[Immortal Death Refining Core]
Item Description: [A slumbering remnant of the Death Realm; a mystic core that embodies that Qi of Death, the end of life.]
Item Category: Miscellaneous/Refining Core
Item Rank: Legendary
Item Effect: [Upon meeting certain conditions to awaken, this remnant with the aura of death can be absorbed by any living being but with unforeseen consequences.]
Awakening Condition: [Sacrifice 33,333 souls, either of any race or monster alike.]
Current Number of Sacrifices: [665/33,333]
Considering his playthrough duration of at least one (1) year, Ryder was certain of what kind of object was in his grasp, causing his eyes to widen in incredulity. After all, potential monetary rewards aside, this particular core was one of the sought-after objects in the Chuuni World.
It could be utilized to raise one's cultivation rank, enchant equipment, or… imbue a characteristic to a [Mount].
Ryder then held the other noticeable object in his left hand.
[Egg of Nothing]
Item Description: [A random existence that has yet to be determined.]
Item Category: [?]
Item Rank: [?]
Item Effect: [Upon meeting certain conditions, this egg will hatch. Be mindful of what you feed this egg since that would affect whatever will come out of it.]
***
"That's probably what you're thinking, but you're right." A familiar voice echoed from behind.
Ryder remained silent, a trace of bafflement towards certain realization was painted in his eyes.
"I think I know now why the Venerable Sky Clan turned out like that…" Ryder muttered.
Despite being different from some players who pioneered the virtual game, Cosmic Nomenclatures, since its launch, Ryder's interest caught the trend daily discussed in the official forum.
He remembered that during the time he began playing the game after spending his savings on a cosmically expensive Pink Ecstasy Capsule (outdated one), the Venerable Sky Clan was already on the side of the Demonic Cult – the highest-ranked clan in the Demonic Realm.
"Yes, at this point in time, some of the high-ranking Awakeners of the Venerable Sky Clan already have amicable contact with the Demonic Cult. One of the conditions for their official integration with the latter is the awakening of an egg which possesses the Qi of Death." Gyuri cut off his trailing mind.
"I see. I've just acquired something that would cost me part of my freedom." Ryder said, his gaze finally landed on Gyuri, who was sitting mid-air, defying the laws of nature.
"It doesn't matter. This world isn't exactly fond of laws." Gyuri said, subtly reminding him that this world was still twistedly modeled to the known Murim found in wuxia or xianxia stories of his homeworld. "By the way, raise whatever's going to come out of that, Daddy."
Ryder already noticed, that whenever Gyuri referred to him as 'Daddy', it meant that there was no need to take the current circumstances too seriously. It's a mood killer, to say the least.
"That's what I plan on doing from the start. There's just no way that I'll report it when I killed its previous possessor; they'll instantly suspect me." Ryder said before storing the egg and shimmering black orb in his [Affair's Space].
Beginning his journey towards the unnamed village, he stopped in his tracks.
"Wait a minute. Why I don't feel any presence of the lizardmen?"
"Worry not. I swiftly dealt with them, Daddy. Hehe. They would have disturbed your childish battle if I let them be."
'Childish… I died once!' Ryder inwardly scoffed.
"Thank you, Gyuri." However, he didn't forget to express his gratitude for the fraudulent but now useless bracelet that granted him instances of resurrection.
Moving forward, Gyuri's voice then echoed, "Leave them be."
Looking back, seeing the floating Gyuri in a lotus position, Ryder asked with his gaze.
"There's no point to check on them."
Hearing this, he couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean? I need to at least clear my name, don't I?"
But then, Gyuri just remained unusually quiet.
Shaking his head in response, Ryder let out a sigh before treading toward the previously recognized village of the Venerable Sky Clan.
After around thirty minutes of traversing a part of Erindem Forest, he arrived at the outskirts of the Eridem Valley where the village was founded. Being around a kilometer away from the village's fortified walls, he witnessed the thriving society amidst the poverty and lack of sufficient technology.
The Elderly went to do their respective household chores; there were farmers, hawkers, and such. Children played with their childhood friends with genuine smiles painted on their faces. Money was never a problem in this kind of life.
Ryder let out a subconscious smile. His memories of his childhood were a compilation of blurred frames; it was not clear. However, with his gaze, this scenery was somewhat resonating with him for absolutely inexplicable reason.
"What a simple yet fruitful lifestyle," Ryder spoke before glancing behind him. "Right, Gyuri…?"
It was then…
Crack!
Boom!
A burst of massive energy fell from the sky; a pillar of blue Qi engulfed the unnamed village in nothingness, decimating every life in the area. The elderly perished, and the children lost their smiles.
It was at that moment that Ryder was engraved with a grim reminder that his world whose name sounded like a cruel joke was a cruel world.
***
In the depths of the Erindem Forest, the voice of the lost echoed, "Why didn't you tell me, Gyuri?"
"It is pointless," Gyuri said while she remained standing some distance away, seeing the corpses of dead monsters that Ryder had slain to vent out his incomprehensible boiling emotions.
"I know I am powerless… but the same thing couldn't be said about you. W-why…? Why didn't you save them!?"
"I said it is pointless." Gyuri's answer didn't change.
"What? Those innocent lives are senseless? And what just happened? From a mere detection of the Venerable Sky Clan resulted from them to nuke the village?!" He shouted, letting out his thoughts whether they were rational or not.
"Ryder, this is our reality. The moment you get a hold of the [Egg of Nothing], which is truly owned by the Family Head of the Venerable Sky Clan, its initial traces were tracked to the village and the rest was history."
"So you just let it happen huh." Ryder, bathed in blood, crouched.
"Yes, because I'm not a hypocrite." Gyuri glared at him.
"W-what do you mean?! I didn't know what would happen!"
"Whether you know it or not, it doesn't matter. Stop being a hypocrite, Ryder. What do you mean by save them? Then become stronger! When you were holed up in your filthy apartment for who knows how long, did you even think of saving the dying people in the corners of your world? Those who were victimized by cruelty that went unpunished?"
Ryder was speechless; there was no counter to Gyuri's point.
"Damn it! If you put it like that…"
"Finish the First Mission of the Main Storyline," Gyuri said out of nowhere. "Then you will have your chance to do the saving you seem to always want."
"Wh-what-" Before Ryder could ask, Gyuri's figure vanished into nothingness.
However, before she disappeared, Gyuri left these words for him.
"See you after the Dimensional Fall."