A Slide

Bai Ci stared at the ancient city gate before him—weathered, yet radiating an aura of ill omen.

Looks like he’d be living in this place for at least a month.

As Bai Ci and Xiya approached the entrance, preparing to enter,

the Holy Heaven Army stationed at the gate spotted them. With the clank of armor, they surrounded the pair.

Again… these guys?

Before Bai Ci could even sigh at the irony, one soldier stepped forward, towering over him:

“This city is under imperial control. No outsiders allowed.”

Controlled? What’s going on?

“Um, sorry… could you make an exception? My fiancée is inside…”

“…………Since when do you have a fiancée?” Xiya asked, genuinely confused.

“Shh, stay quiet.”

“No means no. You trying to get yourself killed?” Soldier A snapped, annoyed by the absurd back-and-forth.

These Holy Heaven soldiers were just as unreasonable as ever…

“This one looks suspicious. Should we arrest them and hand them over to Commander Qi Qiao?”

Another soldier suggested. The two exchanged glances—silent agreement formed—and the entire squad advanced, weapons drawn.

Commander Qi Qiao?

That name sounds familiar…

Bai Ci winced. Was this world only populated by people he already knew?

“Want to go see that knight who enjoyed your little binding game?” Xiya teased, winking at Bai Ci.

So she still remembered that time when his annihilation tendrils wrapped around Qi Qiao…

Honestly, Bai Ci didn’t remember much of it—but Xiya had brought it up more than once.

Could it be… Xiya was into that kind of thing?

Uh… Bai Ci briefly pictured the scene.

Bondage with a Demon Lord?

Way too dangerous.

“I have no intention of seeing that woman.”

“But these soldiers won’t care about your preferences,” Xiya said playfully, then ducked behind Bai Ci, leaving only her bouncy twin tails visible.

“It’s all yours~ my knight in shining armor.”

Bai Ci didn’t respond. He simply nodded.

After last time, he saw no point in explaining anything to these soldiers.

Should he say, Hey, a Demon Lord is about to resurrect here—please let me in, I’m saving the world!?

They’d lock him up as a lunatic—then try to slice him in half like last time.

A cold glint flashed in Bai Ci’s eyes.

In an instant, vast waves of ice element surged outward.

The soldiers, who had been imagining how they’d boast to Qi Qiao, froze mid-thought—literally.

One by one, they turned into frozen statues.

Then exploded—shattering into piles of icy debris.

“Whoa!” Xiya clapped, delighted.

The Blood of Annihilation granted Bai Ci more than just destructive power.

Before obtaining it, he had maxed out his magic stat via the celestial panel—a prerequisite for becoming the Annihilation Witch.

Now, Bai Ci stood at the pinnacle of magical mastery—

not only capable of wielding annihilation energy, but also possessing perfect proficiency in all elemental affinities.

This revelation had come gradually during their travels together.

“Let’s head in.”

“Okay, meow~”

Bai Ci knew Garuda would descend here soon.

Stepping over shards of ice, the two entered the city steeped in despair.

****

Damp. Crumbling. Dark.

That was Bai Ci’s immediate impression upon entering.

Across the vast, empty square, only a few ragged vagrants wandered aimlessly—

pale-faced, hollow-eyed, reeking of death. Only the occasional twitch of their pupils confirmed they were still alive.

As they ventured deeper, more ordinary-looking residents appeared, along with scattered shops and widening streets.

Bai Ci exhaled in relief. For a moment, he thought he’d walked into a zombie outbreak movie.

Should I find an inn first?

Would Xiya and I each get our own room? Or…

He pondered as he walked.

Beside him, Xiya gave him a disdainful look.

What’s that expression for… what exactly are you thinking about…

Before long, Bai Ci’s thoughts were shattered by sudden screams.

From the damp, desolate end of the street, panicked civilians came scattering.

Some tripped. Others lost a shoe.

What’s happening?

Bai Ci glanced at Xiya. She blinked innocently, shrugging.

Could it be… Garuda?

No way. Wasn’t he supposed to take at least a month?

Bai Ci didn’t hesitate. He quickly ruffled Xiya’s hair—earning a playful glare—then dashed against the fleeing crowd at blinding speed.

When he reached the source, the sight left him stunned.

Not far ahead, a monstrous creature was devouring half of a man’s body.

The man’s abdomen had been torn open. His limbs were covered in claw marks. His wide, lifeless eyes stared at Bai Ci. The lower half of his body lay discarded in a nearby corner.

“What kind of monster is this…?”

My main quest hasn’t even started, and now there’s DLC?

If every monster shows up like this, how am I supposed to focus?!

Bai Ci sighed at the gruesome scene—not from lack of empathy,

but because such horrors were routine for him. Frankly, the lives he’d taken far outweighed this beast’s crimes.

“Hey. Stop eating.”

Bai Ci called out flatly. But the monster ignored him, continuing its feast.

Ignoring me? Bai Ci mused.

Seems its intelligence isn’t very high.

Then die.

It never sensed death approaching.

In a flash, Bai Ci slid low—like a baseball player stealing base—sprinting straight into the monster’s abdomen.

With a short dagger drawn, he used momentum to slash a massive gash across its gut.

Instantly, greenish fluid burst from the wound, accompanied by a nauseating stench.

“Ugh…”

By pure instinct, Bai Ci twisted his body mid-slide, narrowly avoiding the spray.

“That was close…”

Good thing it didn’t hit me. I’d need days of showers to scrub that off…

I really am too hygienic for this world—an admirable trait, truly rare.

“Guh… urk…”

The monster hadn’t even processed what happened before collapsing like a dying candle, shrieking as it fell onto the street.

No resistance. No counterattack.

Split open from the belly—utterly dismantled.

Without using any magic, Bai Ci had ended its reign of terror through sheer martial precision.

Perfect timing. One strike. Instant kill!

“So fast!”
“Kid, amazing! Amazing! Dinner at my place tonight!”

A few brave (or foolish) bystanders cheered, clapping at Bai Ci’s display.

For them, this might’ve been the most exciting event in the city in years.

These people really know how to enjoy themselves…

Bai Ci shook his head, helplessly raising both hands in a casual wave to acknowledge the cheers.

You were all running for your lives seconds ago, and now you’re treating this like entertainment…

I wish I could be as carefree as you…

He sighed inwardly.

“Alright, alright—go home, folks! It’s dangerous here. Move along, move along!”

He waved them off, politely declining dinner invitations.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Bai Ci approached the monster’s corpse.

Its grotesque form revealed nothing—no identifiable race or species.

“What is this thing?”

“Huh? This is…” Xiya, arriving beside him, looked equally puzzled.

“You don’t know either?”

Xiya shook her head.

“To be honest… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Bai Ci had assumed it was some unknown local species.

But if even Xiya—the Demon Lord—didn’t recognize it, something was deeply wrong.

“That’s impossible… the scent… it’s distinctly human.”

“But inside, it’s mixed with traces of countless other races—like a patchwork stitched together from different beings.”

Xiya frowned.

Something big is wrong in this city.