don't worry, you don't have to be scared," the witch said, basking in the admiration she felt from the all ghosts in Crowd. She felt proud and superior.
"No, no, she really didn't do anything. She was just sitting on Princess Belle's bench," the ghost insisted.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"You dare to sit there? I can't believe it!" The witch's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ruby was confused. She tried hard to remember anything related to Princess Belle, but she couldn't recall anything.
"Princess Belle is here!"
"Princess Belle is here!"
Suddenly, everyone made way, and Ruby looked over to see who Princess Belle was.
Her lips twitched when she saw a fat black cat walking elegantly toward her. The cat had a left blue eye and a right green eye, a fluffy tail, and wore a pink princess dress. She looked around at everyone and then meowed, jumping onto the bench. The cat sat there, started licking her paws, and looked at everyone arrogantly, as if she was royalty surveying her subjects.
Ruby's eyes widened as another memory entered her brain.
In this world, cats, dogs, and other animals were rare. In the ghost world's history, animals were considered angels sent by the high and mighty creator of their world to watch over and bless them. Because of this, animals were treated with the utmost respect.
And every area had special benches for these revered animals, along with many small houses scattered around just for them. Any shop they visited would offer them food, as they were considered a blessing.
Suddenly, another wave of shock hit her. It was already surprising to learn that males could get pregnant, but this world's reverence for animals was beyond her expectations.
"God! I just transmigrated, crawled out of a ditch, and now all this drama is happening," she thought, feeling overwhelmed. "At least give me a break to wash myself."
Feeling the weight of the day's events, Ruby sighed deeply. She needed a moment to process everything.
—To be continued...🪄