Whether a demon existed in the town or not didn’t really matter to Tyler.

But this one had tried to capture him yesterday.

That alone made it worth paying attention to.

Tyler wasn’t angry — he was curious. Curious about why a demon would target him specifically, and curious about what kind of creature could move through the town so boldly. He decided that if he spotted that presence again, he would tail it quietly and see where things led.

For now, there was nothing to do.

He turned back toward the bed.

Before he could take more than a step, a sudden knock echoed softly in the room.

Tyler froze.

It hadn’t come from the door.

It came from the closet.

His body reacted instantly. Mana flowed, muscles tightened, and his senses sharpened. Yet — oddly enough — he couldn’t detect any presence inside.

That alone was alarming.

Tyler moved silently toward the closet and opened it in one smooth motion.

His eyes widened in surprise.

Inside, a man was kneeling.

He looked haggard— messy hair, hollow cheeks, eyes red and swollen from crying. Tears streamed down his face as if he had been holding them back for a long time. There are white liquids splashed on the floor and closet walls, his pants were lowered too.

"Who the hell are you?" Tyler asked sharply.

The man raised his head, trembling, and pointed weakly toward the bed.

"I... I’m her stepbrother," he said.

"The what?" Tyler blurted out before he could stop himself.

Before the situation could escalate further, the receptionist entered the room calmly, holding two cups of coffee. She placed them on the table as if this were a completely normal morning.

Tyler took one of the cups automatically, but his eyes never left the pair.

The girl sat down beside the kneeling man and gently wiped his tears and other things with a tissue. She is still naked though. The way she leaned close to him— too close— made Tyler feel suspicious. They didn’t look like siblings. They looked like something else entirely.

She sighed softly. The man was about to touch her breasts, but she stopped him.

"He’s my stepbrother," she explained. "For a long time, I tried giving him hints. I tried everything. But he never reacted. He never saw me as a woman."

Tyler blinked, unsure where this was going.

"Then one day," she continued quietly, "I brought my first boyfriend home. Actually He was just a colleague. I was drunk. He took advantage of me, pushed me into the bed. I was not that drunk, I could have escaped. But I saw my step brother hiding behind the bed. I was expecting him to stop."

Her fingers tightened slightly.

"My stepbrother didn’t stop it," she said. "He... watched."

Tyler said nothing.

"After that," she went on, her voice disturbingly calm, "I realized something. He liked watching. So I didn’t resist. After that I started bringing other men into my room. And he stayed in the closet watching me with tears. But he did started seeing me as a woman. That’s why he can only watch, but never touch."

Silence filled the room.

Tyler took a slow sip of coffee.

What the hell did I walk into...

He stood up.

"I see," Tyler said simply. "I’ll be going now."

He didn’t wait for a response.

But he did heard the receptionist voice behind before leaving, "Come back again."

He left quickly, closing the door behind him and exhaling sharply once he was in the hallway.

"Looks like the receptionist has some kind of anti-perception skill," Tyler muttered to himself. "That’s probably why I didn’t notice her brother at all."

And with that thought, Tyler headed back into the streets. At the same time he couldn’t help but wonder the same kind of scenario happened before where he had seggs with Lan Xuero before her husband.

He shook his head and left.

---

After leaving the guild district, Tyler rented a modest room near the marketplace. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was clean, quiet, and — most importantly— private.

Once inside, he locked the door and immediately got to work.

Using his copper pot, Tyler began to produce more usable currencies. Gold coins clinked softly as they piled up, followed by neat stacks of silver. He was careful not to overdo it. Flooding the market with sudden wealth would only invite unnecessary attention.

"Just enough," he muttered, storing the coins carefully.

By afternoon, Tyler stepped back onto the bustling streets of Leafrest Town.

This time, his goal was clear.

New different types of Seeds. And many Farming equipments. He also decided to buy many souvenirs for Serena, Chole, Kristina and Dia.

He visited shop after shop— seed merchants, herbalists, tool sellers— paying strictly in gold and silver coins. The shopkeepers’ attitudes shifted quickly once they realized he fully loaded with money. Their treatment was so good. Their brilliant sunshine Smiles appeared. Their Voices softened. Discounts were hinted at. Even some girls wearing almost nothing served him drinks.

One elderly shopkeeper, his hands stained green from crushed leaves, leaned forward conspiratorially.

"If you’re willing to wait a few hours," the man said, "I can bring in rarer magical herbs. Harder to cultivate, but their yield is excellent."

Tyler nodded. "Alright."

But suddenly Tyler felt something, "I will be back. Just make sure to pack those herbs." He quickly said and left the shop.

As he stepped outside, a familiar sensation prickled at the back of his mind.

That presence again.

His pace slowed.

"The demon..." Tyler muttered.

The feeling wasn’t close, but it was following— skirting his senses just outside the range. Whoever— or whatever— it was, had learned to be careful.

Tyler calmly adjusted his path, turning away from the crowded streets and heading toward a narrow alley near the back of the market. The place was quiet, shaded, and mostly abandoned.

Perfect.

The moment he stepped deeper into the alley, the air shifted.

A hand reached toward his back.

Tyler’s eyes lit up. " I Got you."

He was about to turn and grab it when—

ZINGGG—

A sharp slashing sound tore through the air.

The hand dropped to the ground with a wet thud.

A piercing howl echoed through the alley, filled with rage and pain, before abruptly cutting off.

Tyler spun around.

Standing a few steps away was a girl.

She looked ordinary at first glance— simple clothes, hair tied back, no visible armor. But the sword in her hand was still humming faintly, blood dripping from its edge.

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly.

Then she froze.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Tyler’s face.

"...Mr. Richard?" she whispered in disbelief.

Tyler ’frowned’ and asked with ’confused’ expression "Huh? Richard who?"

Her grip on the sword tightened.

"You’re alive?" she said, disbelief flooding her voice. "The hero party said you died in Westmere Woods."

Tyler’s expression darkened slightly. This girl knows the real Richard. Tyler already transmigrated into this body but he didn’t have any memories of the previous owner of this body.

"I think you’ve got the wrong person," he said calmly. "My name is Tyler."

She shook her head immediately.

"No. You’re Richard. The chosen hero of the kingdom." Her words came faster now. "Did you lose your memories? The hero party said you died in Westmere Wood— "

"I’m not from any hero party," Tyler interrupted. "And I’ve never been chosen by the kingdom."

She stared at him, searching his face as if looking for cracks in a mask.

"I’m sorry," Tyler said politely. "But who are you?"

The girl hesitated.

"...Kaeya," she replied. "Just an adventurer."

Tyler studied her for a moment.

"Then how do you know Richard?" he asked. "Maybe we just look alike."

Kaeya swallowed.

"I’m his friend."

The word hung heavily between them.

Tyler sighed.

"I’m really sorry," he said gently. "But I’m not him."

He gave her an apologetic smile, turned, and walked away before she could say anything else.

Kaeya remained standing in the alley, staring at his retreating figure, her thoughts in chaos.

Then—

Her gaze dropped.

The severed hand on the ground twitched.

Fingers scraped weakly against the stone and began to move slowly like a snail.

Kaeya stepped forward and pinned it down with her boot.

Far away, somewhere hidden within the town—

"Ahhh!"

A demon screamed in pain.

Clutching his hand where an arm is missing, the long-eared demon snarled, yellow eyes burning with fury.

"Damn it... I missed again," he hissed. "With my Demon God’s Blessing skill, my luck should be perfect..."

His expression twisted.

"So why am I only unlucky when I target him?"

The demon vanished into the shadows, retreating to lick his wounds.

Meanwhile, Tyler had already returned to the herb shop.

He paid for the remaining supplies without delay.

’Too many eyes. Too many coincidences, Too many weird people,’ he thought.

This town was no longer safe— not because of strength, because of Richards past.

And worse— there are People who recognize him.

"I should leave sooner than planned," he muttered.

With that decision made, Tyler stepped back into the crowd— already preparing to disappear once again.