After looting the spatial rings of the ones Davis and Nadia had killed, Davis stood at the precipice of the crimson palace and watched the hundreds and thousands of people who have gathered here in swarms after the aftermath.
At first, a few people came to check what had happened after it became deathly silent in this central district. After that, more people came in droves and started to loot the spatial rings that he had intentionally left behind.
Without even coming to know why their Eighth Stage Experts were dead, they started to compete and struggle for the loot as they displayed their greed to the fullest by even starting to kill amongst themselves. Although they looked around, seemingly warily searching around for the magical beast that supposedly did this, they still looked as if they were not going to let go of the opportunity they had chanced upon.
Davis’s expression didn’t frown in disgust as he understood that for them, it was like times were changing, and they had to stand up for themselves and quickly become the new ruler.
However, it was unfortunate that he didn’t plan on letting people like them live past this day.
Davis had quickly cleared the Infernal Lightning Palace’s remnants and the other powers that he didn’t even clearly put their presence in his eyes. As far as he considered, he wouldn’t go far as to think that they were vermins that needed to exterminate even though it might be true from what he had seen from his soul sense because half the people there were indeed worse than they seemed, lawless without even a shred of morality.
Their deeds instantly invoked his killing intent that he didn’t even bother to negotiate or intimidate them!
He mused that the other half of the innocents who were born here, the people who were now fighting for supremacy, had no choice but to follow the rules of the tyrannical Infernal Lightning Palace, making themselves further fall into the pitfall of their elder’s footsteps of following the wicked path where strength absolutely rules and no to little consideration is given to someone’s feelings.
This base’s population had actually numbered in the millions, and it could be said that they had formed a mini-city when considered with the cultivation world’s standards. However, in his book, vermins were vermins, innocents were innocents, but he still had to kill them all because they all belonged to another power.
No one saw him do the slaughter, but they could’ve more or less detected Nadia’s aura, so after they had come out, it wouldn’t take them long to identify that he was the one who had done it because the Alstreim Family people here would unknowingly leak the presence of him to everyone that he had entered this strange space.
The time was just too coincidental that even the Alstreim Family people would begin to suspect him of this massacre once they know of his capabilities and the presence of Nadia, so what needs to be said about these people?
It was rather obvious to him that they would still end up betraying his kindness if he were to ever let them go from this place, and even though there may be a few rare individuals who might listen to his words, he didn’t want to take the chances to see if they would betray him as he lacked the strength to protect himself, his people and the Alstreim Family.
’Wait... Am I actually thinking with the best intentions in mind for the Alstreim Family too nowadays...?’ Davis’s brows twitched as he didn’t think a day would come where he would subconsciously consider the Alstreim Family’s safety and benefits.
Giving his word to Sophie as a form of bragging was one thing, but to put that forward in his mind and really consider it was another. However, considering that it was the place where his father and mother would stay, and perhaps he and his wives as well for the foreseeable future, he didn’t dislike the thought.
"In any case, the dead stays dead, so no one in the outside world would come to know that such a massacre took place unless the Alstreim Family leaked such a case, but if they did, they would be courting their own death from everyone else."
"But Master..." Nadia suddenly echoed as she stared at him.
"What...?" Davis turned to look at her as he was interrupted out of his thoughts.
"Master, you have an exasperated expression on your face..."
Davis blinked once at her doubtful statement before he realized. His shoulders drooped as he shook his head, "You know, I don’t want to kill millions of these people for no reason. They haven’t done something that would warrant for me to kill them, but they do have the potential threat, so I lack the will to kill them or let them go. It just doesn’t feel right."
"But Master, they are killing each other even now as they plunder from the human corpses... According to human standards, isn’t that wrong?" Nadia expressed her doubt as she pointed towards them.
"Don’t worry." Davis chuckled, "I have them locked on with my soul sense. They absolutely won’t live past this day but look at the others where many people are hiding and fearing for their lives as well as for their children in their cabins and buildings."
He frowned, "There are even thousands of children below ten years old and babies who hadn’t even started walking yet. I don’t have the heart to kill them, nor do I have the time to take care of them."
"Then Master can just enslave them all..."
"You see-" Davis smiled before his eyes went wide as his sapphire pupils dilated. He stared at Nadia as he asked again, "What did you say?"
Nadia’s brows squinted as she felt that she had to be daring, "I am not Master’s slave, but I am still something like that of a servant I’ve seen in the human world. If I, a Dark-Winged Twilight Wolf Queen, can serve Master, then what’s wrong with these common people serving under Master as slaves? They should be rather proud!"
Davis’s mouth went agape as he stared at her, and that somehow caused Nadia to panic as she came to realize that she acted out of place. However, she didn’t feel the need to apologize but just lowered her head, not speaking out of turn anymore.
Davis’s eyes were narrowed as he stopped staring at her and looked towards the thousands of people gathered and still gathering to see the commotion. He couldn’t help but say.
"Nadia, you indeed have a point. I always tend to avoid thinking about enslaving people for a longer time, perhaps I don’t want good people to experience similar things, but it’s not like I’m going to torture them or anything, so enslaving them might be a viable option..."
Davis frowned, "However, is my soul capable of enslaving millions of people?"
He had no idea, but he remained aware that it would become a huge load on him. Judging by the differences in soul prowess, Davis felt that he would indeed be able to enslave the remaining people to seal their tongues, but it wasn’t enough. He could in no way be aware of the status of that many existences for a long period of time.
To put it into simpler terms, his mind might become overloaded with a lot of unneeded stuff that he would have to pull the plug to retain his thinking capacity. In that case, enslaving them would be a stupid move on his part.
’However, if I enter the King Soul Stage...’ Davis considered before his lips turned into a smile.
The King Soul Stage wasn’t named ’King’ for nothing!
"Thanks to you, I think I know what to do now, Nadia..." Davis smiled as he turned to look at her.
Nadia raised her head, wondering why she wasn’t berated, but instead thanked. She didn’t know why but her lips moved, "Then, can I have a reward?"
"Oh, a reward?" Davis couldn’t help but chuckle at hearing her hesitation, "No need to be so reserved. I consider you like my family now, Nadia. Ask away anything..."
He patted his chest, "As long as it is within my power, it would be with you, although I think you have to wait until I enter the King Soul Stage and possibly inherit the Immortal Inheritance here for most things..."
Nadia became dumbfounded as she stared at him. Her golden eyes started becoming moist that she quickly began to smile as she closed her eyes.
"Then I’ll wait..."
"Mhm? Are you sure?" Davis’s eyes narrowed, "If I don’t know what you want, and if I encounter it by chance, I won’t be able to secure it."
"Master already has it..." Nadia shook her head, "I can wait. Master has to become strong first."
"If you say so..." Davis suspiciously looked at her, wondering if she wanted the Dark-Attributed Spirit Sources he had collected from the Verdant Alstreim Treasure House, but those were low-level that she wouldn’t be bothered about it.
He felt confused but still frowned that he felt something was off with Nadia, asking that she wanted a reward and yet refused to say what it was.
It was too bad that he was unable to use his Heart Intent against Nadia because her soul was too powerful for the current him. However, since they were connected through the Transitory Beast Taming Pact, he could somewhat, vaguely feel her intent, but he refused to think that it might be the case.
Just taking a look at the Karma Thread they shared might give him more insights, but Davis felt that he shouldn’t take a look to maintain his own sanity. Of course, this was something he subconsciously felt and didn’t ponder much on it before he turned to look at the poor people who were going to die.