Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

From hundreds of meters away, the arrow shot through the darkness was like wind, like lightning, instantly piercing the demon's body.

The tearing force that accompanied it easily ripped apart what seemed to be indestructible flesh, leaving a gaping, bloody hole for all to see.

The monstrous body, as large as a small hill, suddenly stiffened, with the twisted faces on it instantaneously freezing.

The scene fell silent.

The mysterious savior in the dark had used just two arrows to subdue the demon that had come from a high-dimensional space.

What they had been powerless to defend against, the master in the shadows took down as easily as if it were mere paper.

An indescribable terror rose in Franca's heart, and she instinctively turned her head to look back, but darkness obstructed her view…

There weren't many in the city with such strength, but Franca, who was proficient with the bow, really had no idea who it could be.

A flash of lightning crossed her mind, and the mysterious master who had rescued the Rat People in the sewers leaped to the forefront of her thoughts.

But it seemed… the pressure from that master then wasn't as intimidating as the one from this mysterious master now.

To subdue the demon that had left them at a loss with just two arrows was simply inconceivable.

But… had they been killed?

Franca couldn't help but worry subconsciously about the fate of the innocent civilians.

Under everyone's silent watch, the demon's body trembled slightly and started to move again.

"Come out!"

"You come out!"

"I want to see you!"

"I want to see you!"

Different voices from the same body echoed one after the other.

One like the desperate cries of a drowning person before their demise, the other like the final killing intent of a Demon God.

A demon?

A demon?

Have I become a demon?

The flesh that was torn away by the arrow also took with it Wallis's wild and ambitious desire, which hadn't been all that great to begin with.

His soul "awoke" amid the turbulence, and was terrified by what had already happened and what was happening now.

I have become the embodiment of a demon?

Has my body been controlled by the endless desire of a demon?

Yes! It's all the demon's fault!

...I wanted to be greedy, but I didn't want to be this greedy.

I wanted to grow and expand, but I never wanted to be an enemy to all of humanity.

I did want power, but I didn't want to achieve it in the form of a demon...

So, you said you would give me salvation, give me a final resting place.

Then come out!

Let me see you with my own eyes!

'I want to see you.'

'…And then devour you!'

The silent darkness remained wordless, as Franca stared intently into the shadows.

Would he come out?

The sound of clear footsteps echoed from the end of the long street.

"Tap~ Tap~"

The sound of metal shoe soles tapping on stone slabs as a figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

The fervent flames surrounding him fell on his body but could not penetrate his earth-brown disguise, nor could they reveal his face hidden in the shadows.

Franca instinctively stepped aside to make way, while the somewhat lucid Arbitration Place officers and players scattered quietly around, watching as the flames crackled fiercely.

The night was welcoming its king...

Standing about ten meters from the demon, Bai E stopped, lifting his head slightly to look at the monster whose appearance was beyond words.

A demon?

This is a demon?

Of course, it was a demon, as the loot subtitle clearly displayed its origin—

[Wallis/??? (Human/???) (Chaotic/Chaos) (Normal/Elite)—Kill with "Lucky Strike" for a guaranteed drop: (Bio-Component (Inferior) x 200, Battle Experience 8000 points); possible (Skills: Soul Black Hole, Spiritual Energy (Greed): 50)]

"I have arrived," he said softly.

The steady voice echoed quietly over the long street, instilling boundless confidence.

Compared to the demon's mountainous body, Bai E's figure appeared frail and thin in the flickering light from the flames in the distance.

Standing before the demon, he seemed like a solitary boat before a tsunami, ready to capsize at any moment.

Yet, the reality was quite the contrary.

The demon's numerous eyes swept over the pitch-black bow in his hand, filled with fear.

...

That voice is so familiar!

The moment Franca heard it, the sealed memories surged from the depths of her consciousness.

Where had she heard it before?

Darkness… dampness… rats… the underground sewers...

The night he rescued the Rat People!

It really was him!

Back then, did he simply spare their lives?

No wonder… no wonder he spoke with such arrogance then.

Nothing… nothing could challenge him!

Clutching her injured arm, Franca's eyes burned with passion as she looked at his silhouette.

"Exorcism Essential Oil," Franca suddenly saw him stretching out his palm toward her from afar.

"…"

Exorcism Essential Oil?

Oh right, normal powers may hurt a demon that has come to our world, but to thoroughly annihilate a demon, the help of Exorcism Essential Oil is essential. This stuff is basically only stably produced by the Arbitration Place; outsiders almost have no way to obtain it.

Just now I thought this mysterious expert would directly make a deadly move, but he even forgot the constraints of the essential oil.

"Oh oh~" Franca hurriedly took out half a bottle of essential oil from her bosom. On her way here, she'd already used quite a bit to enchant her weapons and only half was left.

Bai E caught the flying glass bottle steadily, casually tossed a bullet into it, and the surface of the bullet that was soaked in essential oil immediately became covered with a faint spiritual glow.

Bai E's movements were precise and executed with utmost seriousness.

The demon, who had made up its mind to kill Bai E as soon as he appeared, found it difficult to control the current body.

A summoning demon always faces interference from the original owner's will; under normal circumstances, almost all believers who summon their "master" submit to the "master's" will in every way.

However, at this moment...

The will of the demon and the human were endlessly struggling for control over the same body.

The huge figure, as large as a hill, trembled slightly, and the regretful yet cowardly voice of Wallis rang out, "You said you could save me!"

Faced with the power that could truly "kill" him, he was afraid.

Fear overtook greed; facing a power he could not contest, Wallis recoiled.

However, he could sense that a part of his soul had already "permanently" connected with the core of the demon.

The demon he summoned wasn't one of those high-ranking original demons; these demons can be truly killed.

After their death, they cannot return to the high-dimensional space to wait for a chance of revival. Perhaps "greed" will give birth to new demons, but it won't be the one at hand.

There may be thousands upon thousands of demons with "greed" at their core; the one he summoned was not particularly special among them.

But what of it?

When It's spirit returns to oblivion, where will he go?

Having been swept by the core of "greed," even if this demon perishes, a part of his soul will dissipate along with the "emotions" and return to the high-dimensional space, becoming a chaotic orb there that lacks any capacity for action, has only perception, and endures endless suffering and torment.

The moment he was linked to the "core" of the demon, Wallis thoroughly understood this knowledge related to the demon.

He refused to be dragged down by the fate of the demon, much less become a chaotic orb in that strange so-called high-dimensional space, devoid of any capacity for action or self-awareness, where only perception exists to endure eternal torment!

Bai E looked steadily at the other party, his eyes, the only part of him visible, devoid of any emotion.

"I never said I would save you, but only to give you a release."

People must be responsible for their own actions.

Having chosen greed, having complied with his inner desires, he must also bear the dreadful consequences of when desires overflow.

"I will send you off... to die as a human. That is all."

The spirit dissolves, free from eternal torment.

'Do you still wish to turn back?'

'You can't turn back now!'

'Devour him! After we eat him, we can become stronger!'

The voice of the demon, trapped within, roared in madness.

Fear firmly suppressed greed, and human rationality regained control over this body resembling a Demon God.

Countless eyes were fixed on those merciless pupils, as the body of the demon slowly kneeled, completely submissive...

With difficulty, Wallis controlled the body, his abject and cowardly voice trembling to its limit, "Please, kill me."

"Click!"

The bullet, soaked in Exorcism Essential Oil, was chambered as Bai E stepped forward gently.

"Goodbye..." he said.

[Activated "Lucky Strike".]

"I don't want to die... I don't want to die..." Wallis's voice came out as a soft murmur from beneath the demon's body.

"Bang!"

The gunshot rang out, and smoke drifted away.

[Loot acquired: Bio-Component (Inferior) *200, Combat Experience 8000 points, Skills: Soul Black Hole, Spiritual Energy (Greed): 50).]

[Would you like to absorb the core "Greed" of Spiritual Energy to make it your own power?]

[Warning: The current Spiritual Energy to be absorbed is far greater than the character's own level of Spiritual Energy, absorption will alter the character's Spiritual Energy effects. The new attribute "Greed" will bring a brand new special impact to your Spiritual Energy; the direction of influence is unknown.]

[Skill—Soul Black Hole: Your will is strong enough to bear all ethereal souls, all empty Spiritual Bodies will have a place in your 'domain' temporarily. From now on, you can briefly store or slowly absorb rootless souls. If you wish, you can even dissipate their self-will...]

Soul Black Hole.

That was one of the abilities concerning demon powers he had obtained from the feedback of the attack just now.

For them, it might be a basic instinct, but for the current Bai E, it was the core ability for Wallis's redemption and for digesting foreign attributes of Spiritual Energy.

The antidote always coexists with the poison.

Bai E extended his hand, his palm like a black hole.

Those invisible dissipating strands of "emotional core", carrying its newly captured prey, about to return to that strange, unpredictable higher-dimensional space, were suddenly gathered together by a vast suction force.

The remnant souls that had not yet dissipated lost their complex reactions to changes in the outside world, retaining only a hint of instinctual spiritual awareness.

'The sun... the warm sun...'

The voice fell silent...

Free from the constraints of imprisonment, the body not far away called out as countless points of light burst from the fallen demon's body on the ground, tracing curves through the air and ultimately returning to itself.
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Many of the lights even burrowed into the fallen debris... hence a moan arose from below.

There were still people underground.

Those whose consciousness had returned to their bodies were gradually waking up.

They couldn't fully grasp what had happened during the soul plunder, but there were bits of chaotic, distorted memories.

Although they woke up dazed, some were hesitant to look at the figures standing on the scene.

The first two enforcers to arrive got up quietly with the support of Gong Yan and Dai Lian, and while Bai E was carrying the whole scene, Gong Yan wasn't idle.

As the team's medic, she was very clear about her role, and even though simple treatment couldn't restore the enforcers to their peak, it allowed them to move a little.

Both of them scanned the waking figures with a heavy look in their eyes.

Too much time had passed...

Although saved, the risk of corruption was high for these people in the future.

So...

"What should be done with them?"

Franca's gaze left the silent figure and turned to the two seniors, asking proactively, "Should we clean up?"