Born To Be Beaten?

Sophia's letter, though not detailed, painted a clear picture of her struggles. She hinted at being unfairly ousted from her team due to the manipulations of her cousin, from the family's second branch. 

The mix of grievance and frustration in her words was evident. Instead of support from her kin, she faced betrayal, leading to a restart of her trials from scratch.

Despite her situation, Sophia thoughtfully advised Mother Grace in her letter not to worry Eddie with these troubles. 

However, Mother Grace, having witnessed Eddie's growth and maturity, especially during the recent Black Mountain bandits incident, chose not to keep him uninformed.

 His reassuring words during the potential bandit attack had profoundly moved her, showcasing his evolution into a dependable young man.

Upon hearing Eddie's offer to fetch Sophia, Mother Grace agreed without hesitation, recognizing his newfound capabilities. 

She had seen in him a strength and reliability that comforted her, a sign that her son had truly come of age.

However, she firmly declined his suggestion to return to the Yue family castle.

 Despite her usual gentle and accommodating nature, Mother Grace held onto a quiet sense of pride. The family's past decision to ostracize her husband and send them away had left a deep scar. 

Living in White Stone City had its challenges, but she was determined not to return to the Yue family castle without a direct invitation from the family patriarch. She refused to endure the scornful remarks from the main and second branches of the Yue family.

Her husband's loyalty to his family was something she respected, but she was resolute in maintaining her dignity and not living at the mercy of others. 

With Eddie's successful acquisition of the Summoning Tome, a long-held wish of hers had been realized. 

Now, more than ever, she was adamant about not going back to the Yue family castle to face the disdain of her relatives.

For Mother Grace, the well-being of her children outweighed everything else. She cherished their progress and obedience.

"Mother Grace, I'll bring Sophia back and ensure our safety. White Stone City is a bit chaotic these days. Try to stay indoors," Eddie advised, knowing that she rarely ventured out. 

Their household, supported by loyal servants, was generally safe. Furthermore, being part of the Yue family, even without significant power or influence, offered a degree of protection from mercenaries or thieves.

 The reputation of the four major families still held sway.

"I understand, Eddie. Please be careful," she replied, her heart warmed by his concern. Eddie's transformation from a quiet boy to a considerate young man filled her with pride and relief.

After he left, Mother Grace pondered over Eddie's recovery from his broken engagement with Miss Xue. He seemed to have moved on, which made her wonder if it was time to consider another match for him.

Eddie didn't head straight to the White Stone City teleportation array, not out of frugality, but for discretion. He preferred to avoid unnecessary encounters with any influential figures in the city. 

The investigation into the destruction at the Lively Forest Inn by the city lord and the Golden Blade Master, with the national envoy's involvement, was something he didn't want to be entangled in. 

Plus, he had buried the arm of the demon lord Hasin in a secret ridge in Black Mountain and planned to take it with him.

 The arm, still bleeding and corrosive, had the potential to be a powerful catalyst for the evolution of his Thorn Tongue Flower.

During the day, Eddie buried the demon arm deep in the earth, unearthing it at night to cleanse it of impurities with his energy. 

Consuming the arm of an eighth-level demon lord would undoubtedly evolve the Thorn Tongue Flower, but Eddie had bigger plans. 

He wanted to wait until the flower reached the golden level before transforming it into a humanoid 'Thorn Witch,' maximizing the arm's potential.

Despite delaying his departure by two days, Eddie proceeded to fulfill the tasks on the revenge hunting list in Red Forest and Black Rock cities. 

His actions led to the demise of six third-level heroes and numerous bandits, all becoming nourishment for his rapidly evolving Thorn Tongue Flower. 

After consuming over two hundred lives, the once feeble plant finally evolved into a golden-level entity.

Eddie's Thorn Tongue Flower had undergone a remarkable transformation. Its stem, now as thick as a human leg, towered at an impressive height of five meters, covered with backward-facing hooked spines. 

The flower's crown, once modest in size, had morphed into an enormous head resembling that of a human, albeit with blurred features and without eyes, replaced instead by large spots mimicking the appearance of eyes. 

The enormous mouth, filled with dagger-like sharp teeth, could now swallow a person whole in mere seconds and completely digest them within two minutes.

Upon reaching the gold level, the Thorn Tongue Flower evolved into the 'Demon Eye Thorn Tongue Flower.'

 It developed animalistic instincts, such as dynamic sensing, akin to snakes and spiders, using its tongue and fine hairs to detect thermal energy and air vibrations. This new ability effectively allowed it to 'see' without eyes.

The most significant change, however, was the emergence of rudimentary intelligence. While the Thorn Tongue Flower couldn't think, it now possessed the ability to execute Eddie's commands with precision, even from a distance, through a mental link.

Now at the first level of the gold tier, the flower's strength had increased more than tenfold compared to when it was at the silver level. Eddie believed that, nourished by the lives it consumed, his Thorn Tongue Flower was potentially stronger than a typical fourth-level combat beast.

Eddie felt a sense of accomplishment and responsibility for the flower's growth.

 "Once you successfully transform into a Thorn Witch, I'll name you," he thought. His nurturing had transformed the once weak Thorn Tongue Flower into a formidable being of the gold level.

As Eddie eagerly made his way to Black Mountain to retrieve the arm of the demon lord Hasin, which he had buried for the final evolution of his flower, he was met with a disturbing scene. 

The soil hiding the demon lord's arm had been unearthed, exposing the limb to the air. At the bottom of the pit, a wolf with metal claws was writhing in agony. The sight instantly transformed Eddie's excitement into fury.

Eddie was perplexed by the Iron Claw Wolf's actions. Unlike other wild animals that would instinctively flee from the menacing aura of a demon lord, this wolf had bizarrely turned into a thief.

 It was an unfortunate choice, as it couldn't possibly ingest any part of the demon lord's arm and nearly lost its life in a fruitless attempt.

Angered by this reckless act, Eddie forcefully yanked the wolf out of the pit, subjecting it to a rigorous beating.

 His main concern wasn't the wolf's ability to consume the demonic flesh; it was virtually impossible for such a creature. Eddie was more worried about the exposure of his valuable find. 

If discovered, the demon lord's arm could easily become a coveted artifact for others or, worse, bait for a trap set by powerful foes like the Golden Knife Master and the Lord of White Stone City.

As he chastised the wolf, Eddie couldn't help but notice its odd reaction. Instead of showing signs of pain or fear, the wolf seemed oddly content under his blows.

 "Does it actually enjoy this punishment, much like the character Grey Taro from those stories?" Eddie thought, baffled by the wolf's peculiar behavior.