Edward left Caitlin's house early, feeling the relief of having extended his life by ten years.
The constant anxiety about his dwindling lifespan had lessened, allowing him a brief respite. In a lighter mood, he headed towards the White Deer Town government office.
However, before he could get far, a patrolman came running up from the end of the street, panting heavily.
"Boss, I've finally found you! Mr. Russell is looking for you. He says it's urgent."
"Something urgent?" Edward frowned.
Russell was the head of the White Deer Town patrol.
Normally, a superior summoning a subordinate wasn't unusual, but in this case, it was rare.
Since Russell had been demoted after siding with the wrong faction in the demon affairs, he had become cautious, avoiding any conflict and focusing on keeping his position.
He had always kept his distance from Edward, so for him to suddenly reach out was strange.
Something significant must have happened.
Edward took a closer look at the patrolman before him.
The man was one of his own subordinates, but his uneasy expression and hesitant eyes indicated that he was withholding something.
It wasn't likely that Russell, known for his cowardice, had caused such fear.
There had to be something more sinister.
"Lead the way," Edward said calmly, stepping onto the street without further questioning.
The patrolman, visibly nervous, silently led the way.
As they neared the government office, the tension thickened in the air.
When they finally approached the closed office doors, the patrolman turned, his face grim, and whispered.
"Boss… take care of yourself."
The patrolman knocked on the office door, announcing Edward's arrival.
"Mr. Russell, Mr. Edward is here!"
Edward's sharp senses immediately picked up a familiar demonic scent—a pungent, acrid odor that set off alarms in his mind.
Without hesitation, he kicked the patrolman aside and leapt back, just as the office door exploded with a loud crash.
Splinters flew everywhere, and from behind the destroyed door, a massive shadow lunged out.
Had Edward reacted a moment later, the patrolman would have been crushed instantly.
Edward steadied himself and examined the grotesque hand that emerged—a wrinkled, fur-covered claw that unmistakably belonged to a demon.
"Edward, why stop there?" came a cold, mocking voice from within the office.
The patrolman, terrified, had fled, leaving Edward alone.
Edward's eyes narrowed.
Instead of retreating, he calmly walked into the room, his expression unreadable.
His gaze fell on Russell, who was kneeling in front of a chair, trembling uncontrollably.
His fear was palpable, and it wasn't just mental—it was physical.
A large, furry leg was draped over his shoulder, pressing down on him so heavily that his bones seemed ready to snap.
The owner of that leg was a demon lounging casually in the chair, dressed in a loose-fitting cloak.
It shifted slightly, revealing an ugly, goat-like face and a mouth full of sharp, yellowing teeth.
"Take a seat," the demon said nonchalantly.
Edward scanned the room.
Besides the cloaked demon, there were two other goat demons.
One of them was the very one Edward had previously maimed, now glaring at him with burning hatred.
The other was a hulking, muscular figure, one of its horns broken.
Russell was on the verge of a complete breakdown, his eyes wide with terror.
This normally cautious man was now weeping uncontrollably, defeated and desperate.
"Edward… demons have taken over the government…" Russell sobbed bitterly.
Edward glanced at the table where three bloody human heads were displayed.
The cloaked goat demon smirked and casually patted Russell on the head with its clawed hand.
"You're next," it whispered cruelly.
With that, the two other goat demons moved to block the door, trapping Edward and Russell inside.
The cloaked demon stretched lazily and said, "I came today to discuss my son. Don't worry, we won't make a big fuss.
I just want to know why you cut off my boy's arm."
Its eyes gleamed with malice as they fixed on Edward, its expression filled with cruel amusement.
Russell's face turned ghostly pale, his eyes bulging in terror as he screamed.
"Don't kill me! Edward, save me! I never wronged you! Why are you doing this?"
The room echoed with Russell's frantic cries for help, but Edward remained calm.
The three demons laughed mockingly at Russell's pitiful display.
Edward's gaze turned icy, his voice taking on an authoritative edge.
"Let him go."
At those words, the cloaked demon's expression darkened, and its yellowed fangs were bared in anger.
Yet it restrained itself, seemingly intrigued by Edward's demand.
"If I let him go, what's in it for me?" the demon asked, curious about how Edward would respond.
Edward, unfazed, lowered his eyes briefly before meeting the demon's gaze again. His tone was cold, but firm.
"Let him go, and you can die a painless death."
The atmosphere in the room grew even more tense, the air thick with a palpable threat.
The cloaked demon's eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Oh? And what if I don't let him go?" the demon asked, its voice dripping with malice.
Edward's response was swift and cutting.
"Then I'll feed your corpse to the dogs."
Russell's last glimmer of hope shattered, his fear turning into paralyzing despair.
He knew his fate would be worse than anything he could have imagined.
The demon didn't bother with further insults or threats.
It simply increased the pressure on Russell's head, its sharp claws digging into his scalp.
The sound of creaking bone filled the room as Russell's skull was on the verge of being crushed like a melon.
The cloaked demon's gaze remained fixed on Edward, cold and unyielding, eager to see if Russell's violent death would teach Edward a lesson about how to speak to a demon.
But to its surprise, Edward didn't even glance at the gruesome scene. Instead, he turned and calmly walked toward the door.
The sudden shift in action confused the two demons guarding the exit.
They exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of Edward's intentions.
Without warning, Edward stopped in front of the one-armed demon. In a split second, before it could react, Edward slammed his palm down onto its head with incredible force.
Bam!
A muffled thud echoed through the room as the demon's skull caved under the pressure.
Its body crumpled to the floor with a pained howl, its head smashing into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The room's atmosphere shifted dramatically.
The cloaked demon's shock quickly morphed into rage, its eyes blazing with fury.
It had not anticipated Edward would strike so decisively.