"Please... save me. Please save me."
The girl muttered those words as she stumbled closer to me.
Why should I save you?
Why?
"Please. If you save me, I’ll devote myself to you. I’ll serve you wherever you go. I’ll even warm your bed."
I looked at the girl. Desperation filled her eyes as she pleaded for me to save her.
I don’t save useless people.
I don’t save people for no reason.
If I can’t gain anything from someone, then I have no reason to save them.
As for this horde of demons, they could overrun the entire village for all I cared.
I was going to do nothing about it.
The horde of demons soon arrived at the village, flooding every corner of it.
Yet they didn’t attack the villagers.
Every single one of them was after the girl.
It was as though she had stolen something that belonged to them.
At first, my interest wasn’t piqued.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
This is interesting.
These were lesser demons, not Asacryat Demons.
They moved as a flock, fighting and defending one another in perfect unity.
They hadn’t even obtained human bodies yet.
Their cultivation was still at a very low level.
Which meant the girl must have taken something they desperately wanted.
That was the only reason they would chase her this relentlessly.
"What exactly did you take from these demons that has them chasing you?" I asked, looking at her with a cold yet curious expression.
The girl’s expression shifted several times.
She hesitated before finally stammering,
"P-Please... I don’t need to tell you what I took, okay? Just save me, and I promise you my body. Who wouldn’t want the body of a rich man’s daughter? Sexy and curvy, huh?"
"Well, it is I,this King, who doesn’t want your body."
The moment I said that, her expression fell as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over her.
I simply stood there with my arms folded.
The sisters immediately began speaking.
"Oh, you should save her."
"Look at all those demons."
"They’re only staying back because she’s standing beside you."
"The moment she leaves your side, they’ll attack her."
"She stole something from them."
"She deserves it," I replied neutrally, keeping my arms folded as I turned, making it clear that I was about to leave.
Then the girl grabbed my wrist.
The instant her fingers touched my arm, I reacted.
I snapped my hand away, activating my magic.
Flames burst to life around my arm, surging over my skin in an instant.
They scorched her fingers.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
She yelped in pain and quickly pulled her hand back.
"You don’t have to be that harsh."
"I... I really didn’t steal anything from those demons."
She swallowed nervously before continuing.
"It was just something I found in the forest. I just picked it up, okay?"
"Me and my family had been traveling for a long time."
"Then I found it."
"I picked it up, and ever since then, those demons have been following me everywhere."
"They’ve been chasing me wherever I go."
"I know it’s something valuable."
"And... I don’t want to let it go."
She clutched her clothes tightly.
"I don’t want to give up the thing they’re after."
I stared at her for a long moment.
Then I leaned down, bringing my face close to hers.
"That thing they’re after..."
"Show it to me."
The girl immediately shook her head and took a step backward.
I straightened up, placing a hand on my waist.
"Then I’m not going to save you."
"You can already see that these demons are afraid of me."
"That’s why they aren’t coming any closer to you."
"They’re only keeping their distance because you’re standing beside me."
The girl bit her lip before looking at me.
"Fine."
"After you save me, I’ll show it to you."
"I might even give it to you."
"If you save me..."
"I’ll hand it over."
"So please."
"Kill these demons for me, and then I’ll give it to you."
After she finished speaking, I narrowed my eyes at her.
She wasn’t as dumb as I had thought.
She actually knew how to negotiate.
Well...
I could simply kill this girl, take the item afterward, and leave.
The thought crossed my mind for only a brief moment.
But if I did that, all these villagers would probably see me as nothing more than a heartless monster.
I’d lose the reputation points I had earned.
And no...
Points.
I needed those points.
They were the key to obtaining powerful weapons that would help me destroy my enemies.
So I wouldn’t kill her.
This useless human would remain alive...
For the sake of my precious points.
I made my decision before speaking.
"Okay."
"I’ll kill these demons."
"But afterward, you will hand over the item you’re carrying."
"Okay!" she answered in a high-pitched voice.
The girl hurried behind me, using my back as her shield from the waiting demons.
The system’s voice suddenly echoed inside my head.
"Young Hero, it is wonderful that you have finally come to your senses and are willing to play the hero."
"Save this girl."
"After you save her, make her your companion."
"A hero needs human companions, not just gods."
I ignored the system completely.
I already had a useless panther following me around.
Most of the time, it was either sleeping, resting, hiding, or trailing behind me.
I didn’t need another burden.
Especially not a human.
Mortals were troublesome enough as they were.
Even the baby panther was more useful.
I raised my sword and pointed it toward the approaching demons.
"You demons..."
"You shall be obliterated."
The demon horde charged toward me, activating their demonic auras as they rushed forward with weapons raised.
I chuckled.
Then I chuckled again.
A cold, chilling laugh escaped my lips, as frigid and merciless as a freezing river.
"You..."
"How dare you charge at this king?"
"Do you not know whom you should fear?"
I roared before drawing my sword in a single swift motion.
One slash.
Half of the horde was blown away, their bodies crumbling into dust before fading into nothingness.
The remaining demons froze.
Their eyes widened in horror.
"Ahhh!"
They screamed in panic and turned to flee.
"Where are you going?"
"Come back."
"Not on my watch."
"Your demonic energy belongs to me."
I shot into the air, my figure flashing across the battlefield and appearing directly in the path the fleeing demons had chosen.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword once more.
Another slash.
The remaining demons were obliterated.
The demonic energy they had absorbed burst from their bodies and streamed toward me.
Dark wisps of energy poured into my body one after another.
I closed my eyes and took a slow breath, welcoming the familiar surge of power flowing through my veins.
When I opened my eyes again, I turned my head toward the girl I had just saved.
...
The system’s notification suddenly rang in my head.
Companionship Contract Initiating.
Ella Qinglin has expressed the desire to serve you out of gratitude for saving him.
Companion Contract Initiated.
Ella Qinglin is now your companion.
As your companion, he will obey your commands at any time.
"What the fuck do you mean, companion?"
"I wasn’t even trying to complete one of your missions, System."
"I just wanted the map, damn it."
"So why did you bind me to this annoying girl?"
If I had known that accidentally completing one of the system’s missions would automatically bind me to the target, I never would have done it.
"Wait..."
I pointed a finger at the person standing before me.
"You’re not a girl."
The person smirked.
"Look at me."
"You’re right."
"I’m not a girl."
"I’m a guy."
"I never said I was one."
"What the..."
I stared at the strange-looking person standing in front of me.
Was he a girl?
Or a boy?
I honestly couldn’t tell.
And now I was bound to him.
"Why the hell is your name Ella Qinglin?"
"System."
"What is going on?"
"Host, I don’t know either."
"That is simply his official name."
"His official name?" I repeated.
"I looked at his appearance and thought he was a girl."
"Damn it, System."
"Damn you."
"Host, wha—"
Before the system could finish speaking, it suddenly screamed.
Then a wave of demonic energy forced its way into my body.