The next day, Tyler continued his usual routine.

He started the morning the same way he always did, drinking milk directly from the source, both from mother and daughter, before heading out to the fields.

After that, he poured DNA-mixed water over the plants, carefully distributing it so every row received an equal amount. The crops reacted almost immediately, leaves shimmering faintly as mana seeped into the soil.

Everything looked normal. Yet Tyler couldn’t shake the feeling. Something was watching.

The sensation lingered at the edge of his awareness, faint but persistent. It wasn’t weak enough to trigger the detection arrays, yet it was too deliberate to be ignored.

So Tyler waited.

Just like the previous night, he didn’t confront it immediately. He let the hours pass, letting darkness settle over the land. He observed, listened, and stayed alert.

Night came quietly.

Tyler sat before a small bonfire, chewing on a roasted corn. The flames flickered weakly, casting long shadows across the ground. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, leaving the bonfire as the only source of light in the darkness.

The forest was unnaturally silent.

Then—

The fire dimmed. Not extinguished. Just... weakened. Tyler paused mid-bite. Slowly, he turned around.

Someone was standing behind him.

The figure was tall and thin, with pale white skin that seemed almost lifeless. An eerie aura radiated from him, making the air feel colder. His presence alone warped the darkness, as if shadows bent toward him.

Tyler frowned.

There was no feedback from the arrays.

That meant only one thing.

This one didn’t trigger them.

Which meant—

He’s powerful.

"Oh," Tyler said calmly, standing up. "An unexpected guest."

The stranger stepped forward into the firelight.

At the center of his forehead, a single demon horn protruded— its color matching his pale skin perfectly. His short gray hair barely moved in the still air.

Tyler’s eyes widened slightly.

"A demon?"

The demon tilted his head, scanning the surroundings. His gaze lingered on the fields, the neatly arranged crops, and the faint glow of mana flowing through the soil.

"A human?" the demon muttered. "Is this some kind of village tribe?"

He took another step forward, clearly intrigued.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked, his tone steady and free of fear.

The demon scratched his horn lazily.

"Hmmm... you can call me Xeno."

"Xeno?" Tyler repeated, unimpressed. "Never heard of you."

For a brief moment, Xeno stared at him in disbelief.

Then he smirked.

"How in the world do you not know who I am?" Xeno said. "I am one of the demon generals who serve the Demon King."

He straightened slightly, clearly expecting a reaction, fear, panic, or at least shock.

None came.

Tyler just looked at him, chewing the last of his corn with a bored expression.

Xeno blinked.

Then laughed quietly.

Instead of getting angry, he turned his attention outward. His senses swept across the territory.

"Hoh..." he murmured. "I can feel pressure coming from all sides."

His gaze drifted toward the fence line.

"You buried powerful carcasses beneath the ground," Xeno said thoughtfully. "To scare off wild monsters."

He nodded approvingly.

"Clever."

Then he spread his arms slightly, breathing in the air.

"Very nice place," Xeno said with a smile. "Fertile land. Stable mana. Good defenses."

His hand shifted.

Flesh reshaped itself into sharp, metallic claws that gleamed faintly in the firelight.

"I’ll take it," Xeno declared casually.

The bonfire crackled.

Tyler let out a soft sigh and looked at the demon standing before him.

Then, almost casually, he asked,

"If you’re a demon general... then you must be injured, right?"

The smile on Xeno’s face froze.

"...Why do you say that?" the demon general asked, his voice dropping slightly.

Tyler tilted his head.

"The nearby villages mentioned something interesting. They said there was a clash between a hero party and the Demon King’s army. Apparently, the hero party was on the verge of losing... until the princess intervened."

Tyler’s eyes narrowed faintly as he recalled the memory.

"She used magic cannons," he continued. "Two months ago. That explosion was loud enough to shake half the forest." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Xeno’s jaw tightened.

"Looks like those cannons aren’t just for show," Tyler added calmly. "It probably took you two months just to stand properly again."

For the first time, Xeno’s expression cracked.

His face twitched violently.

Blood leaked from the corners of his eyes, running down his pale cheeks like crimson tears. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, as if it were nothing more than sweat.

"...Who are you?" Xeno demanded. "You don’t feel like a forest tribe human. And there shouldn’t be anyone else here."

He glanced around sharply.

Tyler didn’t answer immediately.

That was because, moments ago, he had already moved Chole, Kristina, Serena, and Dia into the pocket dimension pearl. Better safe than sorry.

"I’m just a farmer living in the—"

Before Tyler could finish his sentence—

Xeno attacked.

The demon general lunged forward, his arm transforming completely into a massive metallic claw wrapped in dark energy. The air screamed as the attack tore forward.

Tyler dodged.

The claw missed him by a hair’s breadth and slammed into the ground behind him.

The result was catastrophic.

Half of the farm vanished.

Crops were obliterated. Soil was ripped apart. Wooden structures shattered as if they were made of paper.

The shockwave rippled outward.

Far away, in the temporary settlement of the Fruit Village, people jolted awake in panic. Shouts echoed as they rushed outside, staring toward the direction of the explosion.

Tyler landed lightly and turned back.

He sighed again.

"Isn’t it an unspoken rule," Tyler asked calmly, "that both the Kingdom and the Demon Army avoid interfering with forest dwellers?"

Xeno staggered slightly, clutching his head.

"It doesn’t matter," he snarled. "I’m injured. I need humans to feed on to heal."

Blood began dripping from his nose now.

"Just don’t move," Xeno continued, voice slurring slightly. "It’ll be over in a minute. After killing you, I’ll slaughter those villagers too. I’m starving."

Tyler stared at him.

Then chuckled.

"Looks like your mind’s as damaged as your body," Tyler said. "Didn’t you notice how easily I dodged your attack?"

Xeno didn’t answer.

Instead, he pressed both hands against his head and muttered incoherently.

"I don’t fear anyone," he whispered. "Except that princess... I trampled the hero party... crushed them..."

His body suddenly surged upward.

Dark energy exploded from his claws as he leapt high into the air and dove toward Tyler like a falling meteor.

This time—

Tyler didn’t move.

He stood there, completely still.

The claw struck him.

CLANG.

A sharp metallic sound rang out.

Nothing happened.

Xeno blinked.

"Oh... did I miss again?" he muttered, swaying. "Looks like my injuries are worse than I thought..."

He didn’t notice that Tyler hadn’t dodged at all.

Around Xeno’s clawed fingers, small glowing orbs began to form—unstable, flickering, pulsing with destructive energy.

"Then... time for New Year Blast..."

Tyler raised an eyebrow.

"...New Year Blast?" he asked.

Xeno grinned crookedly, blood spilling from his mouth as he spoke.

"This is called New Year Blast," he slurred. "I used to blast villages during their New Year festivals..."

He laughed weakly.

"In the vast universe... some planet must be celebrating New Year right now..."

He coughed violently, spraying blood.

"So... Happy New Year."

One of the glowing orbs slipped from his claw and touched the ground.

The explosion was dazzling—like a firework bursting outward in a violent bloom of light and flame.

Tyler watched silently.

"...Hmm."

He reached behind his back and pulled out the spider leg blade.

Xeno barely noticed.

"Oops... this time I’ll detonate properly," Xeno muttered like a drunk man. "Stand still..."

Tyler’s eyes sharpened.

Skill: Slash.

The world seemed to pause.

In a single clean motion, Tyler swung.

Xeno’s hands were severed.

The claws, still wrapped in glowing orbs, fell away from his body.

Xeno stared at the empty space where his hands had been.

"...Eh?"

Tyler didn’t stop.

He grabbed the detached claws mid-air, ignoring the heat and unstable energy, and jumped upward with sheer physical force.

With a powerful throw, he hurled the claws high into the sky.

They streaked upward like blazing comets.

Far below, the villagers looked up.

They saw streaks of light racing across the dark sky.

Then—

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Colorful explosions blossomed overhead.

Red. Blue. Gold. Violet.

Fireworks.

The night sky lit up in spectacular fashion, shaking the clouds themselves.

Tyler landed gracefully on the branch of a tall tree.

He released the pocket dimension.

Chole, Kristina, Serena, and Dia appeared suddenly and nearly fell— but Tyler caught them all with ease.

They stared upward.

Their eyes widened.

Fireworks exploded endlessly across the sky, painting the darkness with light.

Kristina gasped.

Serena’s mouth hung open.

Even Dia tilted her head in fascination.

Chole looked at Tyler, then at the beautiful sky.

Far below, a broken demon general screamed in confusion.

And far away, frightened villagers stared at the sky, never knowing that a demon general’s attack had just been turned into a celebration.

Tyler smiled.

He looked up at the sky filled with explosions and declared cheerfully,

"HAPPY NEW YEAR IT IS."

.