So Many Gift-Bearers, Let Me Ponder a While

"Life force... As expected, the final question still circles back to this..." Yi Bai murmured softly, his eyes gleaming with an eerie light.

Though the statue hadn't fully revealed what the God of Slaughter sought to 'remedy,' it no longer mattered. It was clear now that the vitality of the human world held immense value to the gods. To have killed another god just to deliver a high-tier divine statue said enough.

"Alright, my questions are done. It's time for you to move on."

"**%... (Do you truly think you can kill me?)"

The statue's voice held a hint of doubt. While it had accepted the situation, it didn't mean it was ready for death. Its hope now was that Yi Bai wouldn't be able to kill it, leaving them with no choice but to cooperate.

"No, no, no. I think you've misunderstood," Yi Bai smirked coldly. "I, a mere vampire, don't have the ability to kill a godlike creation."

"I... just want you to undergo a slight transformation."

With that, the bloodied hand reappeared. If the statue had had facial features, one could almost imagine its stunned expression.

"**&... (Vampire! You have no honor!)"

Yi Bai responded seriously, "Hah! I'm an honest young man, virtuous and always truthful!"

"Thhpt..." The statue, enraged, spat out a thick, black liquid from its jagged mouths.

"Enjoy yourself. After the pain, this honest young man will bring you redemption. Don't worry~"

As his voice faded, the painful blood hand attached itself once more. The chains that bound the statue rattled loudly. The monstrous form of the statue, with its many mouths, began to wail and roar endlessly.

The question-and-answer period had given the statue some respite, but now, Yi Bai was back to draining it dry. His experience from many rounds of the game had taught him to savor such moments. Time was on his side. The more rounds a player participated in, the more time they had in the real world. His next game was still far off, but whether the statue could last that long was uncertain.

For caution's sake, Yi Bai planned to use the "Redemption Gun" only an hour before the game began.

No, this wasn't about vengeance. Yi Bai wasn't petty like that. Not at all!

...

Cloud City, shopping center.

With a mask on, Yi Bai casually strolled through the mall, occasionally buying small trinkets for Xir and Lina. As for Count Rose... it was clear he wasn't interested in such things. Since the count had exerted so much effort for him, Yi Bai decided to be generous and get him something in return.

After picking out a few snacks for his companions, Yi Bai arrived at the front of the custom craft store where he'd placed a deposit.

At the counter, a middle-aged man seemed to recognize Yi Bai. "Excuse me, are you the one who ordered the surgical knife?"

Yi Bai nodded. "Yes, is it ready?"

"It's done! Please wait a moment!" The man's voice was filled with excitement. A customer willing to pay a deposit of 10,000 for a single surgical knife was a rare and important one. He had even clearly stated that the price was secondary as long as the results were satisfactory. Now that the buyer had returned, he couldn't contain his enthusiasm.

Moments later, the man brought out an exquisitely packaged sandalwood box.

"Here you go."

He handed the box to Yi Bai with utmost respect.

Inside the box was a surgical knife, its blade a deep blue, patterned with cloud-like swirls. In the light, the blade gleamed beautifully, and as Yi Bai waved it, the reflected light seemed to change with every angle. The handle, simple yet elegant, was embedded with a deep red gemstone, as bright as blood.

Perfect!

Even Yi Bai couldn't help but marvel inwardly. The skill of a true craftsman—something as ordinary as a surgical knife had been transformed into an exquisite masterpiece.

Yi Bai could already imagine the scene when Lina received this gift, likely moved to let him have his way... the possibilities were endless!

"Customer, this knife is made with a special alloy, not only beautiful but far stronger than ordinary surgical knives," the owner proudly stated, remembering Yi Bai's request for both strength and beauty.

"Very good, I'm satisfied." Yi Bai smiled and transferred the payment.

The next moment.

"Hiss!"

The man gasped as he saw the staggering amount transfer into his account. "C-Customer, this is too much! This knife isn't worth this price!"

"No, it is worth it," Yi Bai replied calmly.

The man blinked, his mind spinning. The additional million made him question everything.

Yi Bai's affirmation was even more baffling.

When had his craftsmanship become worth this much?

Of course, the man didn't understand that the "worth" Yi Bai referred to had nothing to do with the price he paid.

"You have quite the skill," Yi Bai complimented.

"Eh, thank you for the praise." The owner chuckled, not at all modest. His craftsmanship was his pride.

"Feel free to get creative. Also, make two more gifts for women."

"Uh, wait. Two might not be enough... I'll need to think about it. There are a lot of women involved."

Yi Bai paused for a moment, mentally running through the list of names—Lina, Xir, Rose Countess, Mirror Lady, Jiang Ling, Yuan Meng... even Achina, the Eight-Foot Lady from the Fairy Tale Forest, appeared in his mind.

After a brief moment of consideration, Yi Bai slowly said, "Never mind. From now on, I want you to create gifts for women. For any gift I approve of, I'll pay you a generous price. How does that sound?"

The shopkeeper's expression grew slightly awkward but soon returned to calm. After a few clearing coughs, he readily agreed.

A customer willing to spend so lavishly was enough to make him prioritize Yi Bai's orders over others. Especially since the man appeared to be quite fond of gifting—clearly a man with many admirers.

The shopkeeper was sharp. He could tell that Yi Bai, in those brief moments of contemplation, had a number of women in his life.

And with such a big spender, who would worry about sales?