“Mister, why do you desire to eat me so badly?”

The Demon's hoarse laughter sprang from his bloody lips unimpededly. “That was what you truly wished to ask, wasn't it? Fine, I'll set your mind at ease before you fill my stomach!”

Then, his towering stature leaned forward towards Auslen’s 70 cm tall frame.

Not moving an inch, Auslen kept his golden eyes raised as he gazed curiously at the Demon’s slowly approaching face.

The Demon closed his eyes, placing his bloody nose near Auslen’s small neck. He took a deep breath before moaning softly.

Leaning back in honest satisfaction, he praised, “It’s because your soul smells fucking intoxicating!”

Yellow eyes were visible once more, glowing brighter after each passing moment. He spoke with a musing expression, “The strength of your young soul is extraordinary, similar to that of someone at least one-hundred times your age.”

At this point, Auslen understood his current predicament perfectly.

The Demon continued, “However, the souls of older Foundation Establishment realm cultivators that I ate in the past were offputtingly tasteless and dull.

“And to my regret, the souls of cultivators within the True Core realm and above are tainted beyond redemption.”

Tainted? Is cultivation so dangerous?

The image of his parents flashed through his thoughts uncontrollably. He had no idea if they were above the so-called True Core realm, but their actions and habits were indeed noticeably peculiar.

The Demon's body began shivering in anticipation, breath quickening as his pupil’s grew increasingly sharper still.

“But your soul… it’s not just vast, but incredibly rich and lively, filled to the brim with countless thoughts, hopes, and dreams! And after consuming such a delicacy, I would have a genuine chance of breaking through to the Greater Demon realm!”

The Demon could no longer wait.

Auslen couldn’t even process the Demon’s movements. Within his next frame of comprehension, all he could perceive was the encompassing shadow of a large hand that was just about to cover his small head.

However, right before the Demon’s claw-like fingertips could find purchase, Auslen’s silver earring trembled wildly. Instantaneously, a golden barrier appeared, covering every inch of Auslen’s body.

The Demon’s palm made contact with the barrier unwittingly.

Suddenly, blinding light exploded within the temple.

“Graaaaaah!!”

A tormented howl ferociously erupted from within the light, the resulting force strong enough to produce a thunderous shockwave.

Boom!

A sharp pressurized fluctuation expanded form the source of the bellow at supersonic speeds, bouncing harmlessly off of the light-encased Auslen.

However, Aiden, who was standing behind, was violently struck the inescapable current of air, sending him flying backwards until he crashed into the golden statue. Blood poured from his eyes, mouth, and ears as he immediately lost consciousness from his injuries.

As the light started to die down, Auslen could finally begin to process the breakneck chain of events. After observing the barrier which was securely covering him, he heaved a sigh of intense relief.

Thank God. It turns out that my dearest mother was not boasting shamelessly before.

Auslen was obviously referring to the silver earring dangling from his left ear lobe.

Amabella had previously promised the miraculousness of the earring’s protective properties, but Auslen couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Auslen had never been one to rely on such flimsy promises.

But, as unfortunate as it was, he had absolutely nothing else he could depend on at this moment. Thankfully, his mother had far more means than he previously expected.

Additionally, he had been even more suspicious of the utility of the earring once he looked up to notice that his older brother didn't have even a single earring on his ears.

And from the terrified appearance he had displayed, he almost certainly had no other means of protection besides his deceased guards.

Auslen couldn't understand why his parents would place protection on one child instead of another. It had seemed implausible and made him skeptical of its functionality.

However, under the circumstances, Auslen’s only choice was to take the risk and separately provoke the Demon, in the case that his lone earring lacked the ability to protect both himself and Aiden.

Sadly, the consequence of this series of actions was that he had to reveal his unnatural maturity to his foolish older brother.

Auslen stood still while the light barrier gradually began to dissipate.

Pangs of exhaustion suddenly battered his insides, which he only barely managed to notice as he watched the astonishing sight in front of him.

The Demon was standing before him, shaking in apparent terror and rage as he looked at his right arm, or what remained of it.

The right side of the black cloak had been completely incinerated, revealing a blackened, charred stump that took the place of his long right arm. Burning ash continuously fell to the ground in a slow, taunting fashion.

Deep, guttural growls escaped from the Demon’s throat.

“You… deceived me?! You’re wearing a fucking Top-Grade Mystic Artifact! Who the hell are you?!!”

Rapidly losing control of his frenzied emotions, the visible muscles on the Demon's body quaked and roiled dramatically.

His figure began to grow significantly taller, and the remaining clothing on his body was torn into pieces. His upper body leaned forward until his left hand touched the ground, and fur burst out from within his body, piercing bloody holes through his pale skin.

Aghast, Auslen’s eyes widened as he gaped at the disgusting transformation occurring in front of him.

In just a few breaths, the demon’s body had exploded into the form of a 10-meter-tall misshapen creature that roughly resembled a large black wolf.

Its glossy black fur shuddered above enormous, rippling muscles, and its long, furry tail whipped ferociously from side to side. Three horrifying claws carved the ground underneath as its jaws opened to reveal rows of sharp, bloody fangs.

The Demon’s voice was now deafeningly loud, reverberating all throughout the large temple.

“I don’t care how strong your soul is. It can’t possibly withstand the consumption of a Top-Grade Mystic Artifact for long. Eventually, your soul will be mine!”

An unknown black substance began to fill and rotate within the giant wolf’s maw, the sight of which sending shivers of anxiety down Auslen’s small spine.

But before the inky onslaught could fully form, the giant wolf’s jaws closed shut with a sharp, percussive snap.

Auslen watched in confusion as the Demon’s body began shuddering tremendously fast, its huge eyes betraying abject terror.

Silence permeated the temple, filling Auslen with astonished suspense.

Suddenly, the temple began to shake violently.

Shit, what now?

Auslen’s little legs briefly lost their balance. Meanwhile, the giant wolf slowly crouched its humongous body onto the bloody floor with a long whimper.

After stabilizing himself, Auslen’s gaze flew around the chamber in caution before falling onto two figures walking in the air through the temple entrance.

Soon, a deeply familiar voice sounded.

Instantly recognizing the speaker, a relieved smile lit up Auslen's previously gloomy expression.

…

“Cedrick, how exactly did a Medial Demon sneak its way into our Capital City?”

Amabella led the way as the duo walked through the air at a slow, yet unnaturally fast, pace. The layers of Amabella’s palatial white robes fluttered as she stepped forward in mid-air with a calm expression. However, her blue irises shook wrathfully at the red-painted scene in front of her.

The black robed Cedrick followed behind silently as the two passed the large wolf as if it didn’t exist. Soon, Amabella made her way to Auslen while Cedrick arrived in front of the bloody, unconscious figure of the Crown Prince.

Cedrick paused briefly before bending down to gingerly pick up his eldest son. Green, white, and gold light began to pour from his body into Aiden’s, quickly healing the boy’s severe injuries.

Holding the unconscious Aiden in his arms, Cedrick turned around slowly, once again taking in the death-filled scene.

His eyes then fell on the giant wolf for the first time, causing the Demon’s trembling figure to still.

As Cedrick started to walk forward, his expression began an extremely uncharacteristic transformation. Even the atmosphere within the temple was subtly altered at that moment.

Amabella, who was currently wiping clean Auslen’s tear stained face, halted her movements before turning around to gaze at her husband quietly.

And within her arms, Auslen’s jaw had dropped wide open at the sight.

He didn’t know if he could be any more surprised. Even witnessing the human-shaped Demon’s mass suddenly and inexplicably multiplying failed to shock him as severely as the change in his father’s expression.

Is he… smiling?!

A radiant smile had bloomed upon Cedrick’s sculpted face.

Auslen felt that his father’s face, which previously could have been considered to be extraordinarily handsome, could now objectively be defined as utter perfection, similar to how Auslen viewed Amabella on the day of his birth.

However, if Amabella’s smile was full of love and affection, Cedrick’s smile carried nothing but sympathy, empathy.

Compassion.

Cedrick walked up to the giant wolf’s stiff, bowed head, smiling gently all the same.

“Who let you into my city?”

Even his voice conveyed melodious notes of peace and mercy.

However, he did not wait for the Demon to answer his question.

Cedrick placed the fingertips of his free hand gently upon the Demon’s head. His dark green hair began to sway in the air without wind as he closed his eyes. He seemed to be sensing information unknown to anyone else in the room.

After a few silent moments passed, Cedrick dropped his hand with a soft sigh. The Demon had yet to speak.

Smiling once again at the Demon, he turned away from its giant form as he spoke lightly to Amabella.

“Amabella, I need you to hold Aiden for me. Take the boys back to the Palace. There is a place I need to visit.”

Blue eyes calming, Amabella revealed her usual smiling expression. She then took Aiden within her free arm and stepped into the air, once again passing the Demon as if it were empty space. Cedrick followed closely behind.

…

Although the terrifying cultivators were leaving, the Demon couldn't manage to feel that he had escaped from danger. Instead, he felt as if the sensation of an incoming threat was rising continuously, causing him to sob disgustingly under the increasing pressure.

Remembering the retreating man’s merciful expression, the Demon turned his massive body to beg for his life in fear and hope. After all, it wasn't easy for him to cultivate this far with his Common Grade Bloodline.

But before he could even begin, a sharp pain pricked within his stomach, causing him to warily pause.

However, his caution did not change a thing.

In a split-second, the source of his pain had sprouted significantly, bursting through his stomach lining until it began to fiercely pierce into his innards.

The Demon’s already large body started to expand tremendously at a shocking pace, bulging mounds growing painfully in many areas on his furry figure.

He didn’t even have the time to shriek before his body brutally detonated, sending rivers of blood and bits of flesh cascading in all directions.

In the Demon’s original location, a 20-meter tall blood-red tree stood erect, black leaves sprouting and purple flowers blooming at exaggerated speeds.

Then, the blood-red tree’s long, undulating roots began to sway around the temple, sucking up all of the blood and pieces of corpses that covered the floor and walls.

After the time it takes for incense to burn, the temple was utterly spotless.

As if its purpose was complete, the blood tree quickly began to decompose, flowers and leaves dissolving into thin air in seconds.

Within a few more moments, the entire tree had disintegrated to nothingness, leaving the temple as empty as it was the day before.

…

The freshly washed Auslen was laying in bed alone in his large bedroom. His mother was currently attending to Aiden, leaving him the rare opportunity for self-reflection.

His golden eyes observed his small, laughably weak hand raised in the air in contemplation.

This world is far, far more dangerous than I previously expected...

Although he had witnessed old friends pass away on multiple occasions, he had never thought that he would ever have to experience such disgustingly grotesque scenes.

However, the most frightening thing was that he didn't have any control over such a dangerous situation!

If his parents had not arrived when they did, he didn't believe he could have lasted for much longer under the mental strain. And then, he would have died.

Again.

Cultivation…

Auslen sighed deeply. Just the day before, the idea of such a mysterious and magical concept seemed especially appealing to him. But now, the hazy maliciousness that the word seemed to imply began to horrify him.

However, despite his unease, his motivation to cultivate could not have been any greater than at this very moment!

The disturbing fact that there were incomprehensibly powerful beings in this world that would go out of their way to hunt him to his death filled Auslen with intense dread.

He realized that, unless he hid within the confines of the Royal Palace walls, he couldn’t imagine himself feeling truly safe in this world ever again.

Auslen had no desire to lock himself within a cage for the rest of his life. That was not his path.

So, he must become stronger, strong enough to protect himself, regardless of what he may encounter. At the very least, he couldn't allow himself to experience another day where he had no say over his own life and death.

The tiny hand in the air was clenched into a tight fist before falling to the bed in exhaustion as Auslen fell into sudden, yet determined, rest.