'Don't try to use that little brain of yours too much, dimwit.' Apparently, an immortal soul of a Demon was not so pleased after being called an idiot. 'You dare put me in the same bracket as yourself?' 

Maybe he realized colliding head-on with Ryu was not the smartest choice right now, thus instead of continuing to share his contempt for the mortal he decided to call a truce. 'You are but mere human foal. I have a hunch they would not bother to send full force behind you. Whether you like it or not, this person might just be here to confirm your identity.'

Ryu obviously lacked the same insight as the Demon soul. Then again, with whatever apprehension he had... these words made a lot of sense to him. While one might find it absurd that even a person sent only to confirm his identity would require a Grand Mage to deal with her. But Ryu was aware of the almighty presence standing behind all this. Paula might very well only be a henchman for that entity. 

'Then are you telling me we might not have been totally exposed... since we were able to capture Mrs. Paula?' 'I won't say it with certainty, however, there is a good chance they haven't taken you in all seriousness and this woman can be here to quench the curiosity of that person.' 

This was a big relief. Maybe since Mrs. Paula was captured by Darla's aunt, his pursuers might even lose interest in him altogether. 'You convinced me. Tell me what we need to do.' There was no other way around. For survival, the human and the Demon must come together. 'You aren't all that dumb after all. Now listen carefully...' 

***

It was late evening when Ryu's group reached Courtney's house. Darla and her aunt had decided not to step inside the human village, fearing they will spook the poor people out of their minds. 

Jenny had snatched Ryu's hands, holding onto them all the way. "When is the next time you will be visiting us, big brother?" Aware of the tragedy that struck the old master, Jenny felt incredibly sad for her big brother. 

She might have endlessly haggled with the old man concerning his rough treatment of Ryu, but even Jenny knew how much Master Lyod cared for his pupil. "Very soon, my girl. And until I do so, you should promise me to work hard on cultivating. Will you do that?" 

The fact that Ryu was managing a smile even after such a tragic event in his life encouraged Jenny to reveal a confident demeanor to the mentor. "I will do my best, brother. But please do visit us.. otherwise, both Mother and I will be lonely." 

"I know. If you act like a good girl, maybe I will even bring you away with me for some time." Those words took away all the exhaustion in Jenny's eyes. "I can be with you?" Ryu nodded and kissed the young girl on her cheeks before letting go of her. 

Meanwhile, Itzel who had been watching the duo interact from the sidelines started tearing up. Ryu noticed her and hugged the older woman before softly kissing her lips. "What happened to you?" Ryu acted befuddled by her reaction. 

"I am.. so sorry.. about.. master Lyod, Ryu.." Situations like these were really the toughest to deal with. "What are you saying, Itzel? It was a matter of misfortune that things took such a turn. Rather, I am sorry about putting not only yours but also Jenny's life in danger." 

Itzel repeatedly turned her head from side to side while tears kept dripping from her big eyes. Even though they had been together for such little time, Ryu had experienced a lot with her. Itzel's tears only further warmed Ryu's heart as he embraced the woman into his chest, letting her sob for a few minutes as he rubbed her back. 

Even little Jenny had started crying profusely. Too bad for Ryu, there was only so much he could do to control his own tears. Every time he visited this village, he suffered an overdose of emotions. 

People here might lack the resources necessary to sustain a healthy life, but even living a disadvantaged life could not deter them from having a compassionate heart. The more love they showed him, the more attached Ryu became to this place. Hence, there was no doubt in his heart that this was certainly not his last visit here. 

While the three people embraced each other, Courtney had returned from her house.. bringing together Itzel's young son along with her. Her mother Blanca and her elder sister Marta followed behind as well. 

Ryu released the woman in his arms, allowing her to embrace her son Juttu with immense love. At the same time, the green-haired lad offered hugs to everyone from Courtney's family. 

"Please allow me to take my leave now, ladies." Having made sure Itzel's group was back into their nests, it was time for Ryu's departure from this village. Needless to say, Marta and her mother both asked the boy to at least stay the night with them and make his journey in the morning, however, Itzel jumped into the conversation to cut them off. 

"Young Ryu has some urgent matters to deal with this time around. He will surely stay with us the next time." Seeing the no-nonsense approach of Itzel, Marta, and Blanca didn't pursue the boy any longer. 

Only the big-chested Marta came forth and wrapped her hands around Ryu's neck to softly press her attractive body into Ryu. "Then we won't stop you this time around. Next time when you visit, we shall hold that session with all the women of the village once again. It was so exciting." 

Her happiness was communicable, making Ryu reveal a grin as he cupped her large ass cheeks, generously kneading them. "Why not? Next time, make sure you pass on all the tricks I showed you to your fellow confidantes." 

Marta was left blushing while Ryu peeled himself back, not in the right state of mind to tease the woman any more than this. As they watched him stroll away from them, Blanca suddenly slapped her head. "Goodness... I almost forgot!!" 

Her words made Ryu come to a halt as well. "Did you get to meet your mother, little Ryu? She was here after you guys left... She was in a hurry and hence we guided her in your direction without delay." 

"My mother?" Why will Amelia travel over here? Before Ryu could give this matter a thought, Blanca's further description told him the person they were referring to could not actually be his mother. "You are telling me she flew all the way here?" 

"Yes. It scared us to death. We have never seen a person fly so effortlessly before. Only after she told me she was looking for her son and that son was none other than you, we calmed down." Marta was the one who answered Ryu, taking the time to describe the appearance of the red-haired woman in detail. 

There was no doubt that the person Marta was describing was Amelia. However, the fact remained that his mother's cultivation was only good enough to do some odd jobs. How in the world will she fly all the way here?

'Don't think much about it. She is the same person, Paula. She had been roleplaying your mother for quite some time now.' Demon's mental message threw Ryu's reality into the doldrums. 

"Are you alright, Ryu?" Marta discovered the boy's face turned pale. "It is nothing. Don't worry about my mother, she will easily find her way back. Now if you guys can excuse me." 

Over on the sides, Itzel seems to have drawn her own conclusions. During their long chats with Ryu, she knew his mother was a commoner and she could not possibly fly. There were a hundred questions in her mind, but the person who could have answered those had slowly disappeared behind the curtain of night. 

***

'You knew all along about Mrs. Paula taking the place of my mother?' Ryu had felt like he had developed some sort of an understanding with the Demon. But even before he could start putting an iota of trust in him, this guy proved himself unworthy. 

'I had noticed.' On the dark streets of Dorothea's home village, Ryu felt a strange loneliness. 'Why you didn't tell me?' Despite being relayed as a mental note, the Demon soul can feel the crankiness in the voice. 

'You are mistaking our relationship, boy. We are no friends, remember? As long as your life and consequently my own life is not threatened, don't presume that I shall stand guard for you or your family.' 

The demon took a definite pause and at that moment, Ryu could imagine him smirking at his predicament. 'I told you so many times, human life, or for that matter any other life is not worthy of my sympathy. Think about it. Do you care how many ants you trample to death while walking?' 

Ryu curled his hands into fists. Dragon had repeatedly warned him to not let his mind be swayed by the Demon. He can tell that guy was actually right in his assessment all along. This Demon living inside of him was truly the incarnation of malevolence. 

On that thought, a hazy memory of himself chewing at the flesh of a human came to Ryu's mind and he felt his stomach churn. The taste of human flesh seems to have returned to his mouth, making him sick. 

These kinds of memories after the Demon take over were suppressed subconsciously by him. Yet, in his turbulent state.. those suppressed memories came rushing back. 

"I always thought why would almost the entire world band together to wipe the existence of your species? I got my answer now." Ryu mumbled, the fact that he didn't even bother to send a mental reply told volumes about his disappointment with the Demon's actions. 

'Hahaha.. and were they able to achieve their goals? Ain't I still standing, while our opponents are dying a slow death?' Demon's words were filled with excessive arrogance, but Ryu could not care right now. 

If he was to go by the Demon's words and Paula had shapeshifted into Amelia, then where exactly was his real mother right now? Consecutively, that was the very next topic the Demon soul raised with him. 'Don't you want to where your mother is?' 

"No need. I will have you scan through Mrs. Paula's memory and reveal everything about her anyway." 'You will make me reveal...? Muhahaha... I like that..' In the night with no moon in the sky, Ryu's figure passed through the streets like a silhouette talking to himself. 

Slowly mana started pulsating through Ryu's channels, overflowing and leaking through the pores of his skin. The green mana spewing from his body gradually colalesed into a flame like appearance, engulfing his body. Like a human torch, Ryu's body was illuminating the area around him. 

'You broke through your cultivation barrier. Congratulations.' Came a faint voice echoing in Ryu's mind. 'Hatred is the best motivation one can have while cultivating.. haha.. HAHAHA.. HAHAHAH..!!!'