Sally

Chapter 23 · Sally

Snap!

An arrow landed crookedly in the grass a meter away from Lu Minghao. A voice filled with annoyance and shame followed from the watchtower, clearly indicating that the young man's previously confident heart had taken a significant blow.

"Damn it, I'll definitely hit it with the next shot! That was just an accident!"

On the watchtower, the young man spoke again, drawing his bow and aiming at the Slime below. Just as the arrowhead perfectly aligned with the Slime's round body, a dark shadow suddenly rushed out from the nearby vegetable patch, blocking the Slime.

"Damn it, why is it this monster again!"

The young man looked down at the figure standing in front of him with arms spread wide, his small face filled with nervousness and determination as he stared at him. After a few seconds of hesitation, he lowered the bow and arrow in his hand. Oster, lying nearby, looked on as if he had seen it all before, as if he had expected this outcome.

"Seriously, why did Grandma Oran take in this kind of monster, when clearly..."

The young man spoke as he handed his bow and arrow to Oster, then kicked the wooden fence in front of him several times to vent his dissatisfaction.

Not far from the village entrance, Lu Minghao was curiously observing the little one who had blocked his path. The slender body was clad in a skirt that was almost faded white, with various patches on it. Even so, its owner had kept it clean, showing how much she cherished it.

"Are you okay, Slime?"

Just then, a voice with a hint of childlike innocence and purity sounded in Lu Minghao's ear. A little girl, less than ten years old, with long black hair and a sallow complexion, squatted in front of Lu Minghao. Her large purple eyes looked at him with concern.

Immediately, Lu Minghao's vision began to rise. The little girl with black hair and purple eyes picked him up and walked towards the woods not far from the village. As she walked, her small hands carefully examined Lu Minghao's body, as if to see if he was injured.

After a while, the little girl, who had reached the woods, gently placed Lu Minghao on the ground. With a hint of reluctance and worry on her face, she pointed into the depths of the forest and said.

"Slime, don't come near the village anymore, it's very dangerous there."

After speaking, the little girl took a few steps back, intending to watch the Slime leave as she had done with others before. But after a minute, she realized that the Slime she had saved did not leave like the other Slimes she had rescued. It remained still, staring at her.

"Slime, aren't you leaving?"

The little girl looked at the Slime that didn't leave, and a happy smile appeared on her sallow face. She quickly ran forward, squatted down, and said softly.

"Slime, do you want to come with me?"

A few seconds later, the little girl guiltily turned her head and glanced back towards the village. Seeing that the two on the watchtower hadn't noticed them, she quickly hugged the Slime in front of her and ran off in another direction. Her bouncing steps and joyful voice showed how happy she was.

'Hey, hey! I haven't agreed yet!'

Lu Minghao looked at the little girl who had arbitrarily hugged him and couldn't help but complain inwardly. However, even though he said that, Lu Minghao didn't resist. He simply let the little girl carry him away.

The reason Lu Minghao did this was simple. Compared to the adults in the village, children's thoughts were purer and it was easier to get the information Lu Minghao needed. Moreover, Lu Minghao also noticed that the little girl holding him had a small horn faintly visible on her head.

Before long, the little girl carrying Lu Minghao skillfully navigated through the forest and arrived at the foot of a stone cliff not far from the village. By the cliff stood a small, rickety wooden hut that looked like it could be blown over by a gust of wind. This was the little girl's home.

"I'm back!"

Pushing open the dilapidated wooden door, the little girl entered the house carrying Lu Minghao. The room, which had drafts everywhere, contained only a small bed made of wooden planks with a thin quilt on it. On the stone table beside the bed were several wild fruits.

This was all the little girl owned, her entire home.

"Slime, this will be your home from now on. Oh, my name is Sally. Grandma Oran, who has passed away, gave me this name."

The little girl named Sally lifted Lu Minghao high, her small face beaming with a childlike smile as she began to introduce herself. However, when she mentioned the deceased Grandma Oran, a hint of sadness couldn't help but appear in her large purple eyes.

The next second, Sally vigorously shook her head, forcing a smile. She refused to cry. Grandma Oran had said that Sally's smile was the cutest.

"Oh, right, Slime, you don't have a name yet. Grandma Oran said everyone must have their own name. How about Sally gives you one?"

Saying this, Sally placed Lu Minghao on her bed. Her large purple eyes stared at Lu Minghao with great interest, her small face showing an expression of deep thought as she considered how to give her new friend a good name.

"Ugh~ Sally can't think of one."

A few seconds later, Sally covered her little head and let out a cry of distress. Having never had to think about naming things since she was little, she had no idea how to name the Slime in front of her.

"Oh, I'll call you Slime, Sally's Slime!"

The next second, Sally's big eyes lit up, and she happily lifted Lu Minghao and spun around. She had decided on a name for her first friend. Then, Sally placed Lu Minghao on her table, put some wild fruits in front of him, and picked one up to eat happily.

These were all wild fruits she had picked that morning, each one hard-earned. And these wild fruits were, without a doubt, Sally's only food for today and tomorrow, yet she unhesitatingly shared half of them with Lu Minghao.

Because this was her first friend, Sally, though less than ten years old, was not a child who understood nothing. Her life experiences were even richer than those of many adults. Her father was an adventurer who had left a nearby village and met her mother, a member of the Ghost Tribe, during his travels.

A few years after they married, they had Sally. But when Sally was five years old, her father died on a mission. After her parents' death, their companions claimed that Sally's parents had made a mistake during the mission, causing losses to the team, and expelled Sally from their home.

Thus, at the age of five, Sally began a life of wandering and begging. Because she possessed half of the Ghost Tribe's bloodline, everyone treated her as a monster and a mongrel. For several years, Sally wandered the towns, growing up hearing such words. During this time, she survived by foraging for food in garbage heaps and eating wild fruits outside the towns.

It wasn't until Sally was nearly eight years old that she was found by Grandma Oran, who had left the village and entered the town. When Sally's father had taken her back to the village as a child, Grandma Oran had recognized her by her black hair and the small horn on her head when she saw Sally searching for food in a garbage heap.