As Michael led the children toward the village, he spotted Gaya, along with Cindy, her mother, and the baby, midway.
"Roy!"
"Cindy!"
Cindy shouted excitedly as the children rushed toward her and her mother, tears streaming down their faces.
"Young Master Riyan..."
Cindy's mother approached Michael, her eyes welling up with tears as she gazed at Riyan's lifeless body.
"You arriving here was a blessing. The children shouldn't see the village. They've been through enough," Michael said softly.
"Thank you, young master," Cindy's mother began to crouch and grab his legs to express her gratitude, but Michael stepped back.
"No need for that. Just take care of them. I'll be back soon."
Leaving them behind, Michael proceeded toward the village with Gaya.
"It was the Blood and Bones Sect, human," Gaya began to explain.
"Why?" Michael inquired.
"The reason is surprisingly simple, human. According to the woman, the Blood and Bones Sect was extorting coins from the villagers under the pretext of a protection fee."
"Protection from what?" Michael questioned.
"From nothing, really. They were using the excuse to squeeze money from these villagers, and recently, they raised the protection fee," Gaya said, air-quoting the words 'protection fee,' and continued.
"The woman mentioned they could barely afford the previous fee, but when it was raised, they simply couldn't gather enough coins, so they asked for more time."
"And they didn't grant them more time, did they?" Michael asked, his anger simmering.
Gaya shook her head in response. "No, instead of granting them more time, those wretched individuals decided to use the villagers as living targets, allowing their students to practice spells on them."
Though she couldn't see Michael's face as she followed him, she could sense the rising killing intent in his demeanor.
"If it weren't for the human in your arms, who killed some of their students and led the remaining children away from the village, those innocent children would also be dead. What do you intend to do, human?"
"First, I'll give these people a proper burial. They deserve that much," Michael declared resolutely.
******************************
At that moment, Gaya felt thirsty and tired just from watching him dig hole after hole, burying each villager after wrapping them in white cloth.
"Why are you doing this, human? You don't know these people. You already used a valuable healing potion to save that child and its mother."
"It's not much, Gaya. This is just a basic act of humanity. Where I come from, people are always there to give the deceased a proper burial. I don't think that's the case here. Tell me I'm wrong."
"I don't know where you came from, human. But here, this is how things are. In this place, there's only one rule: the rule of the jungle. If you are not a predator, you're prey."
Michael took a deep breath and plunged the shovel into the ground, while Gaya observed the unwavering determination on his face.
"Then the only way for me to survive in this world is to become the deadliest predator in this jungle."
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for setting a goal. The host will receive a reward of 450 badass points and a healing potion.]
Gradually, he began to grasp why he was sent to this world with the system. Until now, he had never imagined that this world could be so chaotic, where the strong could hunt down and massacre people as if they were nothing.
In his previous life, every person he had killed had been a criminal or a wrongdoer in some way, making the world better off without them. He had never taken an innocent life. Even as a hitman, he had a moral code. But the cultivators in this world showed no mercy toward these unfortunate people. Cindy had walked for hours to reach the guild and seek help, yet none of them had been willing to assist her. Instead, they had tried to drive her away.
If someone like Riyan had arrived earlier than he did, they could have saved more lives, more children. On Earth, he would have paid a generous sum to these people and moved on because he had no power to change the entire world; he was just an ordinary human.
But in this world, he had the means to become the strongest. He possessed the most powerful weapon in this world: the system.
The fragment of Abras's soul had shifted Michael's perspective and influenced his mindset. After burying all these people, he had found his place and understood what he needed to do.
"I'm going to do what I do best—send the scum of the world straight to hell,"
Host: Michael.
Cultivation Level: Foundation stage, level 9.
Experience Points: 24500/25000
Badass Points: 2000.
Current Skills: Lightning Dash - level 1.
Ignitia - level 1.
Wind Blast - level 2.
Passive Abilities: Environment scanning - level 1.
Responsive Energy Shield - level 1.
Occupation: Adventurer.
Status: Healthy.
Goals: Be the Strongest Predator in this world.
Subordinates: Gaya (loyalty level 10%).
Notable Skills: Above average in marksmanship, proficient in close combat.
"System, how many points are required to upgrade the energy shield?"
[Level 2 of the Responsive Energy Shield will be able to completely block all attacks from a Body Refining stage, up to a Body Strengthening level 2 attack. 1500 points are required to upgrade to level 2.]
"Do it."
He didn't require another offensive skill or an upgrade for Ignitia, as he possessed a knife capable of taking down anyone below level 6 of the Body Strengthening stage. In a life-or-death situation, the shield would prove invaluable, so he didn't hesitate to spend the points to upgrade it.
"Gaya, did you inquire about the sect's location from the woman?"
"Don't be reckless, human. Although this is a newly-founded sect, the woman mentioned that the sect leader is a body strengthening level 2 cultivator."
She expected him to be frightened or at least slightly concerned. However, to her surprise, he wore a grin.
"It appears the universe itself is urging me to kill them."
When he decided to upgrade his shield, he never imagined it would render him invulnerable in their presence. With his shield, even their mightiest member, the sect master himself, would be powerless to stop him from eradicating them.
"Gaya," his grin faded into a serious expression.
"From this moment on, I will kill a whole lot of people and make many enemies, probably powerful ones. So if you want, you can leave."
He was almost certain she wouldn't leave, but he wanted to give her the choice, and if she opted to stay, he would honor it.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Without my cultivation, the Nagas will eventually find me and kill me or worse."
She sighed and continued, "But with you, at least I have a chance to restore my cultivation and kill that bitch. So, this princess will stay with you."
"Good choice. Stick with me. I'll not only heal you, but I'll also help you seek your revenge, deal?"
He extended his hand, and Gaya shook it with an ear-to-ear grin.
After burying the last body, he washed away the sweat and stench in a nearby well, drying himself and his clothes by generating hot air using Arch Energy.
"Let's go."
Taking Gaya, he returned to meet the children and the woman on the outskirts of the village.
"Young master, young miss."
Upon spotting him and Gaya, the woman rushed over. Most of the children were asleep, while the baby in her arms appeared exhausted from crying due to hunger.
"Is there anywhere you can take the children and settle down?"
"No... young master."
The woman shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she contemplated their future without her husband to provide for them.
"System, do you have groceries and cooking utensils?"
[The host should be aware that, with enough badass points, the system can provide the host with anything.]
"Alright, alright."
The woman was taken aback as she witnessed vegetables, bags of rice, and utensils materialize before her.
"Don't refuse. Take these and start cooking. When I return, I'll help you find a new place to settle down."
He gently wiped away the tears from the woman's face, and she nodded with a grateful smile.
"Young master, what should we call our savior?"
Gaya looked forward to hearing his name since he had never revealed it to her; obviously, Ghost was not his real name.
"I am something that exists, yet also doesn't exist. You can call me Ghost," Michael joked with a wink. He cringed every time someone used these sentences to describe him on Earth, but he found them fitting for the current situation.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for being a true badass. The reward is 50 badass points and a teleportation scroll.]