'I am back…'
Ash sat upright, gripping the side of his head as he tried to make sense of what had happened to him. But first, he made sure to assess his surroundings.
It was then he realized he was somewhere in the forest, surrounded by tall trees and ragged bushes. It was morning as well, so he could see for a good distance with no trouble.
That was how he was able to see the multiple piles of dead slimes stacked not too far away from him.
'Oh, that's right. I was hunting for monsters with Aisha, when—' The thought hit him like a train.
Ash quickly looked at his stomach, only to find that there was not a single hint of injury there, only blood and a torn cloth.
'It healed,' he whispered. 'So that did happen, the Devil King…'
Sigh.
'The woman most definitely dodged my question. I still don't know if she was the one who transported my body away from where I died, or if she was even the one that idiot John saw.'
Sighing one more time, Ash was about to stand to his feet to look for Aisha when a system notification popped up right in front of him.
[Congratulations, Aisha's bond level has risen to 41.]
[You can now link thoughts with your slave. In addition, your slave can now acquire the instinct to link with you on a spiritual level.]
Ash paused, standing with his arms folded. 'That's oddly convenient.'
[Would you like me to update you on your current growth as well?]
Ash glanced away from the template and stared towards the side of the forest, contemplating whether to go look for Aisha or not. There was a chance she might have taken the opportunity to run away when he fell asleep. After what happened with the slimes, she must have been terrified.
Not that he expected much anyway. Besides, if she were in some kind of danger, he would have been alerted by the system already.
Ash turned back to the system. 'Sure.'
[Request confirmed.]
[Your slave, Aisha, has leveled up to Lvl 9.]
[All her skills have leveled up by 7 as well.]
'Show me.'
[Aisha's skills:]
[The talent skill, Survival Instinct (Level 9): Her fighter's instincts are top-notch, allowing her body to move quickly and also sense danger before it arrives.]
[The talent skill, Cleave (Level 9): Her slashes are not defined by her weapons alone; she can cut through steel with just her fingers.]
[The talent skill, Weapon Mastery (Level 9): Whatever weapon she holds is in the right hands.]
'Oh, still no special skill yet.'
[Unfortunately.]
'Then this information has no use for me if they cannot be plundered.'
[Your bond level with the Devil King also rose to 89, which allowed your unique skill Demonic Aura to increase as well.]
[Current level is 19.]
[The skill now also enhances body regeneration when active.]
Ash's eyes widened a bit when he realized that must have been the reason why all of his injuries had cleared.
The healing potion he had was not powerful enough to heal the intense injury he had. Just when he thought the system notification had stopped, another few flooded in.
[You also gained a new Talent skill.]
[Prey Hunter (Level 3)] Description: You are able to track a single enemy you have come in contact with.
[You gained a new Artifact skill.]
[Damager (Maxed)] Description: Every time you use the artifact glove, your attack accuracy and critical hit are increased by 100%.
As the last notification popped in front of him, he remembered he had purchased a glove from the system before the battle with the slimes.
Glancing down at his fist, he watched as the gloves glitched on his hand before making themselves visible.
'100% accuracy, huh? I can't wait to try that out.'
Shrr!
The sudden sound in the bushes drew his attention. Turning to check what could be heading towards him, he was surprised to see Aisha walking out, carrying a bunch of fruits in a large leaf, her hair covered in dirt and grass.
Upon seeing her master was awake, a hint of a smile appeared on her face.
"Master, you're awake," she uttered, sprinting towards Ash. As she ran, her profile glowed.
[Name: Aisha.]
[Level: 9]
[Status: Hungry and hopeful.]
Hopeful?
Ash said nothing and instead watched as she stood right in front of him, holding the leaves in her hand. "Where were you?" he asked.
"Master was still sleeping, so I went to pluck some fruits in case you were going to wake up hungry."
"You can pluck?"
"I… learned it from my parents; they were farmers." Even if she tried to hide it, Ash could still catch how quickly the sadness crept onto her face.
Pa!
He placed his hand on her head. "You did good yesterday. Come, let's turn the slimes to the guild so we can get paid."
Though still sad, a smile crept back onto her face. "I promise to fight better so Master doesn't get hurt. Master is the first person to protect me like that. Master also gave me food, I have never…" Aisha paused, then she looked up at him. "My life belongs to you, and I am grateful because my life would have been gone if you hadn't saved me. Please, allow me to take care of you too…"
She raised the leaf up, presenting the fruit to him. "I—I got you some fruit. They are not poisonous; I already tested them."
'Look who got confident all of a sudden.'
Ash gently removed his hand from her head, then grabbed a single fruit from the leaf before he turned and began walking towards the slime corpses.
Seeing this, Aisha smiled. Because even though he didn't say a word to her, he was eating the fruit she gave him. That must mean he had accepted her.
With her small legs, she ran after him. "Master, do you want more?"
"No."
"E... eh? I chose the sweet ones. Please take one more."
"…"
"T-thank you."