Lin Xiao and Mei walked back to the village in silence for a while, the weight of what they had just experienced hanging heavily in the air.
As they neared the village, Lin Xiao turned to Mei, wanting to understand more about the raiders and their impact on the village.
"When did these raiders start attacking your village?" Lin Xiao asked, his voice gentle but curious.
Mei sighed, her expression darkening. "It started about a year ago. No one knew where they came from. They just appeared one day and began terrorizing us. Anyone who tried to resist them... they were found shriveled, their life drained away, or they simply disappeared."
Lin Xiao nodded thoughtfully, processing this information. He could sense there was more to the story, something deeply personal that Mei hadn't yet shared.
He chose his next words carefully, not wanting to cause her more pain but needing to understand her reaction to the leader earlier.
"Mei, I noticed you were very shaken when you saw the leader. Did something happen with him? If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."
Tears welled up in Mei's eyes as she took a deep, shuddering breath. "He... he assaulted me," she began, her voice trembling. "He told me my face was too beautiful for this world, so he... he ruined it."
She lifted her hand to her face, revealing a series of jagged scars that marred her once flawless skin. "He did this slowly, over several days. Every time he came to the village, he would find me and make a new scar."
Lin Xiao's heart ached for her. The cruelty and suffering she had endured were beyond comprehension.
He reached out and gently touched her shoulder, offering what comfort he could.
"I'm so sorry, Mei. No one should have to go through something like that," he said softly.
...
Lin Xiao entered the village and went back to his house, knowing that he had to eliminate those raiders as soon as possible if he wanted to live peacefully.
He couldn't afford to be caught off guard by another attack. As he lay down on his bed, he closed his eyes and tried to devise a plan.
He lay down on the bed, closing his eyes as he tried to formulate a plan. The memory of the raider leader's cruelty played over in his mind, but so did his own fear and uncertainty.
The leader deserved to die for what he had done to Mei and the others, but Lin Xiao wasn't sure he had the courage to take someone's life.
"How can I defeat them without killing?" he wondered aloud. The room was silent, save for the gentle purring of his cats, Xiao Bai and Lil' Blackie, who were resting nearby.
As he drifted into a light sleep, his mind raced with potential strategies. He considered his abilities and resources, thinking about how he could use his Memory Manipulation skill creatively.
Perhaps he could make the raiders believe they had already succeeded and leave the village in peace. Or maybe he could implant a fear of an unstoppable force that would make them flee and never return.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of screaming from outside. He rushed out and saw the villagers encircling an injured person.
It was Mei. She had a fresh scar on her face, and her left hand was missing. The sight was horrific, too real to be just a dungeon scenario.
The villagers, seeing Lin Xiao, started kneeling and pleading, "Please, Great Immortal, save her!"
Lin Xiao was shocked and horrified. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Desperation and helplessness filled him as he looked at Mei's grievous injuries.
He quickly asked the system if there was anything he could do to save her.
[There is something that can be done to save her, but I don't suggest it.]
"Tell me," Lin Xiao demanded urgently.
[Feed her your blood and make her inherit your superpowers. She will heal faster, and it will probably save her life, but I don't suggest doing that.]
"Why not?" Lin Xiao asked, desperation evident in his voice.
[It is too risky. Some human bodies can't handle superpowers, and she might just combust from drinking your blood.]
Lin Xiao looked at Mei's pale, bloodied face. She was barely conscious, and her breathing was shallow.
The villagers continued to plead with him, their faces filled with hope and despair. He knew he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"I'm willing to take the risk," Lin Xiao said resolutely. He knelt beside Mei and bit his finger, drawing blood.
He carefully placed his bleeding finger to her lips, allowing his blood to drip into her mouth.
Mei's eyes fluttered open weakly as she instinctively swallowed the blood. The villagers watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide with hope and fear.
For a moment, nothing happened. Lin Xiao's heart pounded in his chest as he waited, praying that the system's warning wouldn't come true.
Then, slowly, Mei's breathing steadied, and a faint glow surrounded her body. Her wounds began to close.
The villagers gasped in awe and relief as they witnessed the miraculous healing. Mei's eyes fully opened, and she looked at Lin Xiao with a mixture of confusion and gratitude.
"Thank you," she whispered weakly, her voice trembling.
Lin Xiao let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You're going to be okay," he said, more to reassure himself than anyone else.
"Mei, can you tell me what happened?" Lin Xiao asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
Mei winced as she shifted slightly. "After we returned, I decided to go hunting. I thought it would be safe, but the Raiders were out there too. They caught me... gave me this scar and cut off my hand because they don't want me hunting. If it wasn't for fear of their leader, I don't know what would have happened to me."
Lin Xiao clenched his fists, anger surging through him. "I'm so sorry, Mei. I promise they won't hurt you again."
Mei looked at him with a mix of confusion and awe. "What did you do to me? Why am I healing so quickly? And my hand... it's still missing, but the wound has closed."
Lin Xiao took a deep breath. He wasn't entirely sure how to explain the changes happening to her. "You've superpowers now," he said, trying to keep his explanation simple.
"superpowers?" Mei repeated, bewildered. "What does that mean?"
"It means you've inherited some of my extraordinary abilities," Lin Xiao explained.