Chapter One, Night Rain (Part One)

The once frail black and yellow old dog suddenly opened its eyes, momentarily resembling a fierce hungry wolf, emitting a menacing growl and barking loudly towards the outside.

A man's voice, filled with exasperation, came from outside, followed by footsteps gradually fading away

I know what they want

It is a Gorass hound

I will kill you, you old dog, and make soup out of you sooner or later

The old dog suddenly barked

The little girl, as she spoke, tears fell down again. She reached out to wipe away her tears, put down the bowl, and climbed down from the bed to close the door

Based on her years of experience living in the slums, if there are dead bodies, the problem will escalate quickly, and it is certain that the violence will intensify, potentially affecting those nearby

At that time, she was only 3 years old

Woof woof

A mere eight-year-old girl cannot possibly survive in a slum

But for my brother

Hiss

They thought about how their brother is currently in a coma, and they wanted to sell me to that woman, Soshia

Hurry up and eat! You will feel better once you finish eating...

It is only known that my mother once had a husband, who was said to be an outstanding thief. Unfortunately, he ultimately accepted a mission and met his demise in the tower of a certain sorcerer.

His pet was Hiss, and later he mysteriously disappeared

The old dog with murky eyes seemed to understand her words, silently withdrawing its gaze, extending its tongue to lick her palm, and then lying down at her feet, closing its eyes in a feigned slumber

Only this old dog has remained by their side

From that time onward

Fear

A small figure suddenly plunged into his embrace, and large, glistening tears rolled down the tender cheeks.

Aow!

Vivian looked with red eyes at the small bed in the dilapidated house, where a young man lay unconscious on the moldy bedding. Her brother had still not woken up by today, and the sister priest who had once been willing to help them seemed to have given up hope, after all, Bishop Fei Er was not inclined to expend effort to save a thief

Is Vivian really useless

Later

A place filled with thieves, robbers, and human traffickers, where a helpless little girl finds it difficult to survive. If she were not careful enough and if she did not have Hiss protecting her, it is likely that a bad person would abduct her in broad daylight. All it takes is a wet towel soaked in a sedative to cover her mouth and nose, and soon she would lose consciousness, only to be stuffed into a sack and sold to those traffickers. Many little girls in the slums have gone missing in this manner, and sometimes even attractive women are kidnapped.

Because every gang needs to train children to steal, her brother initially became a thief for the purpose of supporting her

Brother

Vivian bent down and stroked the old dog's head, her small body trembling slightly with fear, and she murmured, "You will protect me, won't you"

A drop of crystal-clear tear fell as Vivian sat by the stove, gently sobbing. After a while, she wiped her cheeks with her small hands, revealing two white streaks on her otherwise darkened face. The family had originally had some salt left, but it had been consumed last week. She wanted to follow her brother's example and steal some, but she was almost caught by the plump shopkeeper. The shopkeeper's wife had struck her on the back with a broom, and even now, her back remained a patch of purple bruises, feeling fiery and painful at the slightest touch. The family had originally had some salt left, but it had been consumed last week. She wanted to follow her brother's example and steal some, but she was almost caught by the plump shopkeeper. The shopkeeper's wife had struck her on the back with a broom, and even now, her back remained a patch of purple bruises, feeling fiery and painful at the slightest touch.

A sound of footsteps came from outside, seemingly pausing at the door, with faint voices heard.

A faint smell of blood can be detected

The old dog gently nudged in her arms, and although its appearance had become frail with age, it still carried a hint of ferocity.

Vivian has a very vague memory of her parents

My brother is now in a coma, only you can protect me

You must wake up! ... ... Vivian misses you so much! ... ...

I apologize

Unfortunately, it is already quite old

Mother lost two men in succession, and her mental state began to deteriorate, even suffering from a condition akin to soul loss for a time, ultimately leading to her passing away

Vivian's terrified expression calmed down slightly as she reached out her small palm to stroke the old dog's head, whispering: "Hiss."

That man is indeed the biological father of my brother. Although she had not yet been born at that time, she has heard my brother mention it.

Brother

She is only 8 years old this year, and due to some malnutrition, she appears quite petite. Tasks such as starting a fire and cooking are still very challenging for her. She holds several pieces of split firewood in her hands, breaking off some twigs she collected during the day to throw into the stove. Because of the continuous rain outside for half a day, the firewood has absorbed some moisture, making it slow to ignite and accompanied by a pungent smoke. Vivian, ignoring the soreness in her eyes, puffs her cheeks and blows with all her might. Once the firewood inside finally catches fire, she gently rubs her eyes.

Later, my brother joined the gang and became a competent thief

This can bring in a sum of money

In just a few more days, they will be starving

... ...

An old black and yellow dog approached, and although it had begun to show signs of age, it was still possible to discern that it had once been an excellent hunting dog. Vivian extended her small palm, and the old dog quietly walked to her side, looking up at the position of the stove, emitting a low whimper.

She is willing to do anything, as she has only this one relative left

The fear in her heart made the little girl hold the old dog tightly, bringing it to the foot of the bed as well

Two young children lost their parents and soon found themselves on the streets. At that time, the older brother often got into fights with others over a meager amount of food

A chilling scream echoed through the air

Then take that money to hire a real priest, perhaps it can awaken my brother

Vivian's stomach let out a series of gurgling sounds, yet she cautiously climbed onto the low stool, using a worn ceramic bowl with a chipped edge to scoop up the rice porridge. She gently blew on it and then fed the young man lying on the bed little by little with a wooden spoon. She was simply too small and lacked the strength to lift her brother, so she could only feed him slowly like this

There is no way to steal anything, nor is there a way to save my brother, and I always like to cry

Having grown up in a slum since childhood, she knows far more than her peers. Soshia is the largest trafficker in the slum; she selects beautiful young girls, trains them to become prostitutes, and sends them to the large brothels in Amber City

Vivian revealed a hint of determination at the corner of her eye, leaned down gently, and kissed the forehead of the young man on the bed, who resembled a person in a vegetative state, and said in a low voice: "Even if I have to sell, I will sell myself!"

It is quite normal for people to die in the slums, and even the priests of the Dawn Temple do not concern themselves with the lives and deaths within the slums

The aroma of rice porridge wafted from the stove, and the old dog twitched its nose before lying back down.

Hiss

In their prime, they can even fight leopards; in the folklore of the Agate River region, they are said to be descendants of a hybrid of the three-headed hellhounds.

Vivian turned around in surprise and found that the young man on the bed had already opened his eyes, his lips moving slightly

That woman in Soshia will first raise her for a few years, then teach her how to serve men. If she is beautiful enough, she will be given to some nobles in the city; otherwise, she will only be sent to those disreputable brothels

Hiss!

Vivian fed him little by little, and when the man on the bed had swallowed most of the bowl, she hurriedly took a few sips of water to wash her small hands and cheeks, then curled her petite body into the quilt that emitted a musty smell. Because she had touched the wound on her back, the little girl couldn't help but whimper in pain, and then she wrapped her arms around the young man's arm, saying to the old dog at the door, "If anyone comes, you bark!"

The mother, along with her young son, went through a tumultuous period, during which, out of necessity, she even worked as a barmaid in a tavern, which was essentially a part-time prostitute. Vivian was aware of this; she understood far more than her peers. This way of life continued until the mother encountered a mysterious adventurer

The long-standing pressure and fear erupted in an instant

Their lives have gradually stabilized, and they have found a place to shelter within the chaotic slums

Soon, she became pregnant again

It must be left for brother to eat, Vivian is also very hungry, you can go outside to find something to eat after the rain stops

Brother

A series of killing sounds came from outside

Vivian held the old dog in her arms, as if she had discovered the longing in its eyes. She gently sobbed once, reached out to softly stroke its back, and murmured, "There is not much food left"

Vivian bravely wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and carefully climbed down from the low stool

Everything will be alright

The young girl was startled at once, but she soon realized that Xis was not calling out towards the outside, but rather addressing the young man on the bed.

In the slums, Kolen and Savi are fighting for territory. Ever since Kolen's brother was severely injured by a fearsome wizard, many thieves in the slums have died. The original leaders have all been killed in the streets, and the remaining individuals have fought many times over the territory. There are no guards coming to manage this area, as it is a forgotten corner of Amber City

It is said that he is also a powerful professional

Vivian trembled in fear, completely retreating into the embrace of the young man, while the old dog at the door suddenly stood up, glaring fiercely towards the distant alley.

There is no food left

Brother is twelve years old

They are competing for the blocks of the event, as well as for the children in the slums

The sound of rain pattering can be heard from outside

Do not leave me

That adventurer did not marry her; he merely kept her as a courtesan. That man was Vivian's biological father

If he dares to come in, you should bite him

Damn

Vivian involuntarily shrank into the covers, and a glimmer of ferocity appeared in the eyes of the old dog at the door

She knows what kind of fate she will face

She looked outside in terror and could see some figures in the rain, fighting each other with weapons in hand

This is the slum area of Amber City

The people nearby all slammed their doors shut

Blood flowed throughout the entire alley, only to be washed away clean by the rain

A person has died there

At that time

Someone also picked up the door bolt and locked the main door tightly, while Vivian got up and with great effort propped up a door bolt.

Vivian carefully placed the low stool in front of the stove, then bent down to grab two handfuls of brown rice from the nearby rice bag. There was not much grain left in the bag; her brother had only stolen a piece of silver jewelry from the dock last month, which had exchanged for this bag of brown rice. Even though she had been budgeting meticulously over the past half month, the dwindling supply of grain still filled her with a sense of panic

The wizard thus became the most terrifying presence in her young heart