Bai Yi, seated in a cross-legged position, slowly opened his eyes.
The silence of the moment drew the attention of many around him. Six individuals regarded him with a mix of awe, doubt, and resignation.
Eric seemed poised to ask a question but ultimately held back, recognizing that everyone harbors their own secrets.
Bai Yi observed the scene. The sense of separation faded, revealing that Luo Ning and Erin had undergone changes. It appeared they had activated some mechanism. Shortly after Erin awoke, the world trembled, signaling impending collapse, which sent a wave of tension through those outside.
However, when the silhouettes of the two girls emerged, relief washed over the group; it was a welcome sign that all was well.
As the shadows solidified into their forms, both girls were taken aback to find themselves surrounded by so many elderly figures.
Yet when they recognized the faces of these elders, their apprehension eased.
Bai Yi looked at Erin, reassuring her, "Don't worry. I've modified some of the curse doctor's talents. Let me show you."
With that, Bai Yi's eyes glowed red as he initiated a panel scan.
[Comparing charm attributes of both parties.]
[Bai Yi (dark) charm value: -11; Erin charm value: 50.]
[Due to your negative charm, charm value judgment activated.]
[Your charm value is 110% of the other party's, granting you 100% of their attributes.]
[Name: Erin.]
[Race: Elf.]
[Template: Life Curse Doctor.]
[Occupation: Sacrifice of Life.]
[Level: 42.]
[Personal Attributes: Strength 15, Agility 20, Endurance 13, Intelligence 198, Spirit 195, Charm 50, Luck 11.]
[Legendary Degree: 32.]
[Ranking: Silver Middle.]
[Skills: Healing: Can cure 30% of physical injuries in silver-level creatures. Life Dedication: Consumes 10%-50% of life value, restoring 300% of the recipient's life value. Texture Blade: Ability to discern flesh and blood tissue, +80 sharpness, -50 damage. Life Healing.]
[Expertise: Life Sacrifice: Converts energy in the body into life energy, which has a healing effect and is friendly to life elements.
Curse Reduction: Immunity to low-end curses, +100 curse resistance.
Life Curse Doctor (Exclusive): Can visualize diseases in others. The belief in their existence makes them manifest. Note: Disease intensity is contingent on the recipient's spiritual and charm attributes.
Life Mutation (Unique): Healing magic effects are increased by 300%, but there's a 50% chance of life decay equal to the amount treated. Life Affinity: +50% healing effect from life energy.
Life Guard: Recovers 100% life value when below 10%, +30 Intelligence and +30 Spirit. Pure Goodness (Change): +100 to spiritual attribute.
Patient Blessing (Unique) (Change): When treating wise creatures, their fate enters a dimension exclusive to you, enhancing your attributes based on the number of patients in your dimension.]
[Evaluation: A magic doctor with no mental issues. Could this be a new profession, a Doctor of Fate?]
Bai Yi paused, reflecting on Erin's attributes. At level 42, he hadn't possessed eight specialties himself.
Noticing Erin crossing her arms, anger flashing in her eyes as she hid behind Luo Ning, he found himself at a loss for words.
The SSS level truly had no weaknesses.
After pondering, he sent a message to Mina, Luo Ning, and Erin, advising them to remain vigilant.
Although both Patient Blessing and Pure Goodness appeared harmless, the curse doctor still bore the weight of being a curse doctor. Treating diseases alone felt like a gamble for the patient, but it was a relatively fair lottery with a 50% chance of success.
Turning to Luo Ning, Bai Yi smiled gently. "Now, let's see your talents. Don't be afraid."
"Okay," Luo Ning replied, nodding obediently.
As a surge of energy flowed through Bai Yi's scarlet pupils, he fell into silence.
[Comparing charm attributes of both parties.]
[Bai Yi (dark) charm value: -11; Luo Ning charm value: 85.]
[Due to your negative charm, negative charm judgment activated.]
[Your charm value is 64% of the other party's, granting you 50% of their attributes.]
Luo Ning's attributes resembled her previous ones, but her luck and charm stood out, while her specialties remained mostly hidden.
[Name: Luo Ning.]
[Race: Human.]
[Template: ???]
[Occupation: Fortune Teller.]
[Level: 37.]
[Personal Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 10, Endurance 8, Intelligence 30, Spirit 237, Charm 85, Luck 50.]
[Position: Silver Lower.]
[Skills: Advanced Divination (Expand) ???]
[Expertise: Destiny's Affinity: A unique bond with fate, ensuring no destiny rejects your approach. Danger Prediction: Highly sensitive to personal fate, detecting any malice or natural disasters. ??? ??? Fate Favors: When leveling up, luck increases correspondingly.]
[Evaluation: Fate has chosen her. She may already possess the ability to change the future, though she may not yet realize it.]
Bai Yi fell silent for a moment, then smiled at Luo Ning, who appeared slightly intimidated. He addressed Hedinger, "Mr. Hedinger, please assist us in returning."
Hedinger nodded and retrieved a staff, striking the ground.
Buzz~
A powerful energy surged from the long-prepared array. Without warning, the surrounding space rippled, filling everyone's breath with a surge of life energy.
When they looked up, they found themselves in the city lord's residence.
"Ha! Boss brother, I'm going to sleep first. I'm exhausted. Goodnight, master. Goodnight, grandparents. Goodnight, Sister Erin!" Luo Ning exclaimed, reaching for a 30-centimeter crystal ball from her space ring and lying down.
The crystal ball's cleansing technique naturally purged dirt from her body, cradling her as it floated toward her room.
"Then, city lord, we'll take our leave," Marshall said, bowing slightly to Bai Yi before departing with Ding Ziyuan, who remained deep in thought.
Eric and Hedinger hesitated, wanting to speak but ultimately refrained. With a flash, the two vanished.
Erin, unable to sleep, felt invigorated after waking. Spotting the epidemic ignoring her, she contemplated slipping away but sensed something.
"Irene, wait!" Bai Yi called.
Erin froze, knowing she had been caught. After calming herself, she turned around with a bright smile. "Boss, did you call me?"
"Starting tomorrow, you can choose one of the vacant shops outside the city lord's residence. You'll open a medical hall that operates from 9 AM to 5 PM, relying solely on surgery and medicine. During this time, you'll practice the skills of life sacrifice," Bai Yi instructed firmly.
With her current expertise being quite formidable, consistent surgery and treatment would allow her to grow stronger. There was no room for her to fall into purity; she needed to leverage all her advantages.
Erin stiffened, trembling as she asked, "Well… can Luo Ning come with me?"
"No, just you," Bai Yi replied coldly, then turned to Mina. "Ms. Mina, please supervise her."
"No problem!" Mina smiled.
Erin's entire demeanor faltered. "Without Luo Ning, can I manage?"
"I can't say for certain, but you've earned 1,200 gold coins and 1,700 copper coins in the inheritance world. You still owe me over 119 million. If you can't pay it off in a hundred years, interest will continue to accumulate."
Bai Yi's words felt crushing.
"One hundred years, 120 million gold coins, 3,300 gold coins a day," Erin muttered, despair settling over her.
"Every day at noon, someone will deliver Elena's delicious food to you. If you open late one day, the food delivery will be canceled, and you'll have to prepare your own lunch," Bai Yi added without hesitation.
This elf needed serious motivation.
Mina felt a pang of sympathy. She glanced at Bai Yi, wanting to say something, but was pulled back by Aishara, who shook her head with a smile.
Mina shared a look of affection with Erin before silently exiting to find a quiet spot for her disciple.
"Wait!" Erin exclaimed, suddenly determined. "Boss brother!"
Bai Yi raised an eyebrow.
"Pick up lunch!"
"Damn capitalist! I'm going now!"
With a burst of energy, Erin dashed past her master, racing outside as if propelled by newfound purpose.
Elsa sighed. "She's quite energetic. But, city lord, is this a bit too harsh?"
Bai Yi smiled. "If she can't meet the target, no one will punish her. It's good for her to be active."
Thinking for a moment, Bai Yi added, "Let Luo Ning visit Erin occasionally. She's too cautious."
After examining Luo Ning's talents earlier, he realized she might be able to change her fate. Practicing with patients could be beneficial, but it would require some oversight from Mina.
"No trouble at all. I'm her master; it's my duty," Mina replied, her emotions evident as she headed to her room. "She truly cherishes her current life. The previous laws of the Federation were far too harsh."
Bai Yi remained silent for a moment before turning to the Huxin Pavilion. When Luo Ning woke up, the dimensional gift stored in the panel would be accessible.
With his luck dwindling to one, he felt hopeless about any prize pools for himself.
The decision to leave also hinged on Luo Ning's presence. As a daughter of fate, any lucky draw would yield top-tier rewards.
Bai Yi observed the strange powers and the grotesque doctor's total swirling within the demon dimension.
[Name: The Power of Grotesque.]
[Attribute: Grotesque.]
[Effect: Can supplement most material deficiencies derived from power during dimensional collapse.]
[Effect 2: Submit to the panel for 1/5 of the origin stone and special skill points ×2.]
[Introduction: Grotesque power may be a source of power?]
[Name: The Toy of the Grotesque Doctor.]
[Attribute: Disposable Totem.]
[Effect: Allows you to make a deal with the Grotesque Doctor.]
[Note: This transaction cannot be conducted within Federation territory, as it may provoke the sword marks guarding the Federation.]
[Note: Do not accept any gifts from the Grotesque Doctor during this transaction, and avoid provoking any murderous intent from him.]
[Introduction: He seems to harbor animosity towards you, both good and evil.]
Considering the value of these two items, Bai Yi felt they were incredibly high-stakes.
In particular, the grotesque power seemed to stem from the great divine force that contributed to the curse doctor's inheritance space.
For now, it remained manageable.
As for the transaction, it implied a cost.
He hadn't yet determined what he wanted. Bai Yi believed he wouldn't need this power until reaching the taboo level.
Regarding the grotesque power, his divine bone had achieved full proficiency, yet he felt something was still missing. He intended to use a special skill point to explore the doctor's gift.
However, with only three special skill points available, two would need to be allocated to pharmacy or technology. Only after mastering all three could he continue to advance.
Gazing at the time, he noted the moonlight hanging in the air. It was still early.
According to the records of the saints, this grotesque doctor ignored all fate and luck, leaving Bai Yi uncertain of Luo Ning's predictions.
Yet he couldn't ignore everyone's fate, could he?
Bai Yi's method was to navigate around many obstacles.
If he were to provide gold coins, it would inevitably alter the fate of the recipient.
1,000 versus 100,000 gold coins—despite the Federation's slight price inflation post-reform, 100,000 gold coins remained an unattainable wealth for ordinary people.
It was akin to suddenly gifting 100 million to a migrant worker, a sum that would dramatically alter their fate.
Time passed swiftly as he contemplated these matters. In the order of zero, finance department personnel entered quietly, placing jars before Bai Yi.
These contained the finest wines from Dongwu City, and in the demon dimension, time flowed at a rate of 1,000 times.
Initially, Bai Yi assumed it was a straightforward 1 point of spiritual attribute plus 1 times flow rate, but it became apparent that this was not the case.
The demon dimension, being a realm of the mind, absorbed the origin stone to give birth to magic, indicating growth potential with a current limit of 1,000 times.
This was sufficient. With these fine wines placed in a 1,000 times flow rate, one year later they would become a thousand-year-old wine, and ten years later they would mature into ten-thousand-year-old wine.
As magic in that dimension commenced, the process of material transplantation could begin.
Once all these exquisite wines were secured in the demon dimension, the morning sun bathed the earth in light.
Squeak~
Not far away, a door creaked open, and Luo Ning yawned as she emerged.
Spotting Bai Yi, she beamed, "Good morning, boss brother!"
"Morning," he replied.
Bai Yi's mental power fluctuated, summoning a startled bronze servant into the Huxin Pavilion. The cat-like attendant trembled, tail twitching nervously.
Luo Ning:
"I know the boss's brother."
Recalling her earlier premonitions, she shivered and approached with a grimace.
One Day Later…
"Ha! Boss, are you sure there's still a lucky draw?"
"Hmm!"
"How about tomorrow?"
"Fine."
Three Days Later…
"Boss, why not change the waiter? She's so unlucky."
Bai Yi scrutinized the situation, pondering the grotesque doctor's gift. There truly was a 10% chance of receiving a positive gift.
"I have a new idea. Do you want to try it?"
Without hesitation, Luo Ning nodded eagerly. "Yes! Let's try it now!"