Lucifer stepped out of the house and noticed a man standing at a distance. After a moment of reflection, Lucifer recognized him as the individual he had appointed to take charge of the city.
"Sir, we have carried out all the tasks as you instructed," the man reported, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue.
"Hmm, tell me about the martial artists and cultivators," Lucifer requested from the man as he began walking towards the gathering of citizens.
"Sir, we were only able to find 10 martial artists who are still alive. Unfortunately, all the cultivators have... they didn't make it," the man replied, his voice filled with a sense of sadness and regret.
"What about the citizens?" Lucifer inquired.
"....Sir, we don't have an exact count, but it appears that more than half of the citizens have perished," the man replied swiftly, seemingly eager to get the distressing information out of the way.
'More lives lost than I anticipated,' Lucifer thought to himself. 'I am certain that this was an attack orchestrated by humans, rather than a mere ordinary Wolf Tide.'
'What would someone gain from attacking this city..... Well, it doesn't matter to me,' Lucifer mused, unconcerned about the motivations behind the attack, as it held no personal significance to him.
What mattered more to Lucifer was whether he could utilize his skill "Deal with the Devil" to offer assistance to the survivors and potentially gain some additional days of lifespan in return.
'It's not unreasonable to think in this manner, is it? After all, I have already saved them once, and now I will offer my help while only taking a few days of lifespan in return. I suppose that's fair enough,' Lucifer contemplated.
"Ah, sir, I almost forgot to mention," the man suddenly interjected. "Sir Leonard from the Phoenix Feather Sect had visited our city not long ago. He informed us that some of his sect's disciples will be arriving tomorrow morning to provide assistance."
Hearing this, Lucifer simply nodded in acknowledgement before increasing his pace slightly. The mention of Leonard's name brought about a sense of displeasure within him.
Upon reaching the camp where the survivors had gathered, Lucifer's attention was drawn to a middle-aged lady sitting on a broken rock. Intrigued and eager to test out his skill, he swiftly made his way towards her.
"Excuse me, esteemed lady. Are you alright? Do you need any help?" Lucifer asked.
Upon hearing Lucifer's words, the lady looked up slightly, her red eyes meeting his own. Startled by Lucifer's presence, her widened eyes quickly shifted to his face. In a sudden and unexpected move, she swiftly reached up and firmly grasped his collar before Lucifer could react.
"You! You! Why did you save me?" the lady shouted, her voice filled with anger, as she glared at Lucifer.
"Why did you save me? Tell me why, why, why!" she continued to shout, her voice growing louder with each word.
Before Lucifer could understand what was happening, the lady suddenly released his collar and began smashing her head against the rock.
"Why didn't you save my baby? Tell me!" she shouted, her voice filled with agony, while blood started to trickle down from her head.
People nearby quickly rushed over, desperately trying to stop her, but she became even more frenzied.
"My baby! Ahhhh! Only this, this red spot remains of him... I..." the lady said, pointing beneath the rock where she had been sitting.
Suddenly, she turned towards Lucifer,"You said if I wanted help, right? Right? Then kill me! Kill me, please! I don't want to live anymore! Kill me, you coward! I can't even end my own life! Ahhh, I should have died instead!"
The lady once again began smashing her head, but the man who had assumed temporary leadership swiftly delivered a strike to her neck, causing her to lose consciousness.
He quickly turned towards Lucifer and bowed deeply in apology. "Please forgive her, sir," he pleaded. "She must have lost her mind due to the death of her child."
Lucifer, still reeling from the shock, turned his gaze towards the camp. As he beheld the forlorn figures, his heart quivered with a profound sorrow, for he saw beyond the surface of their despair.
Mothers, once filled with joy and laughter, now clutched their children tightly, tears streaming down their cheeks. The innocent little ones, oblivious to the magnitude of their loss, wept for the warmth of their departed loved ones. Silent fathers, their eyes heavy with grief, sat in stoic contemplation, their hands trembling with unspoken emotions.
Each person, once vibrant and alive, now bore the weight of the tragedy. The air crackled with an overwhelming sense of desolation, as if the very essence of hope had been snuffed out. Lucifer's keen eyes traced the myriad expressions etched on their faces—the raw pain of separation, the crushing burden of survivor's guilt, and the shattered remnants of shattered dreams.
In that moment, the mere statistics of the fallen lost their cold detachment, transformed into something infinitely more profound. They were no longer nameless numbers but lives irrevocably altered, families forever fractured. Lucifer, an outsider yet not untouched, felt a surge of empathy coursing through his veins.
He was also overwhelmed with shame as he recalled his previous thought of exploiting these people for his skills. Although those skills could potentially help them, he now questioned whether there was anything genuinely meaningful he could do to assist them anymore.
As Lucifer was about to ask the man if there really was anything he could do to help them, he noticed a little girl standing behind the man, curiously peering in his direction.
Upon seeing her, Lucifer couldn't help but perceive a resemblance to Emily in the girl. He approached her, gently stroked her hair, and directed his question to the man, "Is she your daughter?"
"No, sir. I had a son, but he..... (sniff) I'm sorry, sir. She... she is Martin's daughter, a friend of mine. But during this attack, she became... an orphan, so I made the decision to adopt her. In fact, sir, all the children who were orphaned in this incident are being adopted by someone," the man replied
Hearing Martin's name, Lucifer remembered someone, so he asked, "Did Martin also die during...?"
"No, sir, but he also recently passed away. Her mother, she died during this wolf attack," the man whispered to Lucifer, being cautious not to let the girl overhear.
As Lucifer heard this, a growing comprehension of the fragility of life in this world began to settle within him. Since his arrival, he had witnessed an alarming number of deaths, surpassing anything he had thought possible during his previous life.
He also came to understand that possessing power was a prerequisite for survival in this world. Even if one chose to lead a peaceful existence, they could still fall victim to the collateral damage of conflicts among cultivators. With this understanding, he strengthened his resolve to swiftly seek out ways to increase his own power.
Lucifer offered his assistance to the people, expressing his willingness to use his telekinesis or any other skills he possessed to aid them. However, they adamantly declined his offer, stating that he had already done more than enough. Even though he couldn't provide any further assistance, Lucifer made the decision to stay overnight, in case another attack occurred.
Upon arriving at Emily's house, Lucifer finally decided to ask the system to display all the skills that he had not yet explored or read their descriptions.
[Devil's Vision]
[Description: Devil's Vision is a unique ability that grants enhanced perception and insight within a 100-meter range. It surpasses regular Spirit Sense with extraordinary capabilities.
1. See through illusions and reveal the truth behind deceptive tricks.
2. Discern the truthfulness of others through subtle cues, particularly effective against similar power-level opponents.
3. Gain insights into individuals' potential, characteristics, and lifespan.
4. Uncover details about a person's talent, including natural inclinations, aptitudes, and growth potential in various areas.]
[Telekinesis{D}]
[Description: As a ghost with telekinetic abilities, you possess the power to manipulate objects weighing up to 500kg. Your telekinetic control has become more refined, allowing you to perform complex tasks with greater ease. The exertion required to move objects is still proportional to their complexity and magnitude, but you can now handle larger or more challenging feats of telekinesis with less energy expenditure.]
[Mirror Connection {D}]
[Description: With Mirror Connection, you can project your image into mirrors and communicate using your voice. This ability allows you to observe, interact, and maintain connections through multiple mirrors within a 100-meter radius simultaneously. Additionally, you can hide within a mirror, evading the spirit sense of a core formation realm cultivator.]
[Illusion {D}]
[Description: With the Illusion ability, you can manipulate perceptions and induce sleep in intelligent life forms. This enhanced version grants you greater control and effectiveness. Furthermore, if a cultivator's power level is similar to yours, you can affect them even when they are awake and mentally stable.]
[Ghost Transformation]
[Description: Ghost Transformation is a unique ability that enables the user to transform into a ghost-like entity, granting intangibility and invulnerability to physical attacks. Notably, cultivators in the Qi Condensation Realm are unable to perceive the user, even when utilizing their Spirit Sense.]
[All skills can be upgraded at a particular amount of soul points.]