Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Fear can spread, and so can courage.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

When a familiar companion took the lead as an example, it seemed not so difficult to break free from the demon's control.

More and more figures fell from their suspended state in mid-air, which meant that the reign of the Fear Lord over them had come to an end.

"Whoosh~"

"Whoosh~"

Arrows whistled through the wind, each one piercing through the chest.

Bai E had not used any techniques or abilities to enhance the penetration power, yet the drastically weakened body of the Fear Lord was clearly no longer able to withstand Bai E's arrows.

Of course, the penetrating power of the arrows themselves was secondary, the real damage was inflicted by the Exorcism Essential Oil that hit the wounds along with the arrows; these were the true protagonists causing harm.

The white smoke that dispersed seemed to contain countless tiny faces, screaming and wailing, as endless torrents of chaotic emotions transformed into the most disordered Spiritual Energy impacts, challenging even these high-dimensional, emotion-feeding demons to cope.

The resistance of the refugees weakened Its power, the decline in power led to a reduced grip over the refugees... A vicious cycle reached its limit, and at a certain moment, all the refugees suspended in the air fell to the ground at once.

As the power converted from emotions receded like tide from that body, the desiccated demon's shell finally revealed the true form of a small demon.

The delayed combat information then slowly popped up on the panel—

[Using Exorcism Essential Oil on a specific target, your attack has 50% converted to special attack damage.]

[You deal 5 points of Spiritual Energy damage to the target!]

[Fear Lord (Demon) (Chaos) (Elite) (Weakened state): Health 9/100; Defensive Power 6; Trait: High-Dimensional Being…]

[High-Dimensional Being: High-dimensional beings do not truly perish in the material world, after their physical form in the material world sustains a catastrophic blow, their core will return to the high-dimensional space, where after absorbing enough power, they will hatch and be reborn again. How much of their memories from before the rebirth they retain depends on their "rank"...

Each death means they have drawn more experiences from the past.]

"I will come back! I will come back again!"

The small demon, with its shriveled reddish-brown muscles and less than one meter in height, stared venomously at the human who had brought about its downfall, as if to memorize his appearance for after its rebirth.

"You can't kill me! I will come back and bring you into the high-dimensional space, where your soul will suffer eternal torment!"

Bai E, expressionless, drew back his bowstring, and as he gathered power, strength converged upon the arrowhead, "Come a hundred times, and I'll kill you a hundred and one times!"

"Whoosh!"

As quick as lightning, an arrow pierced the chest.

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[You deal 12 points of Spiritual Energy damage to the target!]

[Your attack exceeds the target's current physical tolerance, the target is about to be expelled.]

The space where the Fear Lord stood became indistinct in an instant, as if a misty mirror of light suddenly appeared behind it.

Almost no one could gaze at that area; the hazy feeling only brought dizziness and made heads spin. Even Bai E couldn't look directly at it.

Circling around the withered demon's body was a rapid swirl of air that did not blow a single person's clothes on the spot.

An even more brilliant flash of consciousness flickered past, and the emaciated body instantly shrank into a flesh egg and fell into the mirror behind it, disappearing completely as if sinking into a droplet of water.

The reverberations ebbed slowly, and the space gradually smoothed out the ripples.

[You have completely expelled the target, combat ends, gain 300 battle experience points.]

[Notice: Your actions have attracted the attention of an unknown existence!]

After a fleeting sense of palpitation, Bai E withdrew his gaze from that space.

Revenge?

Let it come!

Bai E lightly swept his gaze over the refugees who were still recovering their senses in the darkness and exhaled lightly, finally relaxing completely.

As the battle intent receded like the tide, the effects of skills like Absolute Defense and Maximum Pain Relief also vanished in an instant, and a sensation of soreness and numbness surged throughout his body and deep into his bones and marrow.

One hard fight after another, the battle with the Blood God had already pushed him to the limit, and facing the Fear Lord had been even more punishing. Even Bai E, who had survived numerous life-and-death battles, could not withstand the backlash of pushing his body to the limit, and he collapsed, barely maintaining a semblance of composure by leaning against the wall behind him.

"Hiss~"

Ouch~

…

Gone…

Completely gone…

The refugees who had yet to recover sprawled on the ground, stood up in a daze.

The familiar dark caverns seemed so alien now.

Without the writhing shadows in the corners, without creatures that might burst out of the darkness to devour them, even the sound of the wind above no longer seemed as terrifying as before.

The hollow feeling in the heart, as if something had been scooped out, had vanished, and so had the sense of caution where even a slightly louder noise could send shivers down the spine.

A warm current flowed through the body, as if the days of poverty and pain were gone forever.

All of this... it seemed to all stem from one belief.

Was it he who saved us?

Their gazes gradually focused, all looking in the same direction.

Two glowing light sticks in the dark illuminated a tiny space where the man who saved everything rested against the wall, one hand on his knee, his gaze fixed on the distance ahead... as if contemplating the future.

["Lucky Strike" charge +50.]

["Lucky Strike" charge has reached 120/100, ready for use!]

"M... Master."

An old and cautious voice sounded before him, Bai E blinked his eyes, snapping out of his reverie.

Facing the three figures, one large and two small before him, Bai E tried to smile as gently as possible at them, "Hello."

He looked intently at the two young children, a boy and a girl around fourteen or fifteen years old, both skinny and frail, covered in dirt, but with bright, spirited eyes...

Bai E was deeply impressed by them because it was these two children who had first mustered the courage to break free from the control of the Lord of Fear.

In any place, the power of a role model is always boundless, after all, he, an outsider, could never be as convincing as these two fellow tribespeople they knew well.

Without their initial resistance, whether the outcome would have been successful was questionable; even if he could ultimately drive away the Lord of Fear, his own situation would likely have become very dire.

"You were very brave just now... What are your names?"

If possible, Bai E even wanted to reach out and pat the boy's head, but unfortunately, he could not.

He was just too exhausted.

"Morphie."

"Kiro Lan."

The boy was more enthusiastic, while the girl was somewhat reserved.

Bai E nodded, "You did very well, you're heroes."

Receiving praise from the man they saw as "the strongest," the boy's face showed a visible delight, while the girl modestly bowed her head, seemingly reluctant to accept such sudden praise, "Actually... we didn't do much."

"Those who have the courage to face reality are all great."

Bai E explained with a smile, then he looked up at the refugee elder who had been waiting quietly.

"Are you their leader?"

Any group of more than three people, when living together for an extended period, almost always needs a leader who can make decisions on important matters.

These refugees, numbering at least four or five hundred, could never have left the city to live in isolation and survive without a unified will.

The elder nodded, his graying hair bearing the marks of time, and the wrinkles on his face as deep as valleys and gorges, "Yes."

After acknowledging his position, the elder seemed a bit nervous, rubbing his hands and speaking hesitantly, "Master, you said you would lead us... lead us to a new life?"

Those "flowery and honeyed" lives were far too ideal, so much that just speaking of them was difficult.

His only hope was to leave this cursed place.

Although the hearty mushrooms and occasional small animals they caught could barely sustain them, clothing, medicine, and other supplies were simply beyond the capability of these people who had left human society behind to produce by hand.

In the long run, they would not be able to survive, and the size of this group of refugees would only diminish.

Not to mention that mere survival has never been the sole requirement of humans.

A void in their spirits would only invite greater disaster.

They had already proven that once...

And now... it seemed like heaven could no longer bear to watch them suffer so much.

The reason the elder had quietly waited for the savior before him to finish speaking with the two children was that he wanted to see what kind of personality this godsent savior possessed.

Looking at him now, he seemed even more gentle and tolerant than the elder had imagined.

Below that calm composure lay an unfathomable depth of foundation.

The elder wondered how this savior would arrange for them.

"I wonder, Master... where do you come from?"

The elder spoke softly, utterly humbling himself, as his backbone had long since been shattered by endless suffering, leaving behind only the meekness of seeking a stable life for his companions.

Bai E did not reply immediately but continued to calmly look into the elder's eyes.

A silence prevailed until, confused, the elder raised his head to meet those brilliant eyes, like morning stars.

"Ma... Master?"

"You are no less than anyone else; remember that, do not belittle yourselves, do not choose to be humble. Those higher-dimensional beings are always watching the mortal world, waiting for every opportunity to invade. Never, become their tool."

The resignation of the rat people, the misery of the refugee community... were lessons for everyone to heed.

Perhaps he couldn't influence the overall situation of the city, but there was no problem speaking his mind to this group of refugees whom he had just saved.

"Yes..." The elder's voice paused, his countenance shifting to a more resolute tone, "Master!"

"I come from Blackwater City, I am a warrior..."

Only then did Bai E speak softly, revealing his origin.

After the adrenaline rush, it was time to confront the reality of the situation.