The demons froze. Although the pronunciation wasn’t standard, hearing the little one call “Papa” in his small, milky voice made the three hard-hearted demons’ insides melt into goo.

Bode practically burst into tears. “Yes, Baobao! I am Papa!”

The other two demons completely forgot about fighting, excitedly crowding around the cub. “Baobao, say it again!”

The little demon sat on the bed giggling, shouting “Papa, Papa!” between laughs.

When Lance returned, he was greeted by the sight of three idiotically grinning demons.

Tossing the caught prey to the waiting Hellhound, Lance stood some distance away, eyeing them suspiciously.

Suspicious! Very suspicious!

Lance asked Bode, “Did something happen after I left?”

Bode: “Hehe.”

Lance paused for a moment, then turned to the other side. “Nick?”

Nick: “Hehehe.”

Clinging to his last shred of patience, he looked at the final demon.

Bazel: “Hehehehe.”

Lance: “…”

What on earth happened?! Why were these idiots grinning so foolishly?

His patience exhausted, Lance sneered and picked a fight with the idiot demons. Only after the brawl did he manage to extract the reason from them.

But by this time, the cub had already fallen asleep. No matter how envious Lance felt, he would have to wait until the cub woke up to hear him call “Papa.”

When the little demon groggily woke up and opened his eyes, he saw Lance’s face extremely close by. The proximity startled the little demon, making him jolt awake.

“Baobao, say Papa,” Lance said, lying sideways on the bed, looking expectantly at the cub.

Startled fully awake, the little demon blinked his big golden eyes, staring at Lance. After a moment, he seemed to understand and softly called out, “Papa.”

Lance finally plastered on the same idiotic grin as the other demons.

Awake now, the cub crawled forward on his own to the railing, peering out through the gaps. He saw the three little Hellhounds already running around nearby.

He pointed at the roly-poly little Hellhounds on the ground: “Papa.”

“Those aren’t Papa.”

Lance chuckled, gently taking the little one’s finger that was pointing at the pups. “Baobao, repeat after me: Lan-ce.”

There were four demons here; when Baobao called “Papa,” no one knew who he meant. So, Lance wanted Baobao to learn his name, allowing the little one to call him specifically if needed.

“Come on, watch my mouth shape: Lan~ce.”

The cub seemed to understand he was being taught to speak. Watching Lance’s mouth, he began mimicking the shape: “Sss~”

“Not quite, it’s Lan~ce.”

The little one tilted his head, thinking his pronunciation sounded strange and completely different from Lance’s. So, pursing his lips, he continued trying: “Ssss~ Ssss~”

The other demons, realizing how sneaky Lance was being, immediately rushed over to teach the cub their own names.

Naturally, nothing could be heard clearly amidst the chaotic jumble of voices. However, the clever cub still managed to learn two words from the noisy chorus.

One was what Lance taught him “Sss”, and the other was Bode’s name.

“Bo-bo-bo~”

The cub blew a drool bubble.

Bode was incredibly smug, winking and nudging (metaphorically, since he had no eyebrows) at Nick and Bazel.

Just as the demons were excitedly teaching the cub, they suddenly froze, stopping dead in unison.

The little demon looked up, puzzled, at the demons who seemed frozen in place. “Hm?”

Lance’s expression turned grave. “Did I just feel… Did you guys feel it?”

Bazel nodded. “No mistake. It’s him.”

Nick started to panic. “Did he find us?”

Bode leaped down from the railing, grabbing the cub tightly with both tentacles. “No! I won’t give Baobao to him! This is my Baobao!”

Although held very tightly, the cub felt no discomfort, as the slime was entirely bouncy; the little one felt like he was sinking into jelly.

Oblivious, the cub rubbed his cheek against the cool slime, even wrapping his short arms around him in return, taking the opportunity to sneak a couple of licks. But the slime still didn’t taste as good as he looked—completely flavorless.

As the cub hugged Bode, the Greater Demon-level slime looked close to tears, utterly miserable. He couldn’t bear to part with Baobao; he didn’t want to be separated.

The four demons had simultaneously sensed Demon King Eris’s magic. Having been hunted by him for so many years, they were extremely familiar with his magic fluctuations; there was no mistaking it. The magic elements in the Forest of Calamity were chaotic; to feel it so clearly meant the Demon King was in the Forest of Calamity.

“Calm down, don’t panic yet. Since the Demon King didn’t find us immediately, it means we haven’t been discovered,” Lance analyzed calmly. “Didn’t Nick say earlier that the Demon King’s subordinates were looking for Baobao? They probably just happened to come here.”

Bazel agreed, but although this underground palace was deep within the Forest of Calamity, its location wasn’t that hidden. Discovery was only a matter of time.

Nick mentally reviewed his previous trip out multiple times, confirming he hadn’t left any traces nor been followed by any demons. So, it probably was just a coincidence.

Returning the cub was impossible. Setting aside the fact that they’d likely be attacked before even getting a word out if they met the Demon King, even if they explained the situation—that they hadn’t intentionally stolen the cub—he probably wouldn’t believe them.

After all, who could imagine the Demon King being such an unscrupulous jerk as to put his own cub in a box, which Nick then happened to steal?

Besides, they absolutely did not want to give the cub back. A cub this cute? Finders keepers!

The four demons discussed countermeasures with serious expressions. The Demon King’s magic fluctuations were still far away. The Forest of Calamity was huge; finding this specific location would take time. They needed to figure out how to sneak away with the cub during this time and evade the Demon King.

“We can’t use magic anymore. We can sense the Demon King’s magic fluctuations, and he can sense ours too.”

“Since they came to the Forest of Calamity looking for the cub, does that mean they’ve already searched elsewhere? Then we can hide in a town and come back after they leave.”

“That’s a good idea! Let’s find a way to avoid the Demon King and head to a town. We can buy proper baby clothes for Baobao too.”

“Agreed. Pack up quickly and let’s go. I’m worried waiting longer will cause complications. Although Eris is far away now, he could be here by tomorrow.”

Bode smacked Bazel. “Don’t jinx it!”

Lance: “Pack up now. The Demon King’s aura is to the east; we head west. Bode, scout the vicinity. Nick, pack Baobao’s things. Bazel, carry Baobao. I’ll knock out those Hellhounds.”

With a clear division of labor, the four demons immediately sprang into action.

Held by Bazel, the little demon curiously watched everyone bustle around. Seeing Lance grab the little Hellhounds running around and knock them unconscious with a wave of his hand, he immediately pointed a finger at one of the sleeping pups. “Papa.”

Bazel bounced the little one gently. “That’s not Papa, that’s your puppy. Don’t worry, Baobao, Papa will protect you.”

Nick packed everything portable into his shadow. Anything they couldn’t take was gathered together to be destroyed later, ensuring no trace of Baobao or themselves remained.

Bode left the underground palace to scout the nearby area. Fortunately, there was no movement nearby, nor any sign of other demons.

The demons were experienced escape artists and quickly finished their tasks. Finally, they gathered together, slowly corroded the items they couldn’t take using Bode’s strong acid, and buried the remains deep underground.

Dragon breath was useful, but using fire required channeling magic. Bode, however, routinely stored strong acid within his body and could deploy it directly without needing to channel magic for decomposition.

The little demon watched as many things turned black and charred, emitting foul odors. Although he didn’t understand why, sensing the heavy atmosphere around him, he obediently nestled in Bazel’s arms, neither speaking nor causing trouble.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Looking back at the once again cold and empty underground palace, the demons took a final glance at the place they had lived for hundreds of years, then resolutely turned and left with Baobao.

The cub was carried by Bazel the entire time. If they were discovered, the black dragon, being the strongest and able to fly, could immediately escape with Baobao.

The little demon watched the small patch of blue sky grow closer and closer. Then, they emerged from the dim underground palace into the wide-open world outside.

The sunlight was so bright the little demon couldn’t open his eyes. He rubbed them with his hands, taking quite a while to adjust to the brightness.

When the little demon finally opened his eyes, he gasped in astonishment at the sight before him.

Pale white Withered Bone Trees grew like thorns, covered in sharp branches that moved as if alive, swaying without wind.

Verdant Strangler Vines coiled around the Withered Bone Trees or lay hidden on the ground, waiting for prey to walk into their trap.

Nearby Gluttony Flowers bloomed year-round with enormous, vibrant, gorgeous blossoms, yet concealed rows of fine, sharp teeth deep within their centers.

Nature’s palette was vividly rendered throughout the forest. Though ferocious habits lay hidden beneath the dazzling beauty, the scenery still captivated the little demon.

Carried along as they walked briskly, the little demon stared blankly the whole way, finding everything novel and fascinating, his mouth agape in perpetual astonishment.

Suddenly, a small demonic beast darted out from nearby. It had yellow fur, a large tail, and bright black eyes. The little demon had never seen such a beast before and stared intently.

The four demons had concealed their auras and looked completely harmless, so the small beast mistook them for prey. It stopped nearby, stood up straight, placed its small paws together in front of its chest, and then suddenly opened its mouth wide. Despite its small size, its gaping maw seemed as vast and dark as a black hole.

This stark contrast made the little demon’s eyes go wide, and he gasped out, “Da!”

The four demons were focused on traveling quickly and watching for other demons. They didn’t even glance at the beast attempting to prey on them. After the cub gasped, Bazel simply punched the small beast with the giant gaping mouth, flattening it instantly.

“It’s okay, Baobao, don’t be afraid. Just some reckless beast that didn’t know its place.”

The little demon looked at the flattened beast, then let out a long sigh, as if relieved.

This very grown-up-demon-like, yet adorable, action helped the tense demons relax considerably. They had been too nervous; even the little demon had sensed something was wrong and had been much quieter than usual.

Perhaps they didn’t need to worry so much. They were heading in the opposite direction from the Demon King. If they traveled day and night, left the forest in a few days, and blended into a town, they surely wouldn’t be found.

The demons’ hopes were high, but reality was entirely different.

While the Demon King was indeed in the east, demons searching for the cub were approaching from other directions as well.

The Demon King’s army was advancing into the Forest of Calamity inch by inch in an encircling formation.

The westward direction they were heading was precisely the area being searched by the Demon King’s strongest subordinate: the skeleton demon, Constans.

And now, the distance between the two parties was rapidly closing.