"No..."
Anna broke into a fit of weeping, reaching out her hand to grab him, only to grasp at the cold, empty air.
Watching her husband's spirit gradually ascend, merging with the spirits of the other villagers as they drifted toward the horizon, the pain and obsession in her heart began to dissipate. The dead were gone; the only way to truly honor them was for the living to carry on.
Only the spirits of the soldiers remained on the ground.
Even in spectral form, their faces were twisted with ferocity, their bodies radiating a violent aura. It was clear they had committed countless atrocities in life, and even in death, their souls could find no peace.
"Hmph. Wicked in life, and restless in death," Hu Tao said, her eyes turning cold and her voice tinged with mockery. "Since that's the case, your souls shall serve as the fuel for the final journey of the departed. Consider it your only meaningful contribution!"
With those words, she formed a hand seal and shouted, "Guide to Afterlife! Arise!"
Whoosh!
Raging flames erupted instantly, consuming the soldiers' spirits. They were transformed into a scorching inferno that swept over the remains piled in the center of the village.
The fire grew more intense, its crimson light painting half the sky and illuminating the faces of everyone present.
There was no pungent scent of burning; instead, a faint warmth spread through the air, acting as both a final send-off for the dead and a cleansing fire for the wounds of the past.
After an unknown amount of time, the flames gradually died down. The remains had been completely reduced to ash, which scattered lightly in the wind, merging back into the earth.
Su Mu walked over to Anna, who was still staring blankly at the ashes. His voice was gentle. "Anna-san, is there anything else you need to gather? If not, let's head back. The dead are at rest; the living must take up their hopes and keep moving forward."
Anna slowly turned her head. Though the tear tracks on her face were not yet dry, she wore a smile of relief. "Thank you. There is nothing left to gather. I'll let the past vanish with the ashes. From now on, I will live well in the apartment and embrace a new life."
"In that case, let's go back."
"Mm."
One by one, their figures vanished from that land.
Not long after returning to the apartment, Anna teamed up with Misaki and Yui. Using the "Outside Hunt" function, they were instantly teleported to the outskirts of the apartment to begin their hunt.
Thanks to the inherent safety protocols of the hunting feature, the trio didn't need to worry about the hidden dangers of the surrounding ruins. Their figures soon blended into the wreckage outside the building.
On the top floor of the apartment, Su Mu leaned against the armrest of the living room sofa, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of his sleeve.
He had promised to complete the "exclusive ritual" for Hu Tao once they returned—perhaps even throwing a lively party—but a more pressing matter had come to mind. He decided to postpone the festivities until the others had retired for the night.
He looked up at the four women standing by—March 7th, Hu Tao, Himeko, and Fu Hua—and assigned their tasks with a steady voice: "March and Hu Tao, stay here and look after the apartment. Himeko and Fu Hua, go out and hunt. I'm going to use my new permissions to check out some other areas."
"Understood! Good luck, Master~"
March 7th immediately straightened up, her hair swaying with her movements. With a bright, energetic smile, she scampered off toward the computer room.
Hu Tao toyed with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor token at her waist. She arched her eyebrows and leaned in close to Su Mu, whispering with a playful, suggestive tone, "Master, remember to keep an eye out for potential clients for me And don't stay out too late. Now that there are so many people in the apartment, I imagine the nighttime hours will be much longer and more... interesting than before"
She finished with a wink, her eyes full of mischief.
Himeko gave a soft chuckle and ran a hand through her long hair, her eyes filled with reliable warmth. "Then I shall head out to hunt with Senior Fu Hua. If you encounter a situation you can't handle, Master, just summon us at any time."
Fu Hua stood tall and composed, her tone carrying a mix of expectation and guidance. "Master, if you can one day use your own merit to sincerely convince a lady to follow you home, that would be true growth... Also, I hope this outing brings you across some formidable opponents. Once the level reaches 40, the apartment should unlock new functions and permissions."
"Mm, I understand."
Su Mu nodded in response.
The words of the four women actually aligned perfectly with his own subconscious desires. He, too, yearned for genuine growth and looked forward to unlocking the apartment's full potential.
With his thoughts settled, Su Mu prepared to use his Admin privileges to teleport directly to the outskirts of an apartment in another district.
His primary goal for this trip was to head to the Hero Association and register as an official Hero.
The system prompt from earlier had specifically emphasized the importance of registration. Clearly, this would have a vital impact on his path as a hero, and it was not something to be taken lightly.
But just as he was about to leave, March 7th suddenly came rushing back, her voice ringing out clearly: "Master, Master! You don't need to make a special trip! I just spotted something relevant in the Apartment Store!"
Su Mu and Hu Tao both received the information shared by March 7th, and a look of surprise flashed across their eyes.
"The Apartment Store actually sells stuff like that?"
Though his expectations weren't high, Su Mu opened the store's search interface and typed in the keywords.
A line of item information immediately appeared.
[Hero Registration & Certification Device (Single-use): A consumable item that allows the user to complete hero registration directly without visiting the Hero Association. Price: 1,000 Gold Coins.]
"They really do have everything," Su Mu couldn't help but marvel. Hu Tao nodded in agreement beside him.
"Hehe, so? Am I super smart or what!"
March 7th tilted her head up, her hands on her hips, looking as proud as a kitten waiting for praise.
Su Mu laughed and immediately spent the 1,000 gold to buy the device. With a light tap, he activated it.
A beam of pale blue energy surged from the device, enveloping him. A moment later, it vanished without a trace.
[Congratulations! You have completed your Hero Registration. The Hero System is now fully open to you. Please check the details for yourself.]
The system notification arrived right on time.
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