The first subordinate

"Three more," Michael whispered to himself as he stealthily advanced toward the remaining snakemen. The girl's stunned expression did not escape his notice, and the eerie grin on his face sent a shiver down her spine.

He approached the three snakemen cautiously, crouching behind the one who was peacefully sleeping in the middle, blissfully unaware of the impending danger.

"Diddle, diddle, we are so little."

With those words, he struck the snakemen one by one with lightning speed. His stabs were precise and deep, ending their lives swiftly.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for eliminating a Body Refining Stage, Level 7 cultivator. The reward is 5000 experience points and 250 Badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for eliminating a Body Refining Stage, Level 7 cultivator. The reward is 5000 experience points and 250 Badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for eliminating a Body Refining Stage, Level 7 cultivator. The reward is 5000 experience points and 250 Badass points.]

[Congratulations to the host for leveling up. Your current stage is Foundation Level 2.]

The girl's eyes widened even further when she witnessed Michael leveling up instantly after eliminating the snakemen.

Before engaging with her, he accessed the system.

"Hey system, can you heal her and restore her cultivation?"

"Yes, but the target must become the host's subordinate, and the required badass points are 3000."

"Do you think I'm going to heal someone out of the goodness of my heart? Let's see if she can be of any help to us."

He closed the system and approached the girl cautiously, toying with the knife in his hand.

"Hello there." He waved and crouched before her.

"Will you scream if I remove your gag?" The girl shook her head as he smiled.

"Good."

"Cough, cough, cough." She coughed and took a few deep breaths.

"Who the fuck are you? Where did you come from? Come on, cut these ropes, human." He was a bit taken aback by her words, and she sounded incredibly arrogant and prideful.

"Oh, feisty."

"I order you, lowly human. Cut the ropes now."

"Or what?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Didn't they cripple you? I don't know how powerful you were, but now, you're nothing but a crippled serpent."

"How dare—" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt the cold blade against her throat.

"Come on, finish what you were going to say."

She swallowed hard and remained silent.

"What cat got your tongue?"

"What... what do you want, human?"

Being a predator herself, she recognized a fellow predator when she saw one, and the human before her exuded the aura of an apex predator.

"Now we're talking."

Michael retracted the knife, offering a smile.

"Since it's clear that you're in a predicament, and I could use some assistance from a native of this land, why don't we help each other?"

"Humph."

The girl scoffed.

"If you can take down a core strengthening cultivator, I'll be more than willing to assist you. But look at you, you're merely at the foundation level. That 'bitch's' maid is stronger than you."

"I don't intend to remain at the foundation level for long. And even if I could defeat that 'bitch,' it wouldn't come for free. What I'm proposing, though, is that if you agree to become my subordinate, I can mend your crippled cultivation as I grow stronger."

She appeared surprised for a moment, but within seconds, she burst into maniacal laughter.

"You think I'll fall for that nonsense? No one can restore a crippled cultivation, human."

There was a hint of melancholy in her voice as she spoke.

Upon hearing her skepticism, Michael accessed the system.

"Hey system, do you have anything that might convince her that I can heal her?"

A small white pill materialized before him.

"Basic-tier revitalizing pill. This pill can partially restore a crippled cultivation," the system explained.

"How much?" Michael inquired, fully aware that the system wouldn't provide the pill for free, likely requiring him to use his badass points.

"Fifty badass points. However, if the host purchases a hundred pills, the system can offer them for 4000 points."

"Jeez, you sound like a bargain agent. Give me one," he grumbled and bought a single pill from the system's shop.

"Crap, huh?" the girl commented upon seeing the white pill appear in his hand.

"What is tha—" she began to ask, but Michael swiftly placed the pill into her mouth and ensured she swallowed it.

As she struggled with surprise, a surge of energy coursed through her body, widening her eyes in shock.

"I can… I can feel the Arch energy again!" Her face broke into a wide grin, but it froze as the effects abruptly disappeared.

"What miraculous pill did you give me? Do you have more? Give it to me! GIVE IT TO ME!" She moved closer, almost close enough for him to catch a faint whiff of the jasmine scent in her hair.

"Whoa, easy there, tiger. It's just a sample. Agree to be my subordinate, help me grow stronger, and I'll give you more."

"What do you mean by a subordinate? I'd rather die than become someone's slave," she retorted, anger oozing in her words.

Her expression grew more serious as he shook his head.

"Who mentioned anything about being a slave? You'd simply be my assistant. Do you understand the role of an assistant?"

Still skeptical, she remained unconvinced as he stood up.

"Alright, your loss. It seems you're not interested in seeking revenge. I'm sure someone will come looking for you soon. Feel free to tell them what transpired here," he remarked, taking a step toward departure.

"Hey! Wait."

He halted his stride at her shout and turned back.

"I can agree to be your subordinate, but I won't sign any contract."

"System, does she need to sign a contract to become my subordinate?" he inquired.

"No, the system only requires her to affirm her willingness to be the host's subordinate," the system replied.

She couldn't fathom why he was suddenly grinning.

"No contract, just say yes. Are you willing to be my subordinate?" he asked.

Internally, she snickered, secretly planning to rob him in his sleep. However, she maintained a poker face and replied, "Yes, I am willing to be your subordinate."

"Does the host wish to accept Gaya as a subordinate?"

"Gaya? Nice name. Yes, I do, system. Yes, I do."

Within moments, Gaya's figure materialized before him, accompanied by her statistics, which currently stood at zero due to her present condition.

However, one stat caught his attention—her loyalty stat.

Subordinate: Gaya.

Cultivation Level: None.

Race: Demi-human Naga Race.

Current Skills: None.

Status: Currently crippled.

Loyalty towards the host: 0

"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered.

Just as he examined her stats, a new window appeared.

"Does the host wish to eliminate or punish the subordinate in case they try to harm the host?"

"Hmm, for now, set it to punish. I have a feeling I might witness some punishment soon," he said with a grin, then exited the system and proceeded to cut her ropes.

"Do you know the way to the nearest village or town?" Michael asked as he slashed the ropes binding her.

"Yeah, if we travel to the north, we'll reach a port town," she replied, pulling herself up after her restraints were cut.

"Alright, now take anything that can fetch us some coins."

"You want me to loot the corpses?" She frowned, looking disgusted.

"Got any coins on you?"

"No."

"Then yes, I want you to loot the corpses. Come on, move your ass, girl," Michael urged.

She furiously rolled her eyes and let out a deep exhale.

"I'll make this bastard pay for this. Just wait, you lowly human," she thought to herself as she walked toward the dead snakes, planning to retrieve their poison cores, which could be sold at the adventurers' guild.

After collecting their poison cores, the two of them began to walk north.

"So are you going to tell me your name? Or do I have to call you human every time?" Gaya asked, hoping to pass the time with conversation during their long journey.

"You can call me Ghost."

"Who the f**k would call himself Ghost?"

"Who the f**k is called Gaya?"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 50 badass points.]

"I can earn points by being myself? Cool," Michael proudly grinned while Gaya stopped walking and looked alarmed.

"How... how did you know my name? I didn't say my name."

"I have my ways. Now, keep walking. I don't want to spend the next night in this forest."