The moment the Grade 4 beast crumpled beneath their strikes, Li Wei's system chimed in his mind—a familiar, cold notification.
> *40 Life Points acquired.*
The cold, calculated voice reverberated through his consciousness, indifferent to the life he had just taken—another 40 years added to his lifespan, another victory. And yet, as the numbers flashed before him, Li Wei felt no satisfaction. The beast had fallen too easily, its death an almost trivial event despite its higher grade. It had barely given him a challenge, and its power paled in comparison to the recent foes he had faced.
But something else gnawed at him—something darker, deeper. The longer his lifespan stretched, the more… hollow he felt. He couldn't deny it anymore. As his Life Points accumulated, an unsettling detachment grew within him, as if each year he gained slowly drained him of something vital. His sense of mercy, his compassion, his very humanity—all slipping away, inch by inch.
