Everything around Bai Ying began to fade. He toyed with the bones of the Goddess of Life, a glimmer of realization in his eyes.
He understood why his dark side could never fully embrace evil—not due to divine constraints, but because his soul remained untainted by malice. If he were to replace his heart with an evil one, he could wield dark power, but his normal soul would struggle to contain it.
In contrast, the bones of the Goddess of Life held a different potential. The righteous gods, while not inherently kind, possessed a strength that could restrain the evil within. By combining these elements, he could mitigate the encroachment of malice, achieving a higher rank through this unorthodox method.
Even if he replaced his heart with the finger bone of the Goddess of Life, a new equilibrium would form, significantly reducing the dark side's influence while preserving his potential. However, this transformation was limited by his current capabilities.
Such a taboo transformation was genuinely forbidden. He lacked the power to undertake it now. While altering bones and hearts seemed straightforward, the essence of the evil body was far more complex. This was not a mere change; it required a fundamental fusion—akin to advanced scientific methods that integrate bones and hearts into one's very genes.
For now, these thoughts were mere fantasies. Only upon reaching legendary status could he accomplish such a transformation.
Glancing at his tattered clothes, Bai Yi casually tugged at them until they vanished. Magic washed away the dirt and blood from his body, and he drew forth the Epidemic Doctor's suit from the demon dimension, donning it as a hint of green surrounded him.
He knew that many players were nearby and preferred not to attract their attention, especially considering how he had tricked them before.
Upon returning to the city lord's house, Bai Yi entered his room, lay on the bed, inhaling the faint fragrance that filled the air, and closed his eyes. He still had not fully digested the devil's memories from the contract, and he needed time to sort them out. Additionally, he required arcane or magical means to erase certain memories; otherwise, these specialties could drive him mad, and his ability to process memories would never keep pace with his penchant for violence.
Esoteric Art—Hell.
When Giman appeared, he instantly drew attention. A flicker of shame crossed his face as the oppressive aura of a fourth-tier legend began to emanate from him. All prying eyes retreated, and many demons poised to project quickly distanced themselves.
Yet it was too late. An elegant devil found himself stripped of everything but his underwear, too intimidated to protest as he hastily fled.
"Huh? Am I late? What a pity, I wanted to document the spectacle," a smooth voice chimed in. Giman turned to see Eugene, adorned with fluffy wings, approaching. Beside him stood Fei, who smiled and said, "Oh, look who it is—our waste Lord Giman! You seem a bit ruffled. Did you pluck the feathers from your wings? Be careful not to catch a chill!"
Crack! The ground fissured as a wave of murderous intent surged forth. Giman regarded the pair with a stony expression but refrained from acting against them. They had both submitted to Duke Foster, and killing them would not bode well for him.
After a moment of silence, he stepped into the city, feeling no need to linger. His brother might not return.
Eugene and Fei exchanged glances, surprise flickering between them.
"What's going on? Where's Yasen?" Fei asked, her teasing tone replaced by concern.
Eugene interjected, "Wait, did you encounter a dwarf?"
Giman paused, his steps faltering as he fixed his gaze on Eugene, who spoke with evident fear. "Though dwarves are peculiar, they don't seek to kill devils. Other races, however, might offer conditions too tempting to refuse, leading to a so-called fair duel. Your brother could be in grave danger."
"Why?" Giman's eyes flashed with rage, but he quickly fell silent, reflecting on the truths he had earlier dismissed. His brother had survived, but he had not.
"Let's make an announcement," Fei suggested, her voice laced with cold determination. "When those powerful figures fall at dawn, perhaps our revenge will be realized."
"You mean..." Giman's expression darkened as he shook his head. "No, Yasen has allies."
He gazed skyward, calm yet resolute. "I'll report this."
Fei smiled, though her eyes remained sharp. "That's not enough. We need to present some truths. If we claim all three of us have perished at dawn, do you think any devil will believe it?"
Giman and Eugene exchanged wary glances, pondering the woman's cunning scheme.
The likelihood of a devil accepting the truth stood at a mere 10%. Yet if three deceived devils spoke in unison, who would believe them?
In this race woven with deceit, sometimes the most convincing lie is the truth.
[Your breath is marked by the devil's Grand Duke Millie Ino, and the hatred value of the Ino family is +50.]
Bai Yi opened his eyes, clarity flashing within. He had nearly sorted through the devil's memories. His contract ability had multiplied countless times; now, summoning Oxi would likely be met with immediate compliance.
These memories revealed the devil's mastery of contracts. As for the recent notification, it held little significance. The devil operated at a god-level power, unable to enter Shia or even project within its realm.
Shia maintained strict barriers against entities capable of destruction.
Bai Yi sat up, contemplating his next steps. He planned to seek skills related to psychics and fortune-telling. The psychic profession focused purely on spiritual mastery, with various means of spiritual assault.
However, early-stage growth was challenging, especially in the current environment of dawn. The remaining legacies of psychic masters were scarce, most dating back to the age of divine faith.
At the Hall of Knowledge, Bai Yi found three applicable skills:
Memory Assimilation: This skill overlays one memory onto another, gradually allowing the original to fade.
Memory Erasure: A more aggressive approach, this skill directly wipes portions of memory, albeit with some risk of soul damage—sourced from psychics who had strayed into darkness.
Memory Block: The simplest and gentlest method, this skill seals away unwanted or painful memories. It is widely favored by both the righteous and the malevolent.
After careful consideration, Bai Yi decided to purchase all three. Despite the limited memories he had accumulated through his recent killings, he wished to eliminate any lingering traces. These skills would aid in mitigating the side effects of his Extreme Malicious Mind.
The dark and light sides of his existence were at odds. Although Malicious Cutting could significantly reduce hostile influences, it could not eliminate them entirely.
Thus, in a month's time, regardless of impending warfare, Bai Yi intended to utilize the second iteration of Malicious Cutting. He needed to experiment—if several applications could eradicate the dark encroachments on his soul.
After thorough contemplation, Bai Yi also acquired the taboo knowledge of God's Bone and exited the Hall of Knowledge, returning to the city lord's residence.
With four special skill points at his disposal, he understood their value. He needed to deliberate carefully on how to allocate them.
Intercontinental missiles, sun praise, miniature machinery, energy guns, AI, souls, extreme poisons or curses, madness or evil thoughts, black eyes, memory skills, evil spirits, and even arcane arts—all were worthy candidates for enhancement. Each option promised significant improvements in combat effectiveness and overall prowess within the federation.
Bai Yi hesitated momentarily.
Upon returning to the city lord's house, his learning resumed. He delved into arcane skills, memory techniques, methods of creating evil, and the knowledge of divine bones.
These were the essentials he needed to grasp, at least to a foundational level, so he could utilize his current 60 skill points effectively.
Perhaps then, his alchemical transformations could reach master level ahead of schedule.
Time passed, and more players reached full capacity. Dongwu City, once home to nearly a million, now had just over 600,000 residents, as the other three border cities faced warfare.
The Kingdom of the Ancient Gods grew impatient, launching invasions to assist in gathering souls and world imprints from Shia.
Meanwhile, Tobu City remained eerily calm. Ancient gods' teleportation arrays retreated at the mere sight of players or adventurers, leading to a strange prosperity that drew attention.
Yet, those with strategic foresight understood that tranquility could be deceptive.
Legislators watched Tobu City warily, summoning the legendary madman Roman, who had been absent.
Three top geniuses now resided in Dongwu City, causing unease in the capital.
Despite this, the development of Tobu City never faltered under Sabo's guidance. Signs of steel began to emerge from the once-ordinary earth.
Buildings underwent renovations using alchemical technology, transforming the landscape daily. Especially in official areas beyond the city lord's residence, the transmission tower and the Hall of Order showcased advanced technology. From this center, alchemical construction spread further.
Thanks to Bai Yi's influence, and the connection of the transmission array to heavy cities, the construction of alchemical teleportation arrays had begun, attracting more and more alchemists to Dongwu City.
The Armaments Department flourished, promoting the opening of pharmacies and machinery stores, further enhancing the city's prosperity.
Comparing the current state to a year ago, the change was palpable. Dongwu City retained its essence, yet the outer urban area now exuded a fresh vitality.
Moreover, the entire extraordinary system of dawn was evolving to a higher echelon, a resurgence of magic brought on by the player's arrival.
In the era when gods still walked the earth, gold-level beings were far from rare, especially among significant factions. The human race once regarded gold as aristocracy, and only then did extraordinary privileges emerge.
Even in the most powerful empire, the legend stood at the pinnacle, with gold legionnaires forming the backbone of military strength capable of toppling the elven hegemony.
As magic recovered, a time would come when elves could transition into adulthood without effort, merely indulging in life's pleasures.
"I'll think it over," Bai Yi mused, his gaze fixed on a book.
In the past two months, he had integrated three memory skills, utilizing eight skill points and a special skill point to advance Memory Block.
Thus, a new skill emerged:
[Name: Memory Seal]
Attribute: Mental active skills.
Effect: Through precise mental control, memories can be extracted and sealed using an array.
Learning Requirements: Mastery of Memory Block must reach full level.
Introduction: It's better to avoid recalling memories I don't wish to confront—Bai Yi.
This skill was a near-perfect application of high-level spiritual manipulation. The four memory skills had significantly enhanced Bai Yi's memory capabilities, even restoring lost fragments of his consciousness.
Such was the power of special skill points.
Now, Bai Yi could subtly alter a person's thoughts—turning enemies into allies or making a beautiful woman fall deeply in love with him.
These feats were easily within his grasp; he was becoming a master of memory.
With the side effects of Extreme Malicious Mind nearly mitigated, the dark side's Malicious Cutting had also been thoroughly analyzed. Two applications could erase the negative states of countless slain creatures, siphoning away some of their malevolent attributes.
[You used Malicious Cutting to kill the Silver Troll, earning +1 experience.]
[Using Malicious Cutting, you have lost substantial malice: Dark Power -3, Agility -5, Endurance -3, Intelligence -1.]
This outcome was beneficial, indicating he could wield Malicious Cutting freely. The dark side's development was unyielding, and Bai Yi felt he could limit its influence in this lifetime.
Due to the nature of the Black Death and the pathogen world, he merely needed to consume a dangerous element to foster growth.
His only concern was overindulgence.
"My friend, you shouldn't be so rigid. Look at Dongwu City; everything has advanced impressively, but the outer urban area remains in disarray. We need to reform it."
"With our efforts, we shouldn't need to rely on forced incentives."
"Consider the steam engine, think of the scholars gradually mastering extraordinary powers and arcane arts—they should be widely popularized! If nearly six million residents possessed extraordinary abilities, the wealth they could generate would be staggering!"
(End of this chapter)