13 Not even a shred of mercy

The guards stationed at the gate recognized him and allowed his entry without any questions. However, their expressions displayed clear surprise as they watched him approach. With a friendly smile, he reached into his pocket and retrieved ten silver coins.

"You fellows are working hard. Take this and have a good day."

He placed the coins in one of the guard's hand, who stood there in stunned silence. Michael gave the guard's hand a friendly shake as the coins transferred into the guard's possession. The guard's eyes sparkled with a mixture of respect and joy.

"Thank you, young master," the guard stammered.

"Don't spend it all at once," Michael quipped as he waved at the guards. The other guard quickly opened the gate for him.

"Why did you give away our coins?" Gaya sounded irritated.

He chuckled and responded, "Since when did they become our coins?"

He emphasized the word 'our,' and Gaya answered, "Don't be ungrateful, human. We're in this together, aren't we?"

"You change your tune faster than a chameleon," he remarked.

Unlike the previous day, more shops, including smithies and bakeries, were open, and more people bustled about the streets.

"I did it because it's always better to have contacts in various places. Having valuable contacts is much more important than having money."

"You bribed them, I like it," Gaya approved with a slight giggle, having resorted to similar methods in Nagaland to achieve her goals, despite opposition from the royal family there, who considered her methods immoral.

"Think of it as a small gift." Michael mused.

"Tell that to those fools in Nagaland."

As he conversed with Gaya, he arrived at the guild building, where groups of adventurers openly stared at him.

"What are you looking at, you maggots?" Gaya growled.

"You said it yourself, they can't hear you. Just ignore them."

As he opened the front door, Michael was greeted by the sight of a distraught little girl standing in the middle of the hall, tears streaming down her pale face. Her clothes were torn and dirty, a testament to the hardships she had endured.

"Please save my mum, I'll pay you. Please, adventurers," the little girl implored, her voice trembling with desperation.

A youth clad in fancy armor, surrounded by other adventurers, scoffed at the girl's plea. "Leave this place, peasant. You can't afford our services. So what if they destroyed your village? You ants should have paid them."

The other adventurers watched the scene unfold, seemingly entertained by the drama.

"Please, I can pay you," the little girl insisted, revealing a small silver pendant. Laughter erupted from those who saw the pendant, but the youth's expression quickly turned serious.

"I don't want to get my hands dirty by throwing you out, so go," he said with an air of superiority.

Despite the powerful aura radiating from the youth, the little girl shook her head in fear. "No, you have to help me. Mum said you all are heroes who help us."

Just as the youth lifted his leg, presumably to kick the girl, Michael sprang into action, using his newfound "Lightning Dash" ability to dash forward like a bolt of lightning. He swiftly grabbed the youth's leg, causing the little girl to squeal in surprise.

"Get out of my face before I kill you," the youth threatened.

Michael couldn't comprehend the heartlessness of the situation. Here was a young girl, perhaps only six or seven years old, begging for their help, and these adventurers were not only refusing but also making her suffering worse.

Gently pushing the youth, Michael watched as he stumbled back and fell onto a nearby table. Turning his attention back to the little girl, he carefully wiped away her tears and offered her a reassuring smile.

"I'll help you. Show me the way," Michael said to the little girl, his voice filled with determination. He gently placed the pendant back around her neck, offering her a reassuring smile.

The youth who had earlier threatened the girl clenched his jaw and began to protest. However, before he could finish his sentence, Michael swiftly extended his hand, pointing it at the youth. Bolts of lightning shot forth, striking the youth with deadly precision.

[Ding! Congrats to the host for killing a Body Refining stage, level 6 cultivator. The reward is 4,500 experience points as well as 300 Badass points.]

The adventurers and guild staff in the hall were left dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. They witnessed the youth's body with a gaping, burned hole in his chest, still emitting smoke.

Michael had effortlessly dispatched a Body Refining stage, level 6 cultivator with a single move, all while being only a Foundation stage level 9 cultivator.

The shock was palpable among the onlookers as they struggled to comprehend how such a feat was possible. The remaining members of the youth's group had their mouths agape, their expressions transforming from arrogance to abject fear. They stared at Michael as if he were a terrifying beast.

Even the girl behind the counter, whom Michael had encountered earlier, was visibly shaken. Her eyes were widened to an extreme extent, her composure utterly shattered.

"Let's go, little girl," Michael said, gently taking her hand as faint cracks of lightning still danced around his fingertips.

"Where's your village, little girl?" he asked as he lifted her up and held her against his chest. She pointed toward the east, her voice trembling.

"It's far east from here, adventurer... my lord. There's a tall watchtower in our village."

"Hold on tight to me," Michael instructed, gripping the girl securely as he prepared to use his lightning dash skill.

In an instant, he transformed into a bolt of lightning, streaking toward the east with incredible speed. After a minute or two of rapid movement, he noticed black smoke on the horizon, and soon a burning tower came into view, which resembled the watchtower the girl had mentioned.

As he drew closer, his expression grew grave. When he finally came to a halt, he was met with the devastating sight of a burning village and charred corpses.

"NO!!!!!!" The little girl screamed, struggling to break free from Michael's grasp.

The entire village was ablaze, painted in hues of red, yellow, and orange. The flames consumed buildings, and tendrils of smoke reached desperately toward the sky, as if attempting to escape the inferno below.

"What happened here?" Gaya's voice conveyed a sense of urgency and concern as she joined Michael in searching for survivors. Meanwhile, the little girl continued to cry out for her mother.

Once a charming and peaceful village, it had now been reduced to ashes and debris. The acrid scent of burnt flesh permeated the air, and Michael shielded the girl's view from the gruesome scene as they walked through the devastation.

Some of the bodies bore deep wounds, while others appeared to have been disfigured by explosions. Michael kept moving forward, hoping to find any survivors.

"Someone's alive," he suddenly sensed signs of life coming from a burning house nearby.

"Gaya, come out," Michael said. Gaya emerged from his body, and she pinched her nose shut in response to the overwhelming stench of burning.

"Hold her," Michael instructed, handing the little girl over to Gaya, and then he dashed into the burning house.

"HEY!" Gaya shouted after him, but he had already entered the fiery building.

"Our home, Mum!" The girl tried to squirm out of Gaya's grasp, but Gaya held her firmly.

"This is your home, tiny human?" Gaya muttered under her breath.

Inside the house, the responsive shield had already activated, protecting Michael from the flames. However, the scorching heat still reached him, and he coughed as smoke filled his lungs. He reached a small room where he had sensed the survivor, but through the smoke and debris, he couldn't locate anyone.

When he tried to clear away the wreckage, he heard a creaking sound from the floor. Without hesitation, he began to remove the dust and ashes with his bare hands, revealing a handle beneath.

"Shit."

Opening the underground door, he discovered a woman holding a two or three-month-old baby in her arms. The woman had lost consciousness and had a barely detectable heartbeat. The baby lay silently in her hands without moving.

Quickly, Michael lifted both the woman and the baby from the underground hiding place and activated his lightning dash skill.

Meanwhile, in Gaya's hands, the little girl continued to cry and scream. Gaya scanned the area to check if the culprits were still present.

"HUMAN!" Gaya suddenly spotted Michael emerging from the burning house with another woman and an even smaller child in his hands.

"MUM!" The little girl cried out.

"Cough, get out of here," Michael commanded. He held the woman in one hand and grabbed Gaya in the other.

"Lightning dash."