I, Valon, am frantically searching for my mother.

"puff--!"

"laugh--!"

The dull, sticky sound of countless streams of liquid breaking free of their restraints and shooting out exploded simultaneously and without warning in the narrow alleyway!

Blood!

Crimson, scalding hot, and sweet-smelling blood!

Like dozens of small, out-of-control fountains, they shot out from the necks of those villains who were grinning just a second ago!

Rush up to the low roof!

It splashed onto the filthy walls!

Sprinkle it on the cracked ground!

Sofia, slumped on the ground, stared blankly at everything.

The villains were still standing there, but their heads were gone, leaving only bowl-sized, smooth, grotesquely severed necks, from which gushed scalding blood and a few bubbles.

"Thump!"

"Splash! Splash!"

The headless corpses, now without support, crashed heavily one after another into the pool of blood and mud, splattering even more blood.

To be honest, Wayne hesitated slightly when he first started.

In this city of Hel, under the rule of the Golden Dragon, to cause such a commotion in broad daylight, with rivers of blood flowing... isn't that a bit too high-profile?

Will this cause any unnecessary trouble?

For example... Jinlong's patrol team? Or the city guards?

But when those men carrying gleaming machetes appeared, they swaggered around, seemingly fearless, blocking the entrance from both ends of the alley, their faces displaying undisguised savage smiles and their eyes gleaming with ferocity.

Wayne finally understood.

This area where fur is falling out is truly neglected.

Robberies during the day, blocking people in alleys and on the street, drawing knives and drawing blood... all without hindrance.

It's really become Little Gotham.

What was Wayne afraid of? He unleashed his power and ripped those guys out like canned food.

After clearing out the mobs, it's time for the familiar gold coin explosion.

Wayne squatted expressionlessly beside the still-warm headless corpses, and began to touch them with his clean hands.

A small handful of silver coins, a cheap ruby, and even two heavy little gold coins.

Oh shit!

These people were born into wealth!

Soon, Wayne looted all the valuables from the corpses and happily pocketed them into his once-empty but now bulging money bag.

The weighty feel of the bag made him feel much happier.

Having dealt with the treasure, Wayne finally had time to turn and look at Sophia, who was slumped on the ground, motionless.

The little girl seemed terrified by the sudden bloody scene.

She sat there blankly, her small body still trembling slightly, her lips pale.

Wayne walked over and squatted down in front of her.

He reached out, hesitated for a moment, and then gently patted Sophia's dry, yellow hair, which was stained with blood and dust.

The movements weren't gentle, even a bit clumsy, but the tone of voice was softened as much as possible:

"Hey, Sofia."

"How are you? Can you still stand up?"

His voice was low, deliberately steady, in an attempt to dispel some of the blood and fear that permeated the air.

It was probably this rare, gentle voice that, like a thin thread, gently pulled Sofia's wandering soul back.

Her empty gaze flickered slightly, her focus slowly sharpening as it landed on Wayne's still clean and handsome face, so close to hers.

A few seconds later.

"Waaah..."

She let out a soft sob, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes again.

She braced herself against the cold, sticky ground with her right hand, trying to stand up.

But as soon as he exerted force, his legs began to shake violently, and he couldn't support them at all.

"I'm so sorry... young master..."

She lifted her tear-filled face, revealing a smile that was more painful than crying, her voice trembling with sobs and lingering fear:

"I...I can't get up...my legs...my legs are too weak..."

"Just now... so many people died... I'm scared..."

Looking at her pitiful, terrified appearance, Wayne's dark eyes flashed with a knowing look.

Hmm, that's a plausible reason.

After all, Sofia looked like a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, as thin as a bean sprout, suffering from chronic malnutrition, and probably never even killed a chicken.

Witnessing such a bloody, violent, and illogical scene firsthand, and not fainting from fright, already shows a pretty good mental fortitude.

"fine."

Wayne stood up and said two words briefly.

Then, to Sofia's surprise, he turned his back to her and slowly half-squatted down.

"I'll carry you on my back."

Sofia was stunned.

She stared blankly at Wayne's back, which wasn't particularly broad and even had a thinness typical of a teenager, then looked down at her own blood-stained, filthy clothes and body.

Then, she stubbornly shook her head, her voice weak but firm:

"No, no need... young master..."

"It's very, very dirty...it will...it will ruin your clothes, young master..."

She bit her lip, her eyes darting away.

"Young Master has already... treated me to bread... so... I can't let Young Master spend money on me anymore..."

Wayne then noticed that he was still clean and tidy, with not a single bloodstain on his linen clothes.

These few scoundrels and henchmen are not even worthy of drawing blood from Wayne.

"fine."

Wayne said nonchalantly, even turning back to give Sophia a relaxed smile.

"Young master, I just earned some money, just in time to buy a new set."

Wayne added, with a hint of smugness in his voice, and deliberately shook the bulging, heavy old money bag at his waist.

The gold and silver coins inside jingled together, producing a pleasant clinking sound.

Dragons are like this: they feel happy when they have a lot of money.

"this……"

Sophia looked at the money bag, which was now noticeably fuller, and then at Wayne's clean back, her face showing a look of struggle and hesitation.

Finally, Wayne lowered his voice and whispered in her ear at a volume only the two of them could hear:

"Hurry up, Sophia, it'll be troublesome if someone passes by and sees this."

These words seemed to have struck a nerve with Sofia.

Her body trembled, and fear flashed in her eyes again. No longer hesitating, she slowly reached out her arms and carefully and gently wrapped them around Wayne's neck.

Her arms were thin, her skin rough, and dirt clung to her fingernails. Her body reeked of a mixture of blood, sweat, and the faint smell of someone who hadn't bathed in a long time.

smell……

Hmm, Bella would probably like that feeling.

If it were her, she probably wouldn't even need to soak the food in the swamp; the flavor would be ready right there...

However, Wayne did not mind.

He stood up steadily and carried Sofia on his back.

So light.

It's so light.

Sofia's body was as light as a bundle of dry firewood.

This is definitely caused by long-term malnutrition and hunger.

This body is so light that Wayne suspects he could easily carry it even when he was twelve or thirteen years old in his previous life, just an ordinary human kid.

Because Sofia wasn't very strong, her arms weren't wrapped tightly around her, which meant that even though she kept pressing herself against them, her body kept sliding down.

Wayne had no choice but to try supporting her bottom with his hands and lifting her up so that she could lie more steadily.

However, this trust...

The sensation from my palm...

Why does it feel... a little damp and cool?

Wayne also subconsciously lowered his head, brought his hand close, and sniffed it very lightly and quickly.

A very faint, strange, yet strangely familiar smell...

A hint of doubt flashed in Wayne's dark eyes. He turned his head and asked directly, in a tone of pure curiosity:

"Sophia..."

"Why is your butt...wet?"

Sophia, who was feeling drowsy on Wayne's back after changing to a more comfortable and stable position, suddenly stiffened the moment she heard the question.

Her face, which had been a little pale from exhaustion, suddenly turned bright red, the redness spreading all the way to her ears and neck.

"You, you—!"

Sophia stammered, the girl who was originally weak suddenly burst out with strength from somewhere, and gently pounded Wayne's shoulder twice with her small fists.

Then, she buried her burning face in the back of Wayne's neck, letting out a soft moan that was both shy and angry.

"Young Master..."

Has anyone ever told you that you're a pervert?