I smiled back gratefully, and broke the sweet potato into two parts and started digging in. Very sweet like always. I wondered if I would lose my taste buds if I kept on eating like this, but then when I stared at those wriggling drying caterpillars, I was very much happy to eat the sweet potatoes instead.

It was getting a lot warmer at noon time. The wind blew softly, and the sound of field plants brushing onto each other was lovely.

“LiNa, have you thought of finding your way home?” Grandpa Jin asked after taking a bite of the food.

I was startled because I didn’t expect such a question. They always said they wanted me to stay with them forever, so I thought that was their wish.

“Probably not right now.” I replied.

“You are a kind hearted child, but we definitely don’t want to burden you. We still have long years to go, and you are still young. At first we kept saying to wish you staying with us forever, so you won’t be too homesick and filled with sadness. Now you have settled down and are fluent in our language, we feel selfish to say those same words again. LiNa, it is true that the world outside of this village is extremely dangerous, but I do want you to know other than the danger, this world is also full of unknowns and wonders. If there was a way leading you here, then there might be a way to go back. I am just a lower class demon, so I can't help much with anything, but if you want to go back home, please do not give up hope. If one day you decide to go, just follow your heart, know that we will always be here, in that little hut waiting for you.”

My mouth started to get sour and hard to swallow. I quickly lowered my eyes so that Grandpa Jin wouldn't see my tears swelling up. After a moment of adjusting my emotions, I smiled warmly.

“Grandpa Jin, thank you for everything. I will stay here. That’s all I want to do now, is to be with you and Grandma Sha.”

Yes, Grandpa Jin might be right that there was a way to go back to the human world, but the way was long and untold. I had lost my family once, I didn’t want to lose them again. Grandpa Jin and Grandma Sha were my family right now, and there was no way for me to turn and walk away.

For they had saved me and given me a second life. If I simply walked away and left them in the Land of Ruins, I wouldn’t forgive myself. In addition, I had no skills or powers to leave here either. I was nothing but a weak human being.

After eating lunch, we used buckets to carry some water from a nearby stream and water the plants.

“It was still quite early, but should we call it a day?” Grandpa Jin smiled.

I nodded.

We headed toward home.

The wind blew by, the field of purple anesthetic plants swung and brushed onto each other which made a calming sound. It was the sound of nature. Soon the little hut was appearing vaguely on the edge of the horizon, gray smoke rising upward and dissipating into the blue sky. Grandma Sha must be cooking my favorite soup, oh I couldn’t wait!

After all these months in the Land of Ruins, I got used to the salty soup with wildly picked vegetables. At first I did not enjoy the bitterness at all, but now it was actually pretty good.

Time really went by fast.

I couldn’t believe I was eighteen now, spending my birthday with Grandpa Jin and Grandma Sha was better than I thought. Although we didn’t have a birthday cake or throw a party, we spent a night dancing and singing next to the bonfire. I danced like a monkey, but at least no one laughed at me. It was one of the most cherished memories of all. Of course, all this happened after that dude went away.

My goodness gracious, if he was also there, I bet he would ruin all the mood and every moment of mine. He didn’t even have to say anything. A stinky face and one icy stare were enough to kill the party.

Yes, I was eighteen, but I didn’t feel anything different though.

Life still went on, tough, but simple and sweet.

“Grandpa Jin, I can smell the soup from here!”

“Oh dear, your nose is better than a Spotty Boar’s. It can smell Death Berries a hundred miles away.”

“Let’s hurry! I don’t want Grandma Sha to wait too long for us!”

Grandpa Jin chuckled, “LiNa, you sure are food-motivated!”

As we picked up speed toward the little hut, there was the sound of flapping wings above our heads.

Not just one pair of wings like Kirin’s.

But it sounded like a couple of wings flapping all at once.

I looked up at the sky, and almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Wings---------------------!

A lot of wings!

At least a couple demons flew across the sky at crazy speed!

Although each of them had a pair of wings, the wings were different individually. Some were black, some were mixed colors, and some even sparkled like stars. I was dazed by flying demons. Everything seemed so surreal!

There were demons in our village too, but they looked and acted just like any commoners in the human ancient times. Other than the fact they could do some simple magic arts, there was nothing too overwhelming in terms of visuals.

All the flying demons were definitely a shocking visual to have. I couldn’t see their appearance clearly because they were high up in the sky, but their wing spans were much longer than expected, making them look like powerful hawks gliding through the sky looking for prey.

“Who are they?” I asked with confusion.

Grandpa Jin was silent. His face filled with anxiety and focus, as if something big was going to happen.

The flying demons flew by us and stopped on the other side of the village.

When Grandpa Jin was about to say something, the sky suddenly sparkled with all kinds of colors, and then all the sparkles fell down on the village like fireworks. I was fascinated by how beautiful it looked, but then………..!

Bombing sounds were everywhere!

When those sparkles fell down on the small huts, they turned into huge orange flames and quickly spread to close-by areas!

Screams were everywhere, so loud that they were carried by the far away wind all the way to my ears!

My eyes were bewildered because I really had no idea what was going on, but suddenly remembered someone----------!

“LiNa, run to a safe place! I will go find her and meet you there!”

“No!!”

I grabbed onto Grandpa Jin’s arm, “There is no way I will leave by myself, I will go with you!”

“This is the first time you have to listen, go!”

I shook my head, unwilling to go.

“I had lost my family before, I won’t let go this time. There must be danger in front of us, so you are trying to push me away. I am not scared of anything, the only thing I am scared of is to lose my family again. Grandpa Jin, please, let me go with you, let me go find Grandma Sha with you!”

He hesitated for a couple seconds, and nodded.

We ran as fast as we could toward the little hut. My heart pounded like a frog’s inside. I was so worried for Grandma Sha that I couldn’t feel my legs.

Grandpa Jin might have looked old, but he ran much faster than me. I tried my best to keep up with him. Those demons had not focused on this side of the village yet, so if we were fast, we might have enough time to save Grandma Sha.

“What do they want!” I was panting.

Grandpa Jin’s voice sounded heavy, “They are winged Aniesians. I have heard of them visiting the other parts of the Land of Ruins many years ago, but they never come to our village. This place is barren and isolated, if they come here, they must have a purpose.”

“What purpose would that be?”

Grandpa Jin hesitated, and finally replied, “I am afraid it’s not so simple.”

As we moved toward the center of chaos, I finally was able to observe the reality of what was happening. It was basically a slaughter of the commoners!

My legs turned stiff, and fell onto the ground real hard! I got up and couldn’t even blink my eyes!

It was a slaughter!