[Ding.]

[You have successfully slain a Corrupted Entity.]

[Calculating Reward.]

[Reward Calculated.]

[Reward: 2x Cultivation Speed.]

[Bonus Reward Obtained.]

[Corruption Resistance Lv.1 Acquired.]

[Corruption Resistance Lv.1 — Reduces the mental influence and corruption effects caused by corrupted entities. Slightly increases resistance against corruption-based energy.]

"...2x cultivation speed?" That’s a ridiculous reward to hand out. My cultivation speed was high but now it’s 2x times higher. Cultivators would massacre entire sects for searching treasures capable of increasing cultivation speed. Yet the system handed me something this absurd after killing just a single corrupted creature.

And the corruption resistance...this will increase my mental defence. If stronger Fallen existed in the future, then this reward could become the difference.

But right now, none of those rewards felt important. Not while countless corpses surrounded me. The Fallen’s massive body slowly started crumbling apart afterward. Its flesh turned into black ash before scattering into the cold wind.

Several nearby demons immediately stepped backward nervously.

"...It’s disappearing."

"I’ve never seen a Fallen vanish like that before."

"Was it because of that human?" The demons were staring at me with shock.

"...Ghk...". My legs nearly collapsed beneath me before I stabbed Eclipse into the snow to keep myself standing.

"REN!" Mira immediately rushed toward me while Lyra followed closely behind her. The little demon girl crashed right into me.

"Ughh... I think you would be the reason for my death." I muttered slowly. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"You’re bleeding Ren!" Mira shouted. Tears filled her eyes while her voice shook badly. "You idiot...you almost died!"

"...But I’m alive aren’t I?." I smiled.

"That’s not the point! You...do you know how worried I was?" Her voice cracked near the end. Only then did I realize she was genuinely worried about me.

Lyra slowly stopped beside me. Her eyes immediately focused on the wound in my shoulder. Blood soaked through my clothes while my breathing became increasingly unstable.

"...Sit down, I will treat that." she said quietly.

"I’m fine."

"No, you are not." She shook her head. Her voice sounded calmer than Mira’s, but I could still hear the faint trembling hidden beneath it. This woman who stayed fearless during an attack from an A-rank Fallen... was struggling to stay composed now. The image of Mira nearly dying earlier probably still lingered inside her mind.

It lingered in mine too. If I had been slower by even a second... Mira would have died in front of us. The thought left a heaviness inside my chest.

Snow continued falling from the sky while surviving villagers slowly walked through the ruins of their destroyed home. Some searched for survivors beneath collapsed cabins. Some carried the injured toward safer areas. Others simply sat motionless beside bodies covered in cloth.

The earlier chaos was gone now, only grief remained. A child suddenly cried somewhere nearby. "...Mom...where’s dad?" Nobody answered him. A woman immediately hugged the child tightly while crying herself. I quietly looked away. This world really didn’t care about anyone. Death swallowed everyone equally.

Korin eventually forced himself back onto his feet despite the massive hole through his stomach. One of the hunters desperately tried supporting him, but Korin shoved the hand away roughly. "I can walk, this kind of wound is nothing to me."

"Village chief, you need treatment! Stop being so stubborn."

"I said I can walk." Blood continuously dripped from his wound onto the snow while he slowly looked around the destroyed village. Then his eyes stopped near the ruined cabin from earlier. The cabin where Korin’s son died.

Korin froze completely. An older demon woman slowly approached him while clutching a small bloodstained cloth tightly against her chest. Her eyes were swollen red from crying. "...We found this near him," she whispered.

Korin slowly took the cloth from her hands. Inside it was a small wooden carving of a spear. The old woman’s lips trembled a bit. "...He always carried it around because he wanted to become a great hunter like you."

Korin stared at the carving without moving. The hunter who fearlessly fought against the powerful fallen was barely keeping his emotions in control. "...I promised him," Korin muttered. "...I told him once winter ended...I would personally train him and make him a strong hunter. But now it’s all over." His fingers tightened around the wooden spear craving slightly. "...I couldn’t keep my promise to him."

One of the hunters nearby suddenly punched a broken wall in frustration before lowering his head helplessly. Another demon wiped the tears from his face. Nobody knew what to say to ease the pain in Korin’s heart.

Several villagers began gathering wood for funeral fires while others carried away the dead or what remained of them. They won the fight against the fallen, but no one was in the mood of celebrating.

Mira slowly lowered her head while staring at the bodies covered with cloth. "...They were smiling this morning ."

Lyra pulled Mira closer protectively. "...Don’t look Mira." The little demon girl bit her lips hard before lowering her head silently. Tears slowly rolled down her face despite her trying desperately not to cry. This was probably the first time she truly saw death this closely.

Korin looked toward me again after a long silence. "...Human."

"You really refuse to use my name huh." I said. Normally he would’ve argued back with me but this time he didn’t.

"...Ren," he corrected himself. His exhausted eyes stayed fixed on me for several moments. "...You fought for this village even though we are demons. Even though we are enemies."

The surrounding hunters slowly looked toward me. Some looked ashamed for doubting me as an enemy. But most of them were grateful for saving them. One hunter suddenly bowed his head deeply and said. "...Thank you, Ren. We would never forget about what you did for us."

Soon several others followed his gesture. I didn’t know what to say to them. It feels awkward to me, no one has ever thanked me before.

Mira slowly stepped closer before she bowed her head. "...Thank you for saving me and mom." Lyra blinked slightly after hearing those words before looking toward me and giving me a slight nod.

Before I could say something to Mira, the system chimed again and the system notification appeared.

[Ding.]