Chapter 71: Pop.

Chapter 71: Pop.

Walking slowly and carefully, with both my awareness and intuitive scan up, I approach the hut.

A general pulse shows some local spies are looking around, as if confused, on why Im heading towards an alleyway.

Likely, because this alleyway is on the other side of the street, in the opposite direction from Gongs caves.

Dang it. Ive shown multiple times I can detect things without seeing or being near them.

Thatll likely be another line in my file.

As I get closer to the child, I can hear her tired breaths. The whimpers.

Her soft whispers of I wont ask for anything anymore, and Please, please wake-up.

All until I find myself at the entrance of the shack. Looking inside, with my own eyes at the child and her unconscious parents.

What I can see is a black-haired child with foxlike ears. My guess is that she is no older than ten. Her scrawny body, malnourished body, is practically wrapped around her dads torso. Hugging his chest tight.

She has no eyes for anything but them. Walking next to her, I inspect them, both physically and with the scan.

Dang.

It appears that they were savagely beaten into a coma. They definitely suffered major injuries, but it looks like someone must have helped wrap up any wounds that were bleeding and set bones. These injuries didnt happen today.

On both parents, I can see that they also have splints on their limbs. It makes me wonder who had helped them with this. Based on the newness of the bandages, someone had replaced them.

No matter, it still shows that these people were at least cared for after the incident. All within an area that clearly doesnt have much and is starved for resources.

It looks like the child has been underfed for a long time, though.

A glance around the room, shows a small, stale piece of bread in the corner. Untouched.

It is at this point that the little Demi-human little girl notices me.

A raspy, pained sound struggles from her extremely chapped lips.

N-no Stay away. Just stay away

She is forcing her words out. Her voice clearly strained from the constant tears.

I try to calm her down by backing away. I also say, Im not here to hurt you guys Im here to help.

Shaking her head slowly, but vigorously, it is clear she isnt listening. Her voice gets louder and stronger.

No! No! I wont let you hurt them.

I can sense people looking this way from the other nearby alley buildings using my scan.

Things are being muttered, like: Whats going on? Did he come back? or Cant they just leave us alone? Do they all think hurting us is like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood?!

A hum of activity forms. A crowd growing slowly. Building themselves up. Turning into a mob.

For a skilled cultivator, it might be simple to scare them and push them aside. For me, I actually need to escape. Or find some other way out of this.

Continuing to back away, out of the hut, I look for escape routes.

The crowd has seemed to grow larger.

A powerful, familiar, and malicious laugh causes all the Demi-humans in the growing group to freeze, though.

Such a good day. Its my lucky day!

Sploosh.

I feel it before I see it, through the scan. Before I actually recognize what it is that I just witnessed.

A little girl just died.

A body drops to the floor.

No special occasion.

No horror tracks.

Nothing.

Just a dead little girl.

And a man with a self-satisfied smile.

With me cowering around a corner.

Her body twitches as he steps over it.

Squish.

Squelch.

And casually does the same to the parents.

I stand at the corner. No movement. Frozen in mind and body.

A Demi-human sprints past me. Running away.

The crowd dispersed far faster than it gathered.

The man casually heads out of the hut, heading to where the group was, and disappointedly sees it empty.

He heads in my direction.

Seeing me at the corner unmoving, he looks down at me.

Huh, another human. You seem a little too well off for this area. You should get out of here. You might catch something from the vermin out here.

He pats my shoulder, giving a deep bellied laugh. One that sounds just like the laughter the other day.

I can hear his footsteps confidently walk away behind me.