"Oh great immortal, thank you for deciding to shower a few drops of grave mercy upon me and the city—or whatever is left of it—by killing the Great Red Dragon!" the woman said, dropping to her knees and bowing deeply. "Me, and even my six generations, won't forget this generous debt!"
What the?!
The woman's bizarre behavior startled him—and why wouldn't it? The very moment his feet touched the ground, she had flung herself near him, groveling at his feet and spouting such obsequious praise with all the flair of a court poet. His gaze swept across the area and noticed the other survivors nearby—many of them had also fallen into the same posture, kneeling in trembling awe.
Despite the absurdity, he kept his expression composed.
"Stand up... You don't need to act so obsequious toward me. That goes for all of you," he said calmly to the woman, who looked up at him with a stunned expression.
He sighed.
This was going to be troublesome, after all. And he doubted everyone had even heard him clearly. He didn't want to waste time entertaining groveling or flattery—especially when there were more pressing things to address.
It was time to use another one of his abilities—this one, a passive skill.
"Stand!"
And immediately, everyone rose to their feet in perfect unison. This was the effect of [Mohini Mantra], a command-based passive skill that allowed him to control any monster or boss that was 30 levels or more below him—like a puppeteer tugging at invisible strings.
While the skill didn't work on player characters directly, it had some limited use against them—provided they lacked the proper resistances. For instance, it could temporarily root a player in place for around ten seconds. However, it couldn't be applied repeatedly. Those with basic resistances would only be affected for about two seconds, and those with full immunity wouldn't be affected at all.
In short—it was an efficient tool for control and crowd management, especially when dealing with weaker beings like these.
"Now listen carefully. I will speak, and you will answer what I ask. No one will say or do anything that might interrupt the conversation I am about to have with this woman," he said, his voice echoing powerfully through the air—amplified by his passive skill.
"Do you all understand the point I'm trying to make here?"
They all nodded quickly, faces pale with fear as their eyes locked on him.
"That's good. You people have just managed to extend your lifespans—at least for a few more breaths," he said coldly, then turned his attention to the woman in front of him.
"Now, woman. Tell me—what is this place, and where exactly am I?"
"This is the GreatSilk Embroidery City," the woman answered, her voice low, trembling. "It was famous for its incredible silk works… well, it was. The city is gone now. Some parts are still burning. Everything is lost."
She clenched her hands tightly as she spoke, and so did many of the others standing nearby. There was deep pain in her voice—raw and filled with grief. Around her, survivors stared blankly, many on the verge of tears. Though their lives had been spared, their homes, livelihoods, and futures had all been reduced to ash.
"If only I had—"
"Stop with the sob story," he interrupted sharply. "I don't care what you've lost, or what will happen to you. Whether you live, die, or become enslaved—none of that concerns me. Your pitiful, fragile existence is your problem. I'll say this only once—answer only what I ask. Don't speak nonsense."
His eyes narrowed with a threatening glare. His voice carried an edge of annoyance and absolute command.
"Forgive me..." she whispered, lowering her gaze.
"Now—where is this city located?"
"This city is near the southern route... leading toward the capital city of the empire."
"And the name of the continent where it is located?"
"The continent is called the Mortal Coil Continent."
He nodded slowly, processing the information.
The names... GreatSlik Embroidery City, Mortal Coil, southern route, empire capital—it all reeks of Xianxia or Wuxia themes. But more likely Xianxia. Which means... this world runs on cultivation. More specifically, qi cultivation.
That realization was deeply troubling.
Cultivation was a system infamous for its absurd and broken power scaling—where one could ascend from mere mortal to a god-like existence, often breaking every law of logic along the way. The real issue was that the exact mechanics varied depending on the world.
Each Xianxia world described its own rules. While core principles remained the same—like qi, realms, and breakthroughs—the way those rules operated, their internal logic, and even the limits (if any) differed vastly from story to story.
And he had no idea which kind of cultivation system this world followed.
That ignorance could very well kill him.
The difficulty level has surely risen to absurd heights.
Though, that might also explain how both the woman and the dragon managed to see him. They must have possessed some kind of rare bloodline ability, innate talent, or perhaps a secret technique that allowed them to bypass his concealment.
Whatever the method was, he was determined to uncover it.
He would learn everything—every technique, every hidden art, and every esoteric method that existed in this world. No matter the cost. Whether it came from the lowest of the low or the most exalted peak, no cultivation technique or talent would escape him.
Even if he couldn't cultivate himself, he would prepare counters for all of them.
One by one.
He would make sure of it.
Though, there was another problem.
Even if he was somehow having a conversation with a woman who should—if he wasn't mistaken—be speaking Chinese, her lips didn't match the words coming out of her mouth. He wasn't sure if he could even read Mandarin, let alone speak or understand it fluently.
But that was a problem for future him. He would just find someone to teach him how to read and write Mandarin later. Simple enough.
"Tell me—where is the city lord of this place?"
"I... am the city lord," the woman replied.
"You?"
"Yes..."
"Whatever," he shrugged. "Tell me—do you want everything to be restored?"
"Restore?"
"Yes. Your city, which was burned down and is still burning... and the people who were killed?" he offered.
And yes—he could do that. Quite easily, in fact. He had a cash shop item specifically for this kind of miracle. However, to be clear—he wasn't doing this out of kindness.
This city surely had cultivators and cultivation families. And if stories were anything to go by, there would also be a library—likely filled with manuals, scrolls, and ancient records. Many of those cultivators and families must have possessed decent techniques, secret arts, and generations of accumulated knowledge.
And he needed to learn all of it.
"Is it... actually possible to bring back the dead and restore everything as it was?" the woman asked, her voice full of disbelief.
"It is," he said simply. "Though I will ask for something in return."
"Like what?"
"That's not for you to decide. Now—answer. Yes or no?"
The woman hesitated for a long moment, then finally spoke.
"Yes..."
"Great," he said.
He activated [Mohini Mantra] once more and addressed the crowd, his voice booming with unnatural clarity.
"People of this flame-drowned city—your city lord has made a deal with me. And in return... now witness the power of a god, as I restore everything you have lost."
From his dimensional storage, he drew forth a single blue feather, glowing faintly.
The people looked up at him, uncertain and breathless.
He tossed the feather into the sky—and in the very next moment, everything was engulfed in a radiant white light.
An all-consuming, blinding brilliance.