Maddy guided the girl to a spot in front of the bonfire she had rebuilt. The night was growing colder, the wind whistling through the rocky pass, but the circle of light stayed warm. Over the flames, a heavy pot bubbled with a rich, golden soup.

The girl’s nose twitched. A familiar, savory scent drifted through the air, cutting through her exhaustion. Maddy was using her Food Slime traits again, but this time she had manifested the lean, mana rich meat of a Dao Deer. She knew the child needed protein and restorative energy for the long trek in the morning.

Maddy didn’t ask a single question. She didn’t press for the name of the village or the details of the attack. She simply focused on the ladle, stirring the broth with a gentle, rhythmic motion. She gave the girl the one thing she hadn’t had in a long time: space to just exist without being hunted.

"It needs another minute to simmer. The Dao Deer meat is a bit tough if you don’t treat it with respect, but once it softens, it’ll make you feel like you can outrun the wind."

The girl watched the steam rise, her eyes tracking the golden bubbles. She looked small against the backdrop of the jagged rocks, but the color was starting to return to her cheeks.

[Response: Nutritional density is optimal. The inclusion of Dao Deer essence will accelerate her muscle recovery and soothe the lingering shock to her nervous system.]

"Yeah... She needs a full belly more than anything."

Maddy ladled a generous portion into a clean stone bowl she had fashioned with Material Manipulation. She handed it to the girl, the warmth of the bowl seeping into the child’s small, chilled hands.

"Eat up, sweetie. In this camp, the only rule is that no one goes to bed hungry."

The girl did not hesitate. The familiar scent of the broth acted like a key, unlocking a door she thought had been barred forever. She took a deep sip, not even minding the steam that rolled off the surface.

As the liquid hit her tongue, everything came rushing back—the memory of her mother’s kitchen, the laughter of the village elders, and the specific, earthy spice of the native slimes they used to breed for their stews.

Maddy watched the girl’s eyes widen. She saw the recognition there, a spark of home reignited in the middle of a cold mountain pass.

"You know this flavor, don’t you?"

Maddy asked, her voice soft and encouraging. The girl nodded vigorously, her mouth too full of succulent Dao Deer to speak. She looked at Maddy with a mix of wonder and hope.

"I actually passed through your town earlier. It was... quiet. No one was there except for the slimes. They had grown quite a bit, and they were making a bit of a mess of the place."

The girl’s hand trembled slightly, the spoon pausing mid air.

"But don’t you worry. I already dealt with them. I did a bit of ’housecleaning,’ let’s say. The square is clear, and the big bully at the center won’t be bothering anyone ever again. I made sure of it."

A massive weight seemed to lift from the child’s small shoulders. The terror of the "monsters" that had overrun her home was replaced by a visible sense of relief. She beamed at Maddy, the first real smile breaking through the grime on her face. With her spirit renewed, she began eating with twice the speed, her spoon clinking rhythmically against the stone bowl.

Before Maddy could even offer, the girl held the empty bowl out with both hands, her eyes bright and pleading.

"Can I... can I have more, please?"

Maddy laughed, a warm, genuine sound that chased away the remaining shadows of the night.

"Honey, you can have the whole pot if you want. I’ve got plenty of ingredients, and I think you’ve got a lot of growing to do."

She ladled another steaming portion of the rich, golden soup into the bowl. The girl dug in immediately, the warmth of the food and the safety of the camp finally allowing her to feel like she had a future again. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

After several more helpings, the girl leaned back against a smooth stone, her belly rounded and full. She looked exactly as bloated as Maddy had been earlier—a tiny, satisfied mimic of her protector.

Maddy chuckled and reached out, her palm glowing with a soft, pale light. She applied the Soothing Slime effect, a cool sensation that settled the child’s stomach and eased the heavy ache of overeating. The girl’s eyes fluttered with relief. She suddenly reached out and grabbed Maddy’s hand, a single, heavy tear falling onto Maddy’s knuckles.

Maddy’s heart sank. She leaned forward, gently wiping the tear away with her thumb.

"Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong? Is the tummy still hurting?"

The girl shook her head, looking up with a trembling lip.

"No... you just... you remind me of my mom."

Maddy froze, her breath hitching. A lump formed in her throat as she looked at the orange-haired child, the weight of that comparison hitting her harder than any monster’s punch. She didn’t speak, simply squeezing the girl’s hand to let her know she was listening.

"My mom was a harvester," the girl began, her voice small and cracking. "We lived with the slimes. I was there with her, helping her sort them, when I felt the mana beginning to ripple. It felt like the air was shivering."

She gazed into the fire, the orange light dancing within her damp eyes.

"I tried to tell her, but mom just brushed it off. She said there was nothing to worry about. She told me these were only slimes... weak, harmless things meant for our supplies and they posed no threat at all. I nodded and believed her, because our town had lived this way since before I was born. But I felt like something was deeply wrong; the mana in the air made my skin crawl and my body shiver."