Chapter 25 – You Dare?

(Remember: Natalia is Natasha's clone.)

With excruciating pain, Ricky felt a strong wind current and although he had a hard time keeping his eyes open, he could see the starry sky of the night. And the feeling of weightlessness.

So it happened in the end. The demon tempted and tricked him. What could be expected from a demon? It is his idiocy that needs to be blamed. Though this isn't a bad outcome.

At last, he would be able to meet his beloved mother again and apologize for his stupid behavior. Although she had done everything she could for him, to the point of selling her own body, all he did was rebuke and berate her. Maybe that's why she committed suicide?

So it was his fault in the end… and all he did was blame others for the matter that they did not account for.

Now, this punishment felt just right. He would be free from all the sufferings and guilt at last. A contented smile appeared on Ricky's face despite every cell in his body screaming in pain.

His vision went black and he couldn't even hear the next,

*Boom*

…

Jack had swung the boys at least a few kilometers above the ground and yet the booming sound didn't sound any less intimidating. If he wasn't here, the children and the adventurers would have turned into a bloody pulp.

As the booming died down, everyone present looked at the leisurely standing Jack before them. They couldn't even understand what had just happened. All they felt was a strong gust of wind which made them shut their eyes for a moment. Then Jack disappeared the next moment followed by loud booming sounds.

They stared at him blankly with question marks written all over their faces. "What had just happened, Jack?" Lord Hardy inquired.

"They just exploded there…" Jack answered casually pointing towards the sky.

Everyone became even more confused. Who are 'they' he was talking about? And where was Ricky? They tilted their heads in unison while staring at Jack who only remained silent.

So they took it upon themselves to make sense of the situation as they looked at their surroundings. Then they widened their eyes with surprise.

"J-Jack, you are saying those kids exploded?" Lord Hardy asked with a shocked tone to which Jack nodded.

Lord Hardy remained silent for a moment and, "DAMN THOSE DEMONS!!" his voice thundered in the atmosphere.

"They first coaxed the innocents and then did not even hesitate to kill them when they were about to be exposed!!" he drew out a conclusion.

"Everyone present here, heed my orders. If someone tries to coax you in the name of strength, you must report it to the guild or the guard captain…" Lord Hardy barked some more orders in a few minutes.

When everyone started wrapping up the situation, "I will be back in a few minutes," Jack said suddenly and disappeared with a woosh.

…

About 20 minutes ago,

Natasha had been feeling invigorated since she tasted Jack's vitality. She felt strong like never before and had a strong urge to fight.

So she had ventured deep into the forest to fight strong beasts and found that her strength had truly increased. A smile appeared on her face unknowingly as Jack's handsome face appeared in her mind.

He seemed innocent at first, but then some of his actions even gave trouble to the experienced men of the town. His leisure comments would even contain a dose of wisdom. And then his tremendous curiosity to know everything, which was again cute.

However, he was too unpredictable. He smiles leisurely after killing someone! He had no arrogance despite having such tremendous powers! And most importantly, he talks so little!!

"Why do you talk so little, little hero?!"

*Bam*

And the beast before her was no more.

How would she be able to understand what kind of person he was unless he opens up to her? This only made her future more worrisome.

And so a lot of time had passed unknowingly. She had almost come near the Dulia town's dungeon. It seems she got carried away in her excitement.

She wouldn't spend so much time in her 'night exercise' usually. Her exercise would be over in two hours at most and she would return home before midnight.

Just as she decided to return, she abruptly came to a halt. "Who are you?" she furrowed her brows and asked the lady in front of her who was walking leisurely in the middle of the night in this dangerous forest.

There were dense trees and a paved pathway that connected the town to the dungeon. The faint moonlight illuminated the dark atmosphere, making the feminine figure perfectly recognizable. Though the faint light wouldn't have helped if she were a normal person.

This lady's presence felt completely different than a human. It was more similar to herself and those witches. Though this lady seemed more powerful than those witches.

The demon lady was also stupefied when she sensed a demonic presence which brought a sense of familiarity. A presence of a fellow demon which... commanded awe and respect!

Natasha understood that the lady in front of her was a powerful demon, so she became alert. She will have to know the motive behind her intrusion into this forest. But the lady didn't talk and the silence was getting unbearable with each passing moment.

Natasha creased her eyebrows and felt her anger rising rapidly for some reason. She then said something which would even make herself confused for days to come,

"Who are you and how dare you trespass into this queen's territory?"

Her deep prideful feminine voice resounded into the demon lady's ears which made her dumbfounded. While a little apprehension arose in her heart which she immediately ignored.

And what was she speaking? Queen's territory?

"Hmm, so you are that bitch's pawn… You must be one of her spies… Then as a fellow demon, I must show you the proper courtesy by freeing you from her evil grasp," The demon lady said with a hideous smile on her face. A dense dark miasma appeared out of her body which coalesced on her hands into two sharp sinister claws.

It was the same as Ricky's but she had more precise control over the miasma. In addition, it was powerful, just its mere presence would have sent chills down the spines of even a B-ranker.

"Hehe, then for your last wish, let me tell you the reason for my intrusion," the lady said as her lips curled even further, "I came here to get some human children from that town over there… Their tender bodies really taste good, you know?"

Children? So she was going to kidnap children from her town… just to eat them? Natasha clenched her fists fuming with rage and finally snapped.

Her body started exuding a suffocating aura as the wind in the atmosphere started revolving around her.

While the demon lady widened her eyes and realized that she had hit her own leg with her arrogance. And before she could smooth out the situation, Natasha dashed towards her like a bolt.

*Boom!*

The demon lady exploded into pieces. While Natasha breathed heavily as she tried to calm herself.

A few minutes passed as she stood there staring at the darkness. She tried to understand what had just happened while trying to calm down her raging heart.

Then her eyelids shook as she realized what she had just done. How can she be so impulsive? Her anger had taken over her rationality!

Then the next thought shook her to the core. 'Wouldn't that make me the same as those demons?' Her body shuddered. She didn't want to lose her humanity. She didn't want to become a demon… And yet…

She disappeared from her spot with a gust of wind.

…

Jack appeared on the spot where Natasha encountered the demon lady. He smelled something bloody. There was even the lingering demonic energy that had the same vibes as that of Ricky's energy.

Was that the mastermind behind today's incident? The possibility seems very high as the carts those kids used would have obviously traveled this path. Then who fought with him? He tried searching the surroundings for any clue but found nothing besides the bloody smell. So he returned after a few minutes.

…

Jack arrived where today's incident took place and found that the important figures hadn't left. While most of the adventurers had returned along with the kids.

He looked to the side just to find his father and Albert in a dark corner… What were they doing so inconspicuously?

"Damn Albert! I heard that you had the nerve to take advantage of my son's innocence?" Alban asked angrily as he tightened his chokehold around Albert's neck.

"I-I just gave him a lesson so that he wouldn't reveal his abilities to anyone," Albert answered as he had difficulties breathing. He twisted his body weirdly and got successful in releasing himself from Alban's grasp.

He then twisted Alban's hand to his back in an instant as he said, "And what advantage? It's your son who has taken advantage of my kindness! Do you even know that he is gobbling up 30 percent of the profit in just half an hour?"

"Hehe! That's my son!" Alban grimaced in pain and chuckled in delight at the same time.

"Ahem!" Jack gave a loud cough to gather their attention. Albert and Alban stopped their childish acts, adjusted their clothes and approached Jack with an expression like nothing has happened.