Chapter 31: The Witch Has Been Saved by You

The girl tightly gripped the small knife in her hands, her only source of security. The oversized, deep green pants, with their hems dragging on the ground, flapped noisily as her legs trembled uncontrollably.

Though she was technically a robber, her unease and fear made her seem more like a tormented victim, utterly lacking in intimidation.

“Stop… give me the bread!” The girl realized her inadequacy and tried to put on a fierce face, pointing the sharp blade at Xu Xi, like a young beast baring its new teeth. She shouted hysterically, demanding that Xu Xi stop approaching her.

Her eyes were filled with longing, firmly locked onto the half-eaten white bread in Xu Xi’s hand, covered with bite marks.

Involuntarily, her dry, parched throat struggled to swallow.

Honestly, the scene was bizarre, almost comically absurd.

In the early morning, the massive steam engines of Allenson City roared to life, their colossal steam shrouding the sky like a divine spectacle. Occasionally, mages could be seen flying through the steam.

In a secluded alley unnoticed by anyone, a half-demon girl of mixed human and demon blood held a ridiculously small knife, attempting to rob one of Allenson City’s most prominent figures—Xu Xi, who was publicly known as an Official Mage but was actually an Elite Mage.

This situation was even more illogical than the mythical epics sung by bards.

Even disregarding Xu Xi’s identity as a mage, the physical strength of an adult male alone could easily overpower this frail demon girl.

Yet, Xu Xi didn’t do that.

“Hungry?” Without casting any spells to punish the disrespectful demon girl or scolding her harshly, Xu Xi simply looked at her calmly and asked.

The girl paused slightly and nodded gently.

“Here.” Xu Xi tore off the top bitten part and handed the remaining bread to the girl. She didn’t take it immediately but instead watched Xu Xi warily from a distance.

Confusion and bewilderment flashed in her eyes.

She seemed never to have imagined that she could obtain food so easily.

One step.

Two steps.

The girl cautiously moved her feet, one hand holding the knife, the other reaching for the bread, inching closer to Xu Xi with extreme caution.

Once she grabbed the bread, she quickly retreated to the depths of the alley.

She sat huddled on a rotting wooden crate in the corner of the alley, her feet stepping in a yellow, greasy puddle of mud.

Under Xu Xi’s gaze, she first took small bites, and after confirming it was safe, she began to devour it ravenously.

…

“I’ve heard that true pure-blooded demons have exceptionally resilient organs and can endure starvation for up to a year, surviving solely on magic during that time.”

“Given that, half-demons of mixed blood should inherit some of that ability to endure hunger.”

Watching the girl wolf down the bread, Xu Xi shook his head.

He couldn’t imagine how long this girl had been wandering or what she had endured to become so filthy and covered in scars.

After a while, the demon girl finished the white bread.

She looked at Xu Xi again, or more accurately, stared with her hollow, lifeless eyes at the bread crumbs in Xu Xi’s hand, the ones he had torn off earlier, still bearing his bite marks.

Only then did a glimmer of longing appear in her eyes.

“C…can…you…give…me…some…more…?” Perhaps Xu Xi’s act of giving her food had slightly increased her trust. This time, she didn’t threaten with the knife but stuttered her request.

Unconsciously, there was a hint of pleading and ingratiation in her tone.

Her emaciated body rose from the rotten crate, her bare feet stepping in mud and sand as she staggered toward Xu Xi, reaching for the bread crumbs in his hand.

However—

Xu Xi ignored her and simply tossed the bread crumbs into his mouth. Then, without looking back, he walked away, leaving the girl with only his retreating figure.

“W…why…” The girl was stunned.

The faint light in her eyes dimmed once more, returning to their lifeless state.

Losing her balance, she fell to the ground, onto the slippery, foul-smelling alley. Pain shot through her, and blood began to flow from her forehead.

The girl didn’t cry out; she was used to it.

She didn’t get up either, remaining in the mud, utterly defeated.

“Mom… did I do something wrong again…?”

“Mom…”

“Why is this happening… I’m so hungry… so hungry, Mom…”

The feeling of hunger struck again, the twisting, fatal cramps in her stomach far more intense than the pain from her bleeding forehead, causing her to wail in agony.

She curled up, clutching her stomach, rolling back and forth in the mud.

As if doing so could lessen the pain.

She wanted to cry, but that emotion had long been lost, destroyed by endless despair.

In the end, she lay there, broken, her eyes lifeless, staring blankly at the sky, waiting quietly for death to come.

If she died, she wouldn’t be hungry anymore…

Such a simple thought crossed her mind.

But just then, footsteps approached from not far away, growing closer until they stopped in front of the demon girl.

A warm, strong hand pulled her up. She saw that it was the young man from before. Not only had he returned, but he also brought new bread.

“Eat.”

“The bread earlier was bitten by me, not clean. You can have this newly bought one.”

Xu Xi spoke, not minding the girl’s foul stench or the mud dripping from her body.

He extended his hand, releasing Level 5 Life Magic, using vast life energy to heal the girl’s wounds.

Then he helped her up from the ground and sat her in a cleaner spot to eat the bread.

“…” The girl was completely bewildered, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening.

Only when Xu Xi handed her the bread did she react, mechanically taking bite after bite.

A bag of bread was quickly devoured.

Xu Xi then used Water Magic to summon a large water ball, providing the girl with water and cleaning off the filth from her body.

Finally, Xu Xi crouched down, meeting the girl’s eyes at her level.

He tried his best to appear gentle.

In the filthy, chaotic alley, where even rats wouldn’t dwell, he reached out his hand to the girl, who was just as real and alive as anyone else.

He made a simple offer:

“Come with me.”

The girl, who had been as quiet as a doll, looked at Xu Xi with her lifeless eyes, like a puppet controlled by someone else, showing no trace of self.

She still didn’t understand what was happening, but something inside her urged her, told her.

So, she did as she was told.

Her hands slowly grasped the man’s hand before her.

“Okay…” Her voice trembled.