The branches and leaves trembled in the wind, and from the gaps in the shade, threads of blue sky seeped through, as if memories from sixteen years ago were about to drip down. Charlotte Harris stretched lazily, curling up her long legs. “So boring.”

I scrambled up and shouted, “Being alive is definitely interesting! So what if no man can touch you? What’s the big deal? Just watch, I’m going to touch you anyway!”

My crimson claw shot out and grabbed Charlotte Harris’s plump thigh.

Ouch! I grimaced in pain and quickly pulled my claw back. Luckily, I didn’t get scorched. Who would’ve thought—even my mighty Dragon Butterfly Claw couldn’t touch Charlotte Harris. Her skin felt as if it was covered in red-hot needles.

Damn it, such a sexy stunner, but she’s covered in thorns. I was really curious—what kind of curse is that? Was she born with it, or was it man-made? Charlotte Harris really is unlucky—she’s basically a stone maiden.

Charlotte Harris laughed so hard she bent over. “Oh wow, no wonder you’re so bold and lecherous—you’ve cultivated the Crimson Claw! Back in the day, the Dragon Butterfly had seven sharp claws, powerful enough to change the weather, but even they couldn’t touch me. You think you can?”

I retorted stubbornly, “Didn’t I just touch you?”

She looked at me, a hint of mockery flashing in her emerald eyes. She seemed to be laughing at me. “You really think you have what it takes? I’ve seen right through you. This is all you’ll ever amount to in your life.”

Suddenly, I felt a rush of hot blood to my head. Glaring at Charlotte Harris, I gritted my teeth and shouted wildly, “I, William Carter, swear to the heavens—one day, I’ll touch every inch of you, inside and out!” With a gust of hot wind, my crimson claw shot out, smashing a small pit in the ground.

Fiery red flames suddenly burst from my claw tip, blazing fiercely. I was stunned—my Crimson Claw could actually shoot fire? Before I could think it through, a sharp pain twisted my stomach. Without waiting for Charlotte Harris to speak, I turned and ran without looking back.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to take a shit, want to chip in?” Clutching my stomach, I jogged off, ducking behind a big tree and hurriedly undoing my belt. Damn it, I ate so many berries just now, and now I’ve got diarrhea.

Through the shadows of the trees, Charlotte Harris seemed to still be standing there in a daze. I figured she must have been awed by my dashing display just now.

After I finished, feeling light all over, I wandered around out of boredom. There were so many berries piled on the ground—couldn’t eat them all, so they’d just rot. What a waste. I dug up a lot of dirt, mixed it with water, shaped it like a wine jar, and baked it with fire. Once the clay jar hardened, I peeled and pitted the fresh, sweet berries, crushed them, dumped them all in, and finally sealed the jar with wet mud.

Charlotte Harris asked in confusion, “Little pervert, what are you doing?”

I shot her a sidelong glance. “Making wine!”

“What’s wine?”

Seriously, is she an idiot or just pretending? She doesn’t even know what wine is? I carried the clay jar to a shady, breezy spot by the lake and covered it with branches. Mary Clark, who had been standing still all this time, also cast a curious glance my way.

Charlotte Harris swayed her hips and cooed, “Good William Carter, tell me, what exactly is wine?”

I perked up. So you guys have to ask me for advice sometimes too, huh? Well, since the beauty is being humble, I’ll teach her. Clearing my throat, I said proudly, “Wine is something you drink, said to have been invented by Du Kang in ancient times. When you drink it, it feels warm and tipsy—really great. But wine is also a kind of culture, often used in rituals and celebrations. Sigh, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained more. Anyway, drinking a bit of wine gets your blood flowing and relaxes your muscles. Good for men and women alike.”

Seeing Charlotte Harris’s half-comprehending look, I was secretly amused. So there’s no wine in the Northern Lands—these people really are clueless.

“No sneaking a drink,” I said smugly. To be honest, I didn’t really know how to make wine—just giving it a try.

A fresh fragrance wafted over as Olivia floated closer, saying coolly, “From now on, when we bathe, you’re not allowed to come near. Understand?”

I mimicked her, tilting my head and looking at the sky. “From now on, when I bathe, you’re not allowed to come near either. Got it? I’m going to take a bath now.”

I turned around, undressing as I slowly waded into the water. I imagined Olivia’s face must look pretty interesting right now.

This lake was huge—it would take half a day to swim around it. At the bottom, I found a cave. Swimming inside, I saw it was the Dragon Butterfly’s crystal palace—collapsed stone pillars, ruins everywhere.

The past seemed to drift among the broken walls. It all felt familiar, but I just couldn’t remember.

In my previous life, the Dragon Butterfly was a fearsome demon king. In this life, I was just a small-time punk. Was I really destined to be looked down on forever? Was I truly content with that? For the first time in my life, I seriously thought about my future.

From behind a rock, a colorful water snake darted out, baring its blue, venomous fangs and lunging at me.

I shot out my Crimson Claw, grabbing it in a flash. Good thing I’d mastered the Crimson Claw, or I’d be dead. Damn it, even a little thing like you dares to mess with me, the great demon king? Anger flared in my heart, and I crushed the water snake to a pulp. Today’s lunch would be snake soup.

Just as I was about to swim ashore for a good meal, I suddenly remembered the strange fire-breathing from my Crimson Claw. My heart stirred, and I focused my power, trying to recreate that fiery scene.