Chapter 19

Chapter 19

[Whoooa, finally seeing the super good-looking one~]

[Wife, wife, look at me!!!]

[What are you waiting for, host? Get a close-up shot. I'll send you a rocket!]

[LOL, doesn't anyone care about the host hhhhh they came to scam, and now they've ended up fooling around in front of an evil god, hilarious.]

[Host, if you can keep up your sassiness in front of Lann, I'll gift you a Battleship (dog head with a rose)]

Lann's suspicion was not misplaced.

This player team consisted of three members, led by Baba Hao, all troublemakers.

One of the members, Ye Ye Hao, was a game streamer. Their livestream's selling point was their mischievous behavior in this ultra-free game, along with bloopers and major mess-ups.

This is why, when the game launched, most players were focused on Lan En, and he didn’t follow the crowd to join the hype. Instead, while most players were preoccupied with Lan En, Ye Ye Hao noticed the game's potential.

That potential lay in its ultra-free gameplay mode and realistic world setting.

The other quirky elements in the game were just embellishments, and they quickly utilized the game’s features to create the selling point of their livestreams, which was, cough cough, freedom of action.

Like now, while most players were dutifully seeking tasks from Lan En or Clarence, they chose not to. After understanding the game's basic rules, the trio discussed and eventually chose character cards with different inclinations: a con artist with a focus on [Persuasion] skill points (Ye Ye Hao), a mysticism enthusiast with [Occult] and [Performance] skill points (Uncle Hao), and a brawler responsible for combat (Baba Hao).

Indeed, they had accumulated wealth through deception, even undertaking a few shamanistic tasks through their channels, and their livestream's popularity continued to rise as everyone waited for their inevitable mess-up.

“Alright, please come with me, esteemed shamans. The person needing your help is on the second floor.” The woman's demeanor was noticeably kinder when addressing the players, but Baba and the others exchanged looks, hesitating to go upstairs immediately, instead turning their gaze to Lan En.

As Baba and the others looked his way, Lan En suddenly had an ominous premonition.

This premonition turned into reality as the group of players approached him.

“Mr. Lan En, you're here too.” Ye Ye Hao nodded respectfully to Lan En, completely ignoring the teasing comments flooding the chat.

Joking aside, troublemakers they might be, and fearless of card-tearing they might claim, they still didn't want to foolishly meet their end.

Lan En: …

Please, don’t…

Fortunately, things hadn't progressed in the direction he feared most. The players hadn't been foolish enough to outright reveal Lan En’s identity. Instead, they approached him mysteriously, saying, “Don’t worry, we won't expose your identity.”

Lan En stared at them blankly, and as expected, the woman asked in confusion, “Do you know each other?”

“No, not really. But I've been to Dr. Lan En’s psychotherapy clinic before. His medical skills are superb, so he will definitely be able to help your brother,” Ye Ye Hao assured her.

Lann wished he could cover his mouth to stop him from speaking further.

Besides, when had these players ever seriously sought psychological therapy from him? Their visits to the therapy room were all about chatting, showing off, or zoning out and screen-licking!

As expected, after Ye Ye and his team's comment, the woman's gaze towards Lann changed.

Lann thought to himself: Heaven knows... I just came by to earn a therapy fee.

Lann opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to show weakness. What more could he say? He just maintained a smile: "Where is the patient now?"

"Upstairs, I'll take you there."

Sure enough, after hearing the player's remarks, the woman's attitude became much warmer, leading both groups upstairs to the furthest room.

As the room opened, Lann raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The room was filled with butterfly specimens and various flower displays. The most noticeable piece of furniture was the bed in the center, where a gaunt man lay, his face haggard, eyes bloodshot, staring intently in one direction.

The woman explained, "Collecting these things was my brother's hobby. He loved beautiful things, especially butterfly wings."

Lann remained silent. Baba was the first to ask, "When did he become like this?"

"He suddenly turned like this last week," the sister said, tears in her eyes, "It seemed like he just slept one night, and the next day he started ignoring everyone, staying in bed all the time. At first, we thought Uncle was just unhappy or had some problems, but then on the second and third day, it was the same, and later he even stopped talking to us and hardly ate."

The players glanced at Lann, who remained quiet. Ye Ye · Hao stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the woman's face, and asked, "Has he done anything unusual in these past few days?"

[Requesting Psychology, Rhetoric skills]

[Psychology: Success]

[Rhetoric: Success]

The woman thought for a moment, then shook her head, "Nothing out of the ordinary. His activities in the past few days have been no different than usual, eating and sleeping normally."

Ye Ye Hao scrutinized her expression and after a moment, nodded to the others.

If nothing unusual happened, how did this man end up like this? Ye Ye · Hao was puzzled, involuntarily looking towards Lann. He noticed Lann standing in front of the bedridden man, waving his hand in front of him, paying no attention to their conversation.

The live chat comments began to float up again.

[It seems like Lann has no intention of intervening…]

[That's normal, right? The forum analysis said he's trying to hide his identity now. So, he has to pretend to be a normal person and can't act directly.]

[Then why did he come here?]

[I don't know…]

[Lann has been staying in his psychotherapy office, which we can assume to be his base of operations. Being an evil god, he surely isn't short of money. Running a psychotherapy office must be a cover for his identity. Now that he's suddenly left, he might be plotting something.]

[But what could he be after?]

[Maybe this commission isn’t as simple as it seems.]

The live chat analyzed various reasons for Lann's departure, and Ye Ye, finding them convincing, humored the woman while observing Lann's movements.

What was Lann doing at this moment? He was simply contemplating what he could do. His current trump card was the influence of his own appearance. Although he didn't understand the principle, he knew that when people in a state of mental turmoil saw him, they would fall into a strange state of mental haze. In this state, combined with psychological hypnosis, the effects could be remarkable.

However, Lann was troubled because the man lying on the bed had not ‘looked’ at him at all, even as he moved in front of his eyes. It was as if the man's soul had left his body, his eyes staring blankly into the distance.

In such a case, even if players used mental analysis skills, it was likely doomed to fail. If he couldn't get the patient to even acknowledge him, let alone stabilize his mental state.

Therefore, Lann actually didn't have a good solution. Thinking of the Kamuy tribe's proficiency in pharmacology, he asked without much hope, “Have you given him any medication these past few days?”

The woman quickly replied, “Yes, yes, we've given him these medicines. Some had some effect, but others didn’t.”

"Could I take a look at those medicines?"

The siblings quickly brought several different potions for Lann to inspect.

Lann was startled as soon as he held the medicines in his hand.

Level one magic potion for heart nourishment, level two tonic potion, blood replenishment potion...

"Impressive for the Kamuy tribe, indeed. They never lack for magic potions."

As Lann examined the potions, deep in thought, the woman quickly added, "Our family lives by selling these potions. We had a lot of stock, but it was all bought by a major customer recently. My brother is even more skilled in potion making, but in his current state, he can't brew anything better, so we're using ones with lower efficacy…"

"Can't you take him to a hospital?" Baba couldn't help but ask.

The woman gave him a strange look and shook her head, "It's useless, and we don't have the money or health insurance."

Just like in the previous world's America, hospitals here are expensive, and without health insurance, the poor can hardly afford treatment.

Lann looked at the potions that were used more frequently, those for revitalizing energy and nurturing the spirit. Then, observing the man on the bed who had turned from normal to a state of utter exhaustion in just three days, and considering the room full of butterfly specimens, Lann suddenly had a realization and leaned in to examine the specimens closely.

The three players felt a bit awkward because Lann didn't speak or look at the patient again. Under the gaze of the woman and the siblings, they had no choice but to step up.

Ye Ye adjusted his demeanor, "I'll start the exorcism now. Please prepare these items for me..."

[Here it comes! Hahaha]

[I've been waiting for this scene for so long, it's hilarious.]

[Exorcising in front of an evil god, you guys are really daring (dog head emoji)]

Actually, if Lann didn't know that they couldn't possibly have mastered spells at this stage, he might really have been fooled by their convincing act. It seems all their skill points were invested in [Deception] and [Performance].

Ye Ye and Shu Shu Hao each played their part, one as an occultist, the other a con artist, working in perfect harmony. They sprinkled water around the room, set up magical circles, and chanted unknown spells, instantly fooling the initially skeptical woman and the siblings.

Ye Ye chanted incantations, sprinkling holy water and setting up circles on the sickbed, but the man showed no reaction, still looking as though he was suffering greatly. Gradually, as time passed, the woman and siblings began to look doubtful.

[I'm dying of laughter, are they really about to be exposed?]

[I'm just here to see the mischief-makers crash and burn (dog head emoji)]

[Bets are open, will the mischief-makers get thrown out or not.]

[I saw a gun, I bet they get executed on the spot, hilarious]

[Lann: No big deal, I'll intervene (crooked smile)]

Whether Lann would intervene or not, the players were not sure themselves. Although they hadn't interacted with Lann before, they knew from the forums that this NPC, suspected to be an evil god, was still in hiding. Disguising as a normal human, he even opened a psychotherapy office to deceive others, surely plotting something big.

To avoid drawing attention from official organizations, he certainly wouldn't act rashly.

But the players weren't just sitting around doing nothing. Remember when Ye Ye cleverly approached Lann to chat? In fact, he was hoping to connect with Lann and possibly get a helping hand.

After all, to this family, they were acquainted with Lann. If they were exposed as frauds, it could implicate Lann too…

With this little scheme in mind, Ye Ye kept glancing at Lann, but unfortunately, Lann didn’t even spare him a glance, seemingly absorbed in admiring the homeowner’s butterfly collection.

Oh no, this is bad.

When Shu Shu Hao, the occultist, ran out of spells to recite, and Ye Ye looked utterly dejected, it seemed all was lost.

Perhaps crashing and burning is the destiny of mischief-makers...

The live chat was ready for a celebration. Anger was clearly evident on the faces of the two young men among the siblings, who furiously grabbed Ye Ye's collar, "Is this how you've been tormenting our uncle?!"

"It's a misunderstanding!"

The two young men, not listening to his explanations, started punching Ye Ye and Shu Shu, easily overpowering them as the players had no skills in dodging or fighting, making it as easy as catching chickens.

Baba Hao, the only one with combat skills, was no match for four hands and was about to get a severe beating.

At that moment, Lann suddenly noticed something and quickly grabbed a glass container holding one of the butterfly specimens.

The man on the bed, previously lifeless, suddenly started to struggle wildly, as if trying to get up, making a 'heh-heh' sound like a broken old-fashioned organ.

Ye Ye and Baba, closest to the man, were terrified by his skeletal frame seeming to fall apart and hurriedly pressed him down on the bed.

The woman and siblings were startled, but quickly reacted, grabbing the man's limbs. Fortunately, they were quick, because in the next moment, the man, previously exhausted on the bed, burst out with tremendous strength, nearly throwing the players off him.

Lann released his hold, the black and red butterfly specimen remaining in place, and the man on the bed gradually calmed down, returning to his previous state.

However, his legs had become dislocated during the violent struggle, making him appear even weaker. The woman and siblings, both shocked and distressed, pleaded with Lann, "Please save my brother/uncle!"

They had realized that the man's reaction was likely related to the butterfly specimen Lann had touched, and Lann, who had noticed this, was the only one present who could save him.

[So Lann did intervene after all, too bad, I wanted to see the mischief-makers get beaten.]

[Of course, he had to intervene. Ye Ye was too cunning, deliberately talking to Lann. If he hadn't acted, it would have seemed like he was in cahoots with these fraudsters.]

[Hilarious, Lann probably noticed the problem as soon as he entered, but because Ye Ye tricked him, he deliberately waited for the players' scam to be exposed and beaten.]

[Lann: Noted in my little notebook.]

[Lann: I always take my revenge on the spot!]

[Am I the only one curious about Lann's purpose here? It feels like YeYe and the others have stumbled upon a storyline of an instance. Maybe they'll trigger a hidden quest?]

YeYe and Baba thought the same, considering Lann's mysterious identity, handling a mere novice village quest would be no challenge at all.

Then why didn't he say so before... He must have realized they were scamming and was annoyed at YeYe for dragging him into it!

However, knowing Lann had his own agenda for coming out, they figured he would continue with his plan, regardless of any annoyance.

As if to confirm their thoughts, Lann looked up and pointed to the butterfly specimen by his side, saying, "This is what led to his current predicament."

No sooner had he finished speaking, the long-awaited notification rang in the players' ears.

[Bounty Pool Quest - "The Butterfly Chaser" initiated.

Objective: A bizarre butterfly specimen appears at the gathering, is bought by someone, then quickly changes hands due to the death of its owner... Oh, butterfly chasers, there are more and more of you. Investigate the whole story behind this before the butterfly flies away.

Requirement: Rewards will be distributed based on the importance of clues submitted by each player after the task deadline. A fee of 50 Xiyuan is required to accept the quest.

Remaining Task Time: 48:45:50]

As the system notification sounded in each player's ear, the forum instantly buzzed with excitement.

Of course, the most excited were the parties involved. The three players stared at Lann with intense, wolf-like gazes.

A bounty pool quest! Whoever finds the key information will get the most rewards, a rare chance to pull ahead of other players, and now the clue to start the quest was right in front of them!

Lann listened to the notification with some surprise. Of course, he couldn't accept the quest, but just receiving the notification was enough for him, meaning he could monitor the players' movements at any time!

But now wasn't the time to think about that, as the three cunning players' gazes turned intensely passionate after the system alert.

[A bounty pool quest... In some ways, the rewards are even more generous than those of hidden quests!]

[Wuu wuu wuu wuu, I'm so jealous, those three cunning players are so lucky!]

[Sticking close to Lann really is the best strategy! He must be the central character in this game's storyline!]

Although the three players remained silent, and Lann couldn't see the increasingly sycophantic live chat, he somehow understood their unspoken words through their expressions.

This left him momentarily speechless.

How could he have known that his offhand remark would trigger a bounty pool quest?

Honestly, Lann's only intention in coming out was to make some extra money. Running into the players was purely coincidental. Of course, he hadn't intended for them to get beaten up; it's just that searching among so many butterfly specimens in the room took time.

The reason he recognized the man's weakness due to the butterfly specimen... well, it's a coincidence since this specimen was also famous in forums in his past life.

The players, the woman, and the three siblings moved closer to the butterfly specimen Lann had pointed out, examining it carefully.

At first glance, this butterfly specimen looked no different from the others. If anything, the colors on its wings were unnaturally vibrant: the black was deep, and the red was a dark crimson like blood, with red veins like blood vessels spreading through the dark colors, forming shapes like eyes.

[Investigation: Failed]

[Inspiration: Successful]

[Inspiration: Failed]

Among the three players, only YeYe's inspiration succeeded. As he looked at the butterfly specimen, the patterns on its wings seemed to come to life, the eye-like designs moving as if they were real eyeballs, glancing over at Lann.

"Ah!" YeYe, who was watching, jumped in shock, his heart rate instantly soaring to 100, pointing at the butterfly specimen and shouting, "It's alive!"

Everyone was startled and quickly looked at the butterfly specimen, but saw no movement, casting puzzled glances at YeYe.

The other two players and Lann weren't overly surprised. The players knew it might not be a mistake on YeYe's part, as only he had succeeded in inspiration, while Lann knew what he said was true – the butterfly specimen was indeed alive.

Lann glanced at the man staring intently at them and suggested, "Let's go to another room."

So, they moved to the adjacent, unoccupied room. Lann, not withholding information, calmly asked, "Have you heard of the Soul-Devouring Butterfly?"

"The Soul-Devouring Butterfly?" The siblings murmured, frowning in thought. The woman pondered for a moment, slightly hesitant, "I think I've seen this term in a book... But isn't it just a legend?"

"Of course not. The Soul-Devouring Butterfly only appears in special areas, feeding on human life force and souls. Even... wouldn't dare to provoke them lightly."

"Indeed, as I recall from forums in my past life, a well-known but novel piece of information to players today is about these butterflies' most terrifying trait: their immortality. Legends say that these butterflies age every ten years, and before dying, they go to a special place to sleep. During this sleep, their wings remain as vibrant as ever, but they lose all signs of life, appearing just like specimens."

"But in reality, they are not dead. Instead, they are quietly waiting for the moment to emerge anew. Human life force and souls become nourishment for their revival. Once this cycle of death and rebirth is complete, the Soul-Devouring Butterfly is reborn and rejoins its swarm."

In the past, players could only find this information by achieving a great success in the Kamui tribe's library or the Akam city library, but now Lann just laid it out directly.

"How can there be such cheat-like creatures in the world?" The three siblings were dumbfounded.

Of course, there are, Lann thought. In the game, these Soul-Devouring Butterflies are classified as A-level anomalies.

At the A-level, they can't be understood by common sense. They are usually hard to kill unless confronted by a stronger anomaly. Players encountering A-level anomalies can only avoid them or temporarily repel them with items. Until Lann's time travel, no player could directly confront them.

Lann smiled, glanced at the players, and said, "Although the specimen of the Soul-Devouring Butterfly is dangerous, it is also a core ingredient for a certain important magical potion, extremely hard to obtain."

Getting the butterfly's powder in the later stages is harder than reaching the heavens. In terms of attack power, the Soul-Devouring Butterfly is not as fearsome as other A-level anomalies. The tricky part is that they always appear in swarms. When their numbers exceed a thousand, even weaker deities have to retreat.

In the past, players were unaware of its value at this stage. Only in the later stages, while undertaking a certain dungeon quest, did they realize how rare the Soul-Devouring Butterfly specimen was. This involved an extremely important dream-inducing potion, which was a shortcut to trespassing into the world of dreams.

The three players were stunned for a second, then Baba quickly reacted and ran into the room, followed by exclamations of surprise.

Lann smiled, "It seems they've realized its value."

The woman and the three siblings hesitated as they looked at Lann. They had no intention of competing for it. The mere thought of the butterfly specimen almost harming their kin made them want to destroy it, but they were surprised at Lann's generosity.

This generosity was not just his indifference towards the precious potion ingredient, but also his willingness to share the knowledge that the Soul-Devouring Butterfly could be used in potion-making. To them, with a long heritage in potion-making, this knowledge was more precious than the mere magical ingredients themselves.

"Even they could only gather scant knowledge about the Soul-Devouring Butterflies from ancient texts, yet Lann spoke of it so casually, seemingly unconcerned. What really is his identity…?"

At this moment, Lann was not aware of the complex looks from the woman and the three siblings, as he was busy recalling the details of this task.

As for the Soul-Devouring Butterfly being a precious potion ingredient... To be honest, Lann was quite tempted when he first recognized it, mainly due to the instinct of a player's collecting habit. But then he thought, what use would he have for this magical potion ingredient?

To make a dream-inducing potion? This potion is valuable to players because it allows them to trespass into the inner world, akin to the highest-level and most rewarding special instance in the game. It's full of treasures but also incredibly dangerous, with each visit being a life-for-treasure exchange for attribute points and rare items.

If he were still a player, he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life for wealth, but now he can only complete this game with one life. So why should he venture into such perilous places and make things difficult for himself?

Keep in mind, Lann's current aspiration is simply to survive well in this world, and if possible, open a psychotherapy clinic, returning to his original profession.

But then again, now that he has openly shared the use of this butterfly specimen, could it be that the task will end just like that?

Just as he thought this, a loud boom suddenly came from the next room.

Startled, Lann exchanged glances with the woman and siblings and hurried to the adjacent room. As they opened the door, they were met with swirling smoke. The two brothers at the front inhaled and immediately changed color, hastily warning, "No good, it's a sedative smoke!"

The situation inside the room was unclear due to the smoke. They could vaguely see four figures, three of whom were already on the ground. The only one standing was quickly running towards the window. The woman, changing her expression, charged forward despite the threat of the drug, firmly grabbing the person.

The siblings followed suit, rushing in. Seeing the situation turning against him, the man cut the collar of his shirt, held by the woman, with a dagger. As the fabric ripped with a tearing sound, he didn't hesitate to jump out of the second-floor window.

The two brothers wanted to pursue but felt weakened due to inhaling the drug. Lann, watching the man's fleeing figure disappear around the corner, narrowed his eyes, spotting a poker tattoo on his back.

The effect of the drug was short-lived, especially on the Kamui tribe, who were the forebears of pharmacology. Their bodies, accustomed to various herbs over the years, had developed antibodies. While the players were still incapacitated on the floor, the siblings and the woman who had inhaled the sedative smoke were already recovering.

Baba, slightly dazed, opened her eyes and murmured, "Just now... that person..."

"He escaped, probably took the Soul-Devouring Butterfly specimen with him."

Lann stood grim-faced in front of the now incomplete wall of specimens. Suddenly, the man who had been lying motionless on the bed stirred. His gaunt throat emitted an unearthly howl, a wail as if from the depths of hell, his limbs trembling as if possessed by a will foreign to his body, madly rushing towards the window.

The three siblings struggled to restrain him, almost overpowered despite his extreme frailty. It was inexplicable how a man so weak could nearly break free from the grasp of three strong youths.

Lann turned to assist but abruptly halted in his tracks.

A rainbow-colored ribbon of light emerged from the man, faintly connecting to an unknown point outside the window. The ribbon's colors were mottled, revealing the pained visage of a man.

What was this?

Lann hesitated as he watched the light ribbon, noticing that neither the players nor the Kamui people reacted to it.

Can't they see it?

It took the combined efforts of the three siblings and the players to finally tie the man to the bed. However, the man's previously displayed strength seemed like a final burst of energy, visibly waning by the minute.

Lann recalled the traits of the Soul-Devouring Butterfly. They fed on human life force and souls, using the patterns on their wings to lure humans into keeping them close, resulting in an addiction akin to narcotic consumption. Early separation might save the victim, but in advanced stages, even removing the butterfly specimen wouldn't prevent a gradual decline to death.

"Unless the butterfly specimen is destroyed, the death sentence is essentially inevitable."

"But the specimen was just taken, and judging by the man's rapid weakening, it's probably already too late."

"Realizing this, the few people present saw the woman stand up with her three siblings, and before Lann could react, they all knelt before him."

Lann was startled: "What are you doing..."

"Please, save him, I beg of you," the woman pleaded through tears, following the Kamui tribe's highest etiquette by pressing her forehead to the back of her hand and prostrating herself, impossible for Lann to lift.

"The three siblings also knelt beside their mother, the youngest sister looking up with big, tear-filled eyes full of pleading."

"Seeing such eyes, Lann's initial refusal stuck in his throat, unable to be voiced."

"Because he too knew the despair of watching a loved one weaken before his eyes, powerless to help."

"The player stayed quietly aside, knowing that even a troublemaker wouldn't act out in front of children about to lose a loved one."

"After a long silence, Lann finally spoke: 'I can try, but it's best not to hold too much hope.'"

"Lann ushered the player, woman, and the three siblings out, staying alone in the room with the man."

"Outside the door, the woman and siblings paced back and forth, glancing at the door from time to time. If not for the three players present, they probably couldn't resist eavesdropping."

"It wasn't that they didn't trust Lann, but the concern for their loved one. In contrast, the players were much more relaxed, knowing that nothing would go wrong once Lann took action, now boasting on the forum."

"After all, Lann is a demon god. What can't he do?"

……

"Lann looked at the weakened Kamui man on the bed with a worried expression."

"Although he had promised to save him, he honestly had no idea how to actually do it."

"Observing the light bands emerging on the man's body, he recalled discussions from a previous life's forum about the Soul-Eating Butterfly's mental control. Could it be that these light bands, like nutrient tubes, were feeding the butterfly?"

"Lann tried waving his hand, and sure enough, touched nothing. If he weren't sure of his own sanity as a psychologist, he might have considered giving himself a mental analysis."

"Seeing the man's gaze fixed outside the window, Lann knew his mind was still under the butterfly's control, not even glancing his way."

"To be honest, Lann felt like giving up. After all, he was here just for a consultation fee. Why risk his life for 400 Xiyuan?"

"But as the thought of giving up surfaced, the image of the youngest sister's tearful and desperate eyes flashed through his mind."

"Lann sighed and decided to make one more effort."

"He looked around, rummaging through the plants and specimens, and surprisingly found something useful. Based on his somewhat blurry memory, he arranged it around the man and drew a circle with charcoal on his bed."

"In his previous life's game, NPCs seemed to have special templates. The versions always changed, but players could never catch up with NPCs' strength. However, players had their unique methods."

"That was communicating with demon gods, performing forbidden ritual magic to exchange organs/lifespan/attribute points for explosive power."

"This, originally a taboo among taboos in the Inspection Bureau, was sealed in the archives due to its cruelty. But how did this top-secret magic appear on the player's forum? It all started with the cunning citizens who maxed out their [Skilled Hand] and [Disguise]."

"Since that day, the demon gods have suffered inhuman harassment from the players."

"After all, players aren't afraid of death; worst case, they'd restart the next day as good as new."

"What's called the Fourth Calamity? (with a shaking voice)"

"In his previous life, Lann also knew this magic, even memorizing the steps so well he could perform it without the system, realistically and accurately."

"He arranged the common core materials and crystals in specific positions, but hesitated while reciting the prayer."

"It wasn't that he lost his nerve, but he was pondering which demon god to sacrifice to."

"Demon gods have distinct personalities. Some grant power generously but demand organs, others might give power when in a good mood, or turn the sacrificer into a monstrous minion as a cruel game of chance."

"Actually, the ritual magic is fixed; it's the prayer that varies, directing the focus to different demon gods. As Lann deliberated on which demon god to choose, the charcoal used for the ritual began to emit a fluorescent glow."

"Lann was dumbfounded. He hadn't even started reciting the prayer yet. How could it be taking effect?"

"Something wasn't right!"

"Lann didn't realize that ritual magic, to some extent, is about establishing a channel of communication with demon gods, or seen as a beacon to attract their attention."

"Sacrificers use a beacon to target a specific demon god through the recitation of their prayer."

"However, when a demon god initiates the use..."

"...it spontaneously links to nearby praying individuals."

"Carmen, lying on the bed, felt as though he was trapped in a nightmare from which he couldn't wake."

"During these past few days, he wasn't completely unconscious, but rather, like a walking corpse, dazed and fixated on the black and red Phoenix butterflies. Their strange patterns swirled before his eyes like a kaleidoscope, displaying beautiful designs and consuming his entire being."

"So beautiful, so very beautiful."

"He was entranced by everything he saw, murmuring uncontrollably."

"As his body grew weaker, the little desire to survive fought a losing battle against his increasingly obsessed mind, gradually suppressed by his diminishing spirit."

"Until now."

"Just as Carmen's life hung by a thread, his soul nearly drained, a sudden glow appeared deep in his mind, forming a circle from start to end, gradually connecting into the pattern of a ritual circle."

"As the circle took shape, Carmen's fragmented will began to reintegrate. He heard a voice:"

"'What is your desire?'"

"His long-weakened spirit could hardly respond."

"'What is your desire?'"

"Carmen mustered his strength, using his last bit of energy to form a thought:"

"'To live, to... to keep living...'"

"The voice paused briefly:"

"'Granted.'"

"In Carmen's mind, the image of the butterfly, like an evicted guest, was replaced by the imprint of the ritual circle drawn by Lann."

"In reality, Lann, still worrying over the circle, was uncertain whether to proceed. Just then, he noticed the light bands previously floating over the man beginning to fade away."

"Under Lann’s astonished gaze, Carmen opened his eyes, dazed. Though still weak and emaciated from the Soul-Eating Butterfly’s control, his eyes, upon awakening, clung fervently and admiringly to Lann."