The notification sound from the system regarding viewing the payment process made Jack feel very surprised. He didn't understand what the system was planning to show him.
"System, is there something to see? Haven't I already made the payment?"
The system didn't respond but displayed a screen that only he could see right in front of him.
The image showed a woman he was very familiar with. That person was none other than his mother.
She was going down the stairs when an invisible force seemed to push her, causing her to fall. Her head struck hard on the edge of a step, severely injuring her, and she died not long after.
The screen suddenly disappeared, accompanied by the system's voice:
[Ding, the user has successfully killed his mother to exchange for the item. Payment complete.]
At this moment, Jack was still extremely shocked by the scene. The image that unfolded before his eyes was incredibly realistic.
The invisible force, according to his feeling, was actually his own hand pushing her, causing her to fall to her death.
His heart was in utter turmoil. He truly never imagined that one day he would kill the person who loved him the most in this world.
Seeing him stand there dazed, the system thought:
"Well, is this feeling guilty? This feeling is really quite incomprehensible, isn't it? After all, as a qualified employee of the universe, one should not be affected by such emotions in the slightest and should only adhere to the rules. Emotions and feelings are not allowed to exist when we work.
Although I do have a few acquaintances, it seems like we haven't met in hundreds of millions of years. But never mind, since everyone is a qualified employee, there's no need for much fun. This kid doesn't seem to have a chance to become a permanent employee after all."
The system itself, from ancient times when it was still a weak being just like Jack is now, has always been like that. He and the other employees were peculiar beings from birth.
They hardly had any feelings or emotions for lower-level beings or those incapable of reaching a level close to theirs.
The reason for saying so is that when faced with a weak creature without power but with enough potential to become an official employee, they still have emotions.
He didn't care, but Jack did. At this moment, his mind was a mess of thoughts.
"I killed my own mother with my own hands."
"No, no, it was the system, not me."
"No, I told the system to do it. I am the one who really killed my mother, killed the person who loved me the most."
"Wait, since I can never see my mother again, why not give her a truly meaningful death? Yes, I am doing a very good deed.
Later, when I become an emperor, becoming the supreme ruler of humanity, I will definitely proclaim my mother as the Holy Mother. That way, she will be recorded in history, revered by billions."
"Yes, how many people in this world can do this? To make my mother the Holy Mother of humanity is the most filial act. Everyone dies, but only my mother will be the Holy Mother of a living emperor."
After a while of thinking and reasoning, he took a breath.
"Haiz, I truly am the most filial son in the world. Yes, mother will definitely be proud of me."
He wasn't wrong. Every second, people die, but how many are worshipped and respected by billions?
People will eventually die, that's very normal. What remains in the world are their legacies.
His mother's legacy is him – a great emperor of humanity. So his mother will be eternally remembered for her sacrifice today.
This is an achievement that not everyone has the privilege to attain. If he truly is determined to elevate his mother to that position, it means he is very good to her.
As for the system, after hearing his words, it felt quite confused.
"Huh, what's this about? Isn't it just killing your mother to become stronger? Why so much talk? Wouldn't it be better to do it quickly and efficiently? If I could have done this in the past, I would have done it too. But there was no system back then, only daily effort, so I had no other choice."
The system wasn't lying. If killing loved ones could make it stronger, it would have killed them all in the past. Although it has now reached its limit, when it started, it was just a weakling.
It had worked tirelessly for over a billion years to become as powerful as it is today, to become the highest-ranking employee.
To become part of the employee ranks, the prerequisite is to never be influenced by emotions. They have emotions but deem them unnecessary, so they rarely use them.
But beyond his level are entities that often display emotions no different from ordinary people.
Above the highest employees is the level of the real "bosses." They can work or wander as they please, so they need emotions to alleviate boredom.
Moreover, they are so powerful that all troubles can be resolved relatively easily. These "boss" positions have long been filled, so the rank of system is the highest rank a current being can achieve.
At this moment, Jack had a thought:
"If I want to do good deeds, I must be the best person. If my mother is the Holy Mother, then my father must be the Holy Father. Yes, I truly love my parents, so I'm doing this."
After considering what to do to be the best person for his parents, Jack said to the system:
"What can I exchange for my father's life?"
At this moment, the system was also taken aback. It thought:
"Huh, I thought this kid was weak, but it seems not entirely so. Not bad, so there is a bit of potential for the future. If you were really just an ordinary, fearful person, I would feel like I was wasting my time here."
[Ding, user request detected. The system is processing...]
[Ding, an item has been found.]
[Item: Immortal Flame Sword
Description: A sword forged from divine materials, indestructible. When used, it possesses fire attributes that increase with the user's strength.
Price: The life of the user's father.]